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 the law in the Federal Register, or around...

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 patients, advises that extortionists have been...

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 Business Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability, the...

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 you in compliance. Both are vital to...

While always a part of business, compliance demands have skyrocketed as the digital world gives us so many more ways to go awry. We all remember the Enron scandal that precipitated the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). Now, SOX compliance means being above board on a number of cybersecurity requirements as well. Fortra's Tripwire recently released a new guide: How Managed Services Can Help with...

Electric grids are part of every nation’s critical infrastructure. Every societal activity and business depends on reliable and safe electricity distribution. The US electric grid is a huge network of powerlines, distribution hubs, and renewable and non-renewable energy generators that is increasingly exposed to cyber-physical risks due to the accelerated reliance on cyber-enabled systems and IoT...

The then-new 2014 NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) was designed to plug security gaps in operational technology. It’s still in use today and more relevant than ever. Fortra’s whitepaper provides a cohesive review of this security staple and how to glean the best out of it for your strategy. A Brief History of NIST CSF “The full maximum NIST Cybersecurity Framework is about as big an umbrella as...

When building a tower, it helps to start with a sturdy foundation. Cyber maturity is the tower, and there are three levels that build it: Foundational IT/OT & Security Control Processes Fundamental Security Control Capabilities Advanced Security Control Capabilities Fortra occupies a unique space in the industry because of the sheer size of the security portfolio. It’s one thing to advocate for...

Do you remember where you were on 25th May 2018? Perhaps you were enjoying a Friday night drink with friends. Perhaps you were with family, relaxing after a busy week at work. I was actually having a GDPR Birthday party with friends and colleagues because 25th May 2018 was a landmark day for the world of Data Protection (yes, seriously, we had a party!). But the funny thing about the effective...

Non-compliance in cybersecurity marks a grave oversight. It involves neglecting established security protocols, leaving organizations vulnerable to malicious actors. Read on as we examine the potential risks of non-compliance, including heightened susceptibility to cyberattacks, the specter of data breaches, and the erosion of a company's hard-earned reputation. Risks of Non-Compliance Non...

Cyber threats are growing more sophisticated, covert, and frequent every day. This year alone has seen the likes of T-Mobile and PharMerica suffering serious security breaches. These incidents disrupted operations and threatened their bottom lines, not to mention the lingering aftereffects and negative brand perception in the eyes of their customers. Taking the recent Optus data security breach as...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s September 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-1073 on Wednesday, September 13th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-36761 Microsoft has indicated that a vulnerability impacting Microsoft Word, including the preview pane...

It's easy to rest on our laurels. Prevent a few breaches – or go long enough without one – and you start to feel invincible. While our efforts are certainly laudable, we can't get too comfortable. As defenders, we always need to be on the hunt for what we've missed and ways to do better. Here are ten common cybersecurity mistakes that crop up (and how to avoid them): Failing to get executive suppo...

The basic parameters that control how hardware, software, and even entire networks operate are configurations, whether they take the form of a single configuration file or a collection of connected configurations. For instance, the default properties a firewall uses to control traffic to and from a company's network, such as block lists, port forwarding, virtual LANs, and VPN information, are...

Technology companies are often seen as revolving doors of constantly shifting personnel. Whether they are seeking a better work environment or chasing a higher paycheck, these staff changes can hurt an organization’s progress. Worse yet, the customers are often negatively impacted by these changes in the continuity of established relationships. At Fortra, we're proud to have a higher average...

The Network and Information Security 2 ( NIS2 ) Directive is the European Union's (EU) second attempt at an all-encompassing cybersecurity directive. The EU introduced the legislation to update the much-misinterpreted Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive (2016) and improve the cybersecurity of all member states. It signed NIS2 into law in January 2023, expecting all relevant...

The Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability (CIA) Triad is a crucial information security model that guides and assesses how an organization manages data during storage, transmission, and processing. Each component of the triad plays a vital role in maintaining information security: Confidentiality means that data should not be accessed without authorization. Most times, it is equivalent to...

The United States stands at a pivotal juncture for true digital and cyber security, with unlimited potential. The 2023 U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy presents a fresh perspective on safeguarding digital territory—a perspective rooted in collaboration, innovation, and accountability. This moment poses a critical consideration of whether to invest in a future where collaboration is the norm...

A few years ago, I wrote about the importance of security immutability . More specifically, I discussed how important it is that your environment be unchangeable in order to ensure that it remains secure. As I looked back on the article, I found it rather amusing that the article was published 4 years ago, but that feels like a lifetime ago. In the last few years, we really have seen just how...

Network engineers and security analysts have a lot in common. Both require the ability to not only understand the problems at hand but to ascertain the moments leading to them. A typical scenario would include a request to help with a problem a customer has been experiencing. The person you are trying to assist is probably a member of the IT team in the organisation. During these situations, we...