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England and Wales Report a Spike in Computer Misuse

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) most recent Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) has revealed that computer misuse cases rose 37% in the year ending March 2024, bucking a general trend of decline.The CSEW first started tracking computer misuse in the year ending (YE) March 2017, which saw roughly 1.8 million incidents. By March 2023, this number had fallen to 745,000. In March 2024,...
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Mitigating Alert Fatigue in SecOps Teams

Security Operations Teams (SOCs) today are under attack by the very mechanisms meant to help them. A recent industry study revealed a few startling facts:SOCs spend a third of their workday hunting down false positives.Even then, SOCs only get to half of the alerts they need to every day.Out of all the teams currently using automation, only half apply it to threat hunting and incident enrichment...
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Navigating the Cloud Chaos: 2024's Top Threats Revealed

Misconfigurations (when cloud computing assets are set up incorrectly, leaving them vulnerable to unauthorized access, data breaches, and operational disruptions) and inadequate change control top the list of cloud security threats in 2024, rising from third place the year before. It's clear that the transition to cloud computing has amplified the challenges of configuration management, making it...
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WordPress Plugin and Theme Developers Told They Must Use 2FA

Developers of plugins and themes for WordPress.org have been told they are required to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) from October 1st.The move is intended to enhance security, helping prevent hackers from gaining access to accounts through which malicious code could be injected into code used by millions of websites running the self-hosted version of WordPress.The threat posed by supply...
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Common Phishing Attacks and How to Protect Against Them

Phishing is a malicious attempt to deceive individuals into divulging sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, or other personal data. These attacks are typically carried out by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in electronic communications. Phishing can take many forms and has evolved to become more sophisticated, making it imperative for individuals and...
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This Senate Bill Could Improve Voting Machine Security

The upcoming election has brought up conversations about the security of our voting infrastructure. While recent developments have somewhat shifted attention toward more visceral threats such as "death threats against county clerks, polling-place violence, and AI-fueled disinformation," the protection of voting machine security is still a pressing concern.Securing electronic voting infrastructure...
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SOX Compliance in the Age of Cyber Threats

Achieving Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act compliance is becoming more difficult. While the Act is primarily a financial reporting regulation, it requires all publicly traded companies operating in the United States to maintain the integrity, accuracy, and reliability of financial reporting, which those organizations can only achieve through robust cybersecurity measures. As such, an effective...
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Security Automation – As Easy As Making Tea?

I worry that a lot of my blog posts reveal that I’m getting older and older as the days go by, but I wanted to talk about teasmades and security automation.For those of you outside of the UK, and even those born in the UK within the past 30 years, there’s a distinct possibility you may read this and consider it to be a made-up word, but there is indeed such a thing as a teasmade – effectively a...
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Examining the Intersection of Cybersecurity and Automation in 5 Different Industries

Traditional cybersecurity solutions are constantly being supplemented and enhanced by new technology and practices. Industry leaders know that keeping up with digital security advancements is the best way to ensure the success of every company and that customers rely on them.Understanding how experts merge cybersecurity and automation in different industries is an excellent way to embrace this...
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Cicada Ransomware - What You Need To Know

What is the Cicada ransomware?Cicada (also known as Cicada3301) is sophisticated ransomware written in Rust that has claimed more than 20 victims since its discovery in June 2024.Why is the ransomware called Cicada?The criminals behind Cicada appear to have named it after the mysterious Cicada 3301 puzzles posted on the internet between 2012 and 2014, seemingly to recruit highly intelligent...
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Let's Dance: Securing Access with PIM and PAM to Prevent Breaches

I know when to log outKnow when to log inGet things done In the spirit of David Bowie, let's explore how to navigate the labyrinth of privileged access management without getting "Under Pressure."No one wants to mistype a common command, copy their proprietary data to a public location, or delete their operating system. Having multiple accounts—one for regular activities and specific privileged...
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Employee Cybersecurity Awareness Training Strategies for AI-Enhanced Attacks

With the adoption of AI in almost every sphere of our lives and its unending advancement, cyberattacks are rapidly increasing. Threat actors with malicious intent use AI tools to create phishing emails and other AI-generated content to bypass traditional security measures. On the bright side, the security capabilities of AI are limitless.AI-enhanced attacks refer to cybersecurity events that use...
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Navigating Change: Three Levels to Filter Out the Noise in Tech Environments

Change is relentless. Technology evolves at breakneck speed, and security practitioners face a constant barrage of updates, system tweaks, and new tools. This relentless stream of modifications can create a clutter of information, making it challenging to pinpoint what is truly important.Effectively filtering through this noise through effective change management is critical for maintaining...
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The Power of Tripwire Enterprise SCM Policies

There are many good business, security, and compliance reasons for leveraging the extensive rule and policy engines of Fortra’s Tripwire Enterprise (TE) to implement Security Configuration Management (SCM) capabilities, which have been documented very well in other blogs. In contrast, this article deals more with “how can we fully leverage this capability” technically instead of “why” we use them...
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Tripwire Patch Priority Index for August 2024

Tripwire's August 2024 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft, Adobe and Google.First on the list are patches for Microsoft Edge and Google Chromium that resolve 12 vulnerabilities, including information disclosure, remote code execution, and memory corruption vulnerabilities.Up next are patches for Microsoft Outlook, PowerPoint, Visio, Excel, Project,...
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Guardians of the Files: Tracing the Evolution of File Integrity Monitoring

File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) is a cybersecurity process that involves continuously monitoring files and systems to identify any unauthorized changes. FIM solutions maintain file integrity by comparing a file or system's current state to a known, trusted baseline and flagging any discrepancies. It is key for identifying security breaches, preventing data tampering, and maintaining compliance...
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2.5 Million Reward Offered For Cyber Criminal Linked To Notorious Angler Exploit Kit

Who doesn't fancy earning US $2.5 million?That's the reward that's on offer from the US Department and State and Secret Service for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of a Belarusian man who allegedly was a key figure behind the development and distribution of the notorious Angler Exploit Kit.38-year-old Vladimir Kadariya is charged with a range of cybercrime offences which saw...
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The Invisible Shield: Exploring the Silent Guardians of IoT Security

Effectively acting as an invisible shield, the inner workings of IoT security are often taken for granted. However, we can focus and shine a light on the protocols and practices that provide the foundation of IoT security to help others see how these efficiently operate behind the scenes to protect complex networks of interconnected devices.We will consider everything from everyday smart home...
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Life in Cybersecurity: Expert Tips and Insights from a Cybersecurity Recruiter

One of the most challenging aspects of working in cybersecurity can be the deceptively simple act of finding the best job that suits your skillset and best fits the employer's expectations. Whether it is an entry-level position, a lateral move, or a career advancement, there is more to finding a rewarding position than just relying on the heavily publicized skills shortage.Wouldn't it work to your...
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How Automation and AI are Transforming GRC Management

There is no doubt that we now live in an AI-driven, automation-powered world. Across industries and markets, leaders and professionals are achieving the utility of AI in their processes. The same applies to Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) management, but when one looks at the actual implementation, the data shows that there's still a long way to go.According to one recent report, only 21%...