Can you imagine a modern working world without Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications? Productivity, communication, and project management solutions have transformed the modern workplace, enabling hybrid and remote working, helping to cut costs, and offering unprecedented opportunities for collaboration and innovation. Without them, the business world would grind to a halt.But these...

Tripwire's January 2025 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft.First on the list are patches for the Microsoft office platform, including Word, Access, Visio, Excel, OneNote, and Outlook. These patches resolve 13 issues such as remote code execution and security feature bypass vulnerabilities.Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows...

A California man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme that saw over 50 individuals and organisations lose millions of dollars.59-year-old Allen Giltman, of Irvine, California, pleaded guilty to charges that he and his co-conspirators built a network of fraudulent websites impersonating legitimate financial institutions.According to a US Department...

Modern factories are increasingly relying on Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions. This shift is beneficial in many regards, including higher efficiency and transparency, but it also introduces unique cybersecurity concerns. Better vulnerability management for IIoT systems is essential if companies hope to make the most of this technology.The White House’s 2024 cybersecurity report named...

The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) agents signals a profound transformation in how businesses operate. Unlike traditional AI models that process and respond to queries, Google defines that “Agents are autonomous and can act independently of human intervention.” At the same time, the World Economic Forum explains that an agent is “an entity that perceives its environment through sensors...

Late last year, Australia’s Cyber Security Act 2024 received Royal Assent and became Law. It was a huge moment for cybersecurity legislation in Australia, serving as the country’s first-ever standalone cybersecurity law, addressing key legislative gaps, and bringing the country in line with international best practices. But what’s included in the Act? And what does it mean for businesses? Keep...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s February 2025 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1143 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEsCVE-2025-21391A vulnerability in Windows Storage could lead to elevation of privilege, however, it is important to note that this would not give complete access to the file...

What is the Cactus ransomware?Cactus is a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group that encrypts victim's data and demands a ransom for a decryption key.Hundreds of organisations have found themselves the victim of Cactus since it was first discovered in March 2023, with their stolen data published on the dark web as an "incentive" to give in to the extortionists' demands.So far, so sadly normal. What...

Protecting individual privacy is paramount, given the proliferation of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and other sensitive data collected by enterprises across all industries. One way to protect sensitive data is through PII masking e.g., consistently changing names or including only the last four digits of a credit card or Social Security Number.What is data masking?Data masking...

Scammers are highly resourceful and cunning when devising new ways to swindle people. But they often rely on long-standing persuasion techniques for their tricks to work. So, you may hear about a new scam that uses a novel narrative, but there is a good chance that the scam depends on proven scam techniques once the narrative is stripped away.But first, what constitutes a scam? A scam is when...

The terms “patch management” and “vulnerability management“ are not the same. And that difference is a big difference.They may be confused because applying patches is one of the many ways to mitigate cyber risks. However, it is one piece of the entire vulnerability management puzzle and organizations that do not realize this are burdened with a false sense of security. A patch management program...

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is both the central bank and chief financial regulator of Singapore. As such, they publish best practices (“Guidelines”) and legally binding regulations (“Notices”) regarding technology risk management and cyber hygiene. Mandatory requirements include:Notice on Technology Risk Management (FSM N21)Notice on Cyber Hygiene (FSM N22)Notice on Management of...

What is it?The Tripwire Enterprise Critical Change Audit rules provide customers with the ability to monitor for critical events that could have a significant impact on a system. Monitoring for critical events can help administrators identify malicious and/or unexpected changes within their environment.Changes To CCAAdditional rules were added to the Critical Change Audit rule set. These rules...

The Medusa ransomware gang continues to present a major threat to the critical infrastructure sector, according to a newly-released joint advisory from the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC).As of February 2025, the Medusa ransomware operation, which we have previously detailed on the Tripwire State of...

Compliance is a “ticket to entry” for businesses today, and information security risk management (ISRM) makes sure organizations hang on to their ticket. In this blog, we’ll review how ISRM helps organizations not only get compliant but stay compliant.And how Tripwire makes that process automatic.Compliance is a Core Cost of Doing Business TodayWithout adhering to industry-standard data privacy...

Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC) was mandated by the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 2007 and provides a set of security standards that must be adhered to by all federal workstations and laptops running Windows XP or Vista.FDCC evolved into the United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) starting in 2010, although some agencies and contracts may still be under...

Over the past few years, many countries have made considerable efforts to bolster cybersecurity preparedness. These efforts are understandable when put into a geopolitical context: global relationships in the past five years have been among the most tumultuous in decades, cybersecurity threats are more sophisticated than ever, and the world is increasingly reliant on digital technologies.However,...

It’s well-trodden ground by now, but generative AI is really one of the business world’s most important technologies. Like it or not, it will soon become integral to everyday business operations. Those who learn how to use it effectively will flourish, and those who don’t will fall by the wayside. As highlighted by IBM’s The CEO’s Guide to Generative AI highlights, CEOs face serious pressure to...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s March 2025 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1147 as soon as coverage is completed.In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEsCVE-2025-26633According to Microsoft, improper neutralization in Microsoft Management Console could allow an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally. For...

Technology is transforming the way financial scams operate, making them more sophisticated, automated, and harder to detect. From deepfake impersonations to cryptocurrency fraud and tech support scams, bad actors are leaving no stone unturned and are leveraging every advanced tool at their disposal to manipulate victims and steal their assets.This blog will look at how fraudsters are weaponizing...