The energy sector is the cornerstone of modern infrastructure, powering essential services and supporting the daily operations of economies worldwide. However, it also faces unique cybersecurity challenges, particularly in complying with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) standards.Cyber threats keep growing in sophistication and...

Remote work isn’t just a temporary trend anymore; it has become a permanent fixture. What began as a quick response during the pandemic has evolved into the new normal for businesses worldwide. In America, 20% of people now work from home.While this has its advantages (flexibility for workers and cost savings for businesses), it’s not without its complications, having cracked open a host of issues...

Fortra’s Tripwire has always been widely known as a File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) solution, and a very good one at that. The good news is that it still is - only when you look closely, it’s a lot more. And it always has been.Besides its traditionally known role as an integrity and security configuration management tool, Tripwire’s powerful capabilities make it a comprehensive cybersecurity...

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...

As we enter 2025, the frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks on critical national infrastructure (CNI) in the US are rising at an alarming rate. These attacks target the foundational systems that support everything from energy and water to transportation and communications, and the consequences are far-reaching and potentially catastrophic. They impact not just the operations of these...

Maintaining compliance with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards is a complex process that can put significant strain on security and compliance teams. Easing this strain and ensuring compliance relies on effective preparation. As the old adage goes, fail to prepare, prepare to fail.The NERC CIP preparation process is best...

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...

A Divisive Veto: California Rejects AI Safety Bill SB 1047California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent veto of SB 1047, a proposed AI safety bill, has sparked a hot debate on the balance between innovation and regulation in the artificial intelligence (AI) space. California has over a dozen AI related bills that have been signed although this bill sought to establish rigorous safety testing...

One of the hardest parts of managing an organization’s cybersecurity is patch management.Just as one patch cycle is completed, another set of patches are released. When compounded with the highly regulated energy industry, governed by the NERC CIP Standards, the task becomes even more daunting. Fortunately, Fortra’s Tripwire Enterprise (TE) can ease the process.Some of the specified requirements...

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...

London is one of the smartest and most interconnected cities in the world. Digital infrastructure plays a role in almost every facet of society, streamlining public transport, improving healthcare provision, boosting sustainability, and more.However, this reliance on technology has left London’s critical national infrastructure (CNI) perilously vulnerable to digital attacks. As geopolitical...

Web browsers and email clients are used to interact with external and internal assets. Both applications can be used as a point of entry within an organization. Users of these applications can be manipulated using social engineering attacks. A successful social engineering attack needs to convince users to interact with malicious content. A successful attack could give an attacker an entry point...

Cyber resilience is a constant topic of concern in technology and cybersecurity, as it approaches security from the standpoint of assuming that attacks are inevitable rather than solely attempting to prevent them. Layered cybersecurity is crucial to ensure comprehensive defense against a wide range of threats. Cyber resilience has long been a necessity for hardware and software components, but...

With the continuing rise of ransomware, malware defenses are more critical than ever before with regard to securing the enterprise. Anti-Malware technologies have become an afterthought in many organizations, a technology that they’ve always had, always used, and never really thought about. This control serves as a reminder that this technology is as critical as it ever was and lays out the...

Data loss can be a consequence of a variety of factors from malicious ransomware to hardware failures and even natural disasters. Regardless of the reason for data loss, we need to be able to restore our data. A data recovery plan begins with prioritizing our data, protecting it while it is being stored, and having a plan to recover data. Key Takeaways for Control 11Prioritize your data and come...

As cyber threats escalate in frequency and severity, IT and security teams face increased pressure to maintain transparency. With this in mind, the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Cyber Disclosure Rule, released on 26 July 2023, mandates timely and detailed public disclosures about cyber incidents.This rule places a heavy burden on chief information security officers (CISOs), chief...

When we think about cybersecurity, we think of malicious actors constantly devising new ways to breach our defenses. While this is critical, it's equally important to understand that another menace can be sitting down the hall. The risk of insider attacks is significant and should not be overlooked.These attacks have floored businesses of all sizes and in various industries, frequently with dire...

Networks form a critical core for our modern-day society and businesses. These networks are comprised of many types of components that make up the networks’ infrastructure. Network infrastructure devices can be physical or virtual and include things such as routers, switches, firewalls, and wireless access points. Unfortunately, many devices are shipped from manufacturers with “default”...

Networks form a critical core for our modern-day society and businesses. People, processes, and technologies should be in place for monitoring, detecting, logging, and preventing malicious activities that occur when an enterprise experiences an attack within or against their networks.Key Takeaways for Control 13Enterprises should understand that their systems and networks are never perfectly...