There are ghosts in the machine.Not the poetic kind. I mean literal, running-code-with-root-access kind. The kind that was set up ten years ago by an admin who retired five jobs ago. The kind that still wakes up every night at 3:30 a.m.; processes something no one remembers, and then quietly vanishes into the system logs. Until, of course, something goes wrong—or someone takes advantage of it...

APWG's Q4 2024 Phishing Activity Trends Report, published March 19th, revealed that more than eight in ten Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks last quarter were sent by attackers favoring Google's free webmail service. By comparison, only 10% used Microsoft's free email web app, Outlook.com.The report, published quarterly, is a product of the phishing incidents reported to the APWG annually by...

Cyber incidents are always going to be present. Regardless of whether you’re working for a startup or a corporation, malicious software can target you and your business. This is why it’s important to work closely with cybersecurity incident response teams and have such protocols in place.The lifecycle of a cybersecurity incident starts way before it happens with good preparation. However, the...

Ransomware is no longer in its heyday. Evolving, AI-driven cybersecurity tools and global law enforcement efforts have seen to that. But that doesn’t mean ransomware is no longer a threat. In fact, in some ways, the danger is greater than ever. While ransomware attacks are less common than they used to be, the consequences of those that succeed are more severe. Earlier this year, the Ponemon...

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...

Cybersecurity threats are no longer a matter of "if" but "when." While companies invest heavily in technical defenses, one important aspect often gets overlooked — communication.How an organization communicates during a cybersecurity incident determines the speed and effectiveness of its response, as well as the level of trust it maintains with stakeholders.Here, we’ll walk through the...

The latest version of the CIS Controls was released in June 2024. The new version, 8.1, introduces some minor updates via design principles.ContextNew asset classes are updated to better match the specific parts of an enterprise’s infrastructure that each Safeguard applies to. New classes require new definitions, so CIS has also enhanced the descriptions of several Safeguards for greater detail,...

Since 2008, the CIS Controls have been through many iterations of refinement and improvement leading up to what we are presented with today in CIS Controls version 8.1.CIS Controls reflect the combined knowledge of experts from every part of the ecosystem (companies, governments, and individuals). The controls reflect consideration by people in many different roles, such as threat analysts,...

In today’s dynamic IT environments, securing and maintaining the integrity of your systems is critical. Fortra’s Tripwire Enterprise is a robust tool designed to help organizations ensure compliance and security by continuously monitoring the configuration and behavior of their IT assets.When deploying Tripwire, a common question arises: should you prioritize monitoring applications, operating...

Today, I will be going over Control 2 from version 8.1 of the top 18 CIS Controls – Inventory and Control of Software Assets. I will go over the seven safeguards and offer my thoughts on what I’ve found.Key Takeaways for Control 2Reusability. The tools that were mentioned in Control 1 will be used in Control 2 as well. Reusing tools that accomplish goals for both Controls 1 and 2 can help cut...

Key Takeaways for Control 3At the heart of a strong data management plan is awareness surrounding the 'Five Ws' of the enterprise's data:What data does the enterprise store or handle?Who should have access to it?Where is it stored or accessed?When should it be deleted?Why does it need protection?A comprehensive data management plan incorporates the answers to these questions with policy decisions...

Data breaches continue to cost organizations millions of dollars each year, with costs rising steadily. According to IBM's 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average cost of a data breach has surged to $4.88 million globally, reflecting the increasing complexity and sophistication of cyberattacks. In the United States, this figure is even higher, averaging $9.8 million per breach, and the...

Key Takeaways for Control 4Most fresh installs of operating systems or applications come with preconfigured settings that are usually insecure or not properly configured with security in mind. Use the leverage provided by multiple frameworks such as CIS Benchmarks or NIST NCP to find out if your organization needs to augment or adjust any baselines to become better aligned with the policies your...

In the early part of 2024, the Center for Internet Security (CIS) released the latest version of the well-respected Critical Security Controls (CSC). The new version, 8.1, adds contours to the prior versions, making it more comprehensive and timely in today’s challenging cybersecurity environment.The CIS CSC has been a valued source of guidance for many organizations since its initial release in...

The Turkish government is proposing a controversial new cybersecurity law that could make it a criminal act to report on data breaches. The new legislation proposes penalties for various cybersecurity-related offences. But they key one which has people concerned is this:"Those who carry out activities aimed at targeting institutions or individuals by creating the perception that there has been a...

Knowing who has credentials, how those credentials are granted, and how they are being used is the foundation of any secure environment. It begins with user accounts and the credentials they use. Maintaining a thorough inventory of all accounts and verifying any changes to those accounts as authorized and intentional vs unintended is paramount to establishing a secure environment, and this...

CIS Control 6 merges some aspects of CIS Control 4 (admin privileges) and CIS Control 14 (access on a need-to-know basis) into a single access control management group. Access control management is a critical component in maintaining information and system security, restricting access to assets based on role and need. It is important to grant, refuse, and remove access in a standardized, timely,...

When it comes to cybersecurity, vulnerability management is one of the older technologies that still play a critical role in securing our assets. It is often overlooked, disregarded, or considered only for checkbox compliance needs, but a proper vulnerability management program can play a critical role in avoiding a series of data breaches.CIS Control 07 provides the minimum requirements and table...

While Exponential Organizations (ExOs) are transforming industries beyond the tech space, that doesn’t mean that they are not susceptible to an increasing number of cyber threats. As ExOs harness innovative and cutting-edge technologies to drive transformative growth, the ability to respond effectively and proactively to cyber incidents becomes increasingly vital. Recent statistics from the 2024...

Audit logs provide a rich source of data critical to preventing, detecting, understanding, and minimizing the impact of network or data compromise in a timely manner.Collection logs and regular reviews are useful for identifying baselines, establishing operational trends, and detecting abnormalities. In some cases, logging may be the only evidence of a successful attack.CIS Control 8 emphasizes...