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Tips for Achieving Success With a NERC CIP Audit

Electrical utilities are responsible for just about everything we do. This presents a tremendous burden on those who operate those utilities. One way these organizations offer assurance is through the audit process. While audits can generate tremendous anxiety, good planning, and tools can help make the entire process go smoothly. Moreover, these can...
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VERT Threat Alert: December 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s December 2023 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1086 on Wednesday, December 13th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-20588 AMD has released AMD-SB-7007 – Speculative Leaks Security Notice, which describes how some AMD processors can...
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NIST CSF 2.0: What you need to know

Organizations looking to protect their sensitive data and assets against cyberattacks may lack the ability to build a cybersecurity strategy without any structured help. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a free, public framework to help any organization mature its IT security posture. Recently, the institute published an...
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Quick Look at the New CISA Healthcare Mitigation Guide

It’s the small vines, not the large branches, that trip us up in the forest. Apparently, it’s no different in Healthcare. In November, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a Mitigation Guide aimed at the Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) sector. In the midst of current hybrid cloud security challenges, hyper...
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Tripwire Patch Priority Index for November 2023

Tripwire's November 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the patch priority are patches for Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) that resolve elevation of privilege, remote code execution, and spoofing vulnerabilities. Next on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Office and...
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How Does NIST's AI Risk Management Framework Affect You?

While the EU AI Act is poised to introduce binding legal requirements, there's another noteworthy player making waves—the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF), published in January 2023. This framework promises to reshape the future of responsible AI uniquely and voluntarily, setting it apart from...
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Guarding the Grid: Navigating the Current and Future Landscape of Utility Cybersecurity

Tripwire recently held its annual Energy and NERC Compliance Working Group. This year's attendees included more than 200 Tripwire customer utility personnel representing over 80 different registered entities from all across the US and Canada. The company sizes ranged from public utility districts and city municipalities to medium and larger-sized...
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NIST NCCoE Publishes Cybersecurity Framework Profile for Hybrid Satellite Networks

In late September 2023, the US-based National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published its Cybersecurity Framework Profile for Hybrid Satellite Networks, otherwise known as NIST IR 8441. This blog will explore the reasons behind NIST developing the framework, outline its intentions, and summarize its key points. What is a Hybrid Satellite...
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Financial Institutions in New York Face Stricter Cybersecurity Rules

Boards of directors need to maintain an appropriate level of cyber expertise, incidents must be reported within 72 hours after determination, and all ransom payments made must be reported within a day. Those are just some of the changes made by The New York State Department of Financial Services to its Cybersecurity Requirements for Financial Services ...
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VERT Threat Alert: November 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s November 2023 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1082 on Wednesday, November 15th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-36033 A vulnerability in the Microsoft Desktop Window Manager (DWM) could allow an attacker to gain SYSTEM level...
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How Does IoT Contribute to Real-Time Grid Monitoring for Enhanced Stability and Fault Detection?

More decision-makers are investing in grid modernization efforts, knowing that doing so is necessary for keeping pace with modern demands. For example, smart grid fault-detection sensors could warn utility company providers of problems in real time, preventing costly and inconvenient outages. Technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) can also...
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CherryBlos, the malware that steals cryptocurrency via your photos - what you need to know

What's the deal with CherryBlos? CherryBlos is a rather interesting family of Android malware that can plunder your cryptocurrency accounts - with a little help from your photos. Wait. I've heard of hackers stealing photos before, but what do you mean by malware stealing cryptocurrency via my photos? How does it do that? Well, imagine you have...
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Some Financial Institutions Must Report Breaches in 30 Days

The heat has just been turned up for companies hoping to “hide out” a data breach. Announced October 27th, all non-banking financial institutions are now required to report data breach incidents within 30 days. The amendment to the Safeguards Rule was made by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It will go into effect 180 days after publication of...
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Tripwire Patch Priority Index for October 2023

Tripwire's October 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the patch priority is a patch for Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) that resolves a type confusion vulnerability. Next on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Office that resolve 3 elevation of privilege...
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Container Security Essentials: Vulnerability Scanning and Change Detection Explained

Containers offer a streamlined application deployment and management approach. Thanks to their efficiency and portability, platforms like Docker and Kubernetes have become household names in the tech industry. However, a misconception lurks in the shadows as containers gain popularity - the belief that active vulnerability scanning becomes redundant...
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A Scary Story of Group Policy Gone Wrong: Accidental Misconfigurations

In the world of cybersecurity, insider threats remain a potent and often underestimated danger. These threats can emanate not only from malicious actors within an organization but also from well-intentioned employees who inadvertently compromise security with a mis-click or other unwitting action. Having spent many years in system administrator-type...
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Plastic surgeries warned by the FBI that they are being targeted by cybercriminals

Plastic surgeries across the United States have been issued a warning that they are being targeted by cybercriminals in plots designed to steal sensitive data including patients' medical records and photographs that will be later used for extortion. The warning, which was issued by the FBI yesterday and is directed towards plastic surgery offices and...
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VERT Threat Alert: October 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s October 2023 Security Updates, which includes a recently introduced release notes format. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1077 on Wednesday, October 11th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-41763 While this vulnerability is labeled as a Skype for...
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Compliance vs. Security: Striking the Right Balance in Cybersecurity

Compliance and security often go hand in hand as ideas that attempt to protect against cyber threats. While both compliance and security are designed to lower risk, they are not mutually inclusive—that is, not everything that is required for compliance will necessarily help with security, and not everything that bolsters security will necessarily put...
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Tripwire Patch Priority Index for September 2023

Tripwire's September 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the patch priority are patches for Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) that resolve 5 vulnerabilities such as out of bounds memory access, type confusion, and use after free. Next on the patch priority list this month are patches for...