Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a technique used to identify the underlying reasons for a problem, with the aim of trying to prevent it from recurring in the future. It is often used in change management processes to help identify the source of any issues that arise following any modifications to a system or process. RCA is something Tripwire Enterprise is often deeply tied into too. Before we talk...

Each month, at the State of Security, we publish a range of content provided by VERT. Whether it’s a round-up of all the latest cybersecurity news , our Patch Priority Index that helps guide administrators on what they should be patching , a book review, general musings from the team, or most notability our Patch Tuesday round-up . VERT is helping organizations stay abreast of the cybersecurity...

CISA released in late February a cybersecurity advisory on the key findings from a recent Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) red team assessment to provide organizations recommendations for improving their cyber posture. According to the Agency, the necessary actions to harden their environments include monitoring network activity to spot abnormal behavior, conducting regular...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s April 2023 Security Updates . VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1050 on Wednesday, April 12th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-28252 A vulnerability in the Common Log File System (CLFS) Driver has been exploited in-the-wild. CLFS provides a general-purpose logging service to other software via the...

Dealing with the aftermath of ransomware attacks is like Russian roulette. Submitting the ransom might seem like it’s the sole option for recovering locked data . Ransomware also continues to evolve as a threat category within the past year, with old names like REvil rearing their heads and new players like Black Basta emerging in 2022. Malicious actors employ ransomware to extort money (at least...

Tripwire's March 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Google and Microsoft. First on the patch priority list this month is a patch for Microsoft Office Outlook that resolves a critical elevation of privilege vulnerability (CVE-2023-23397) that should be patched as soon as possible. This vulnerability has seen exploitation in the wild and allows attackers to...

As the United States government, the energy industry, and individual consumers work toward cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions, it is crucial to consider how new and advancing technologies affect, and are affected by, cybersecurity concerns. ­­­­Increasing use of smart energy devices can be useful for consumers to have more control over their energy consumption, but can also pose a...

From its inception, the automotive industry has been shaped by innovation and disruption. In recent years, these transformations have taken shape in rapid digitization, ever-growing Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure, and advanced connectivity . These shifts have redirected the automotive industry, meeting and surpassing customer expectations for what vehicles should accomplish. However, they...

Legacy gas and coal plants are being aged out – and no one wants to pay enough to keep them going. With increased pressure from green energy laws and added competition from renewable sources, these monsters of Old Power are being shown the door. Considering they've predated and precipitated all Industrial Revolutions (except for this last one – that was digital), it's safe to say they've had a...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s March 2023 Security Updates . VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1046 on Wednesday, March 15th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-24880 Up first this month is a publicly disclosed and exploited vulnerability impacting Windows SmartScreen. SmartScreen prompts you when running certain files downloaded...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s February 2023 Security Updates . VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1042 on Wednesday, February 15th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-21823 The first vulnerability in the list this week is CVE-2023-21823, a vulnerability in Windows Graphic Component that can allow for code execution leading to...

Tripwire's January 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft and Adobe. First on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Visio and Microsoft Office that resolve 6 vulnerabilities, including remote code execution and information disclosure vulnerabilities. Next are patches for Adobe Reader and Acrobat that 15 vulnerabilities...

Industrial control systems are fundamental to all industrial processes, from power generation to water treatment and manufacturing. ICS refers to the collection of devices that govern a process to ensure its safe and effective execution. These devices include Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and other control systems like Remote Terminal...

The distribution systems of the U.S. energy grid — the portions of the grid that carry electricity to consumers — are growing more susceptible to cyber-attacks , in part due to the advent of monitoring and control technology and their reliance on them. However, the magnitude of the possible consequences of such attacks is not fully understood. Reports by the Government Accountability Office (GAO)...

The healthcare sector has become a popular target for cybercriminals and is one of the most targeted industries by cyber criminals. In 2022, 324 attacks were reported in the first half of the year. As bad actors continue to target the healthcare industry, cybersecurity experts and healthcare administrators should be aware that attacks are frequently impacting smaller companies. These numbers point...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s January 2023 Security Updates . VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1037 on Wednesday, January 11th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-21549 A vulnerability in the SMB Witness Service was reported by two Akamai researchers, Stiv Kupchik and Ophir Harpaz . The vulnerability allows for a privilege...

As the cyber threat evolves, adversaries are increasingly targeting non-publicly disclosed vulnerabilities in the software supply chain . Attackers are able to stealthily travel between networks because to a vulnerability in the supply chain. To combat this risk, the cybersecurity community must center its efforts on protecting the software development lifecycle. Global initiatives to secure the...

In the language of technology, a sandbox is a safe testing environment that is isolated from the rest of your network or system. Developers use sandboxes to test their code before deployment. In cybersecurity, suspicious and potentially unsafe programs, software, and attachments are executed in sandboxes to detect malware and to avoid any harm implicated by them. The use of a sandbox enables you...

The popularity of electric vehicles is partly a response to the desire of achieving sustainability and carbon footprint reduction. Automobile manufacturers are making substantial investments to tackle emissions issues, create environment-friendly vehicles, and align with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) requirements . To achieve brand edge and investment appeal, automakers market ESG as...

Tripwire's November 2022 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Office, Word, and Excel that resolve 8 vulnerabilities, including remote code execution, information disclosure, and security feature bypass vulnerabilities. Up next are patches that affect components of the core Windows...