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VERT Threat Alert: November 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Image 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...
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How Does IoT Contribute to Real-Time Grid Monitoring for Enhanced Stability and Fault Detection?

Image 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...
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Some Financial Institutions Must Report Breaches in 30 Days

Image 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...
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Massive Surge in Security Breaches of Pensions Prompt Questions

Image A recent report from RPC has revealed that cybersecurity breaches in UK pension schemes increased by 4,000% from 2021/22 to 2022/23. Understandably, the announcement has raised serious concerns about the efficacy of financial service organization’s cybersecurity programmes. Although the reasons for cyberattacks on financial...
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Understanding Cybersecurity Footprinting: Techniques and Strategies

Image Footprinting, also known as fingerprinting, is a methodology used by penetration testers, cybersecurity professionals, and even threat actors to gather information about a target organization to identify potential vulnerabilities. Footprinting is the first step in penetration testing. It involves scanning open ports, mapping...
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VERT Threat Alert: October 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Image 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...
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Compliance vs. Security: Striking the Right Balance in Cybersecurity

Image 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...
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How MSSPs Help with Cybersecurity Compliance

Image 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...
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What is NERC? Everything you need to know

Image 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...
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ICS Environments and Patch Management: What to Do If You Can’t Patch

Image The evolution of the cyber threat landscape highlights the need for organizations to strengthen their ability to identify, analyze, and evaluate cyber risks before they evolve into security incidents. Known unpatched vulnerabilities are often exploited by criminals to penetrate Industrial Control Systems (ICS) environments and...
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Fighting AI Cybercrime with AI Security

Image On August 10th, the Pentagon introduced "Task Force Lima," a dedicated team working to bring Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the core of the U.S. defense system. The goal is to use AI to improve business operations, healthcare, military readiness, policy-making, and warfare. Earlier in August, the White House announced a...
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Closing Integrity Gaps with NIST CSF

Image 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...
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Defending against DDoS Attacks: What you need to know

Image Patience is one of those time-dependent, and often situational circumstances we experience. Few things define relativity better than patience.  Think of the impatience of people who have to wait ten minutes in a line at a gas station, yet the thought of waiting ten minutes for a perfectly brewed cup of coffee seems entirely...
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Increasing Your Business’ Cyber Maturity with Fortra

Image 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...
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General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – The Story So Far

Image 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,...
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The Consequences of Non-Compliance in Cybersecurity: Risks and Penalties

Image 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...
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How to Build an Effective ICS Security Program

Image How to Build an Effective ICS Security Program Of all the different areas of cybersecurity, not many are as important, or have as far-reaching consequences as industrial control systems (ICS) security. While most relevant organizations would agree that ICS security is a significant concern for their operations, it is easier...
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Guarding Against Fileless Malware: Types and Prevention

Image Fileless malware, true to its name, is malicious code that uses existing legitimate programs in a system for compromise. It operates directly in the Random Access Memory (RAM) without requiring any executable files in the hard drive. Differing from conventional malware, fileless attacks are stealthier in nature, falling under...
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5 Reasons Why You Should Conduct Regular Cybersecurity Audits

Image 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...