In recent years, the security of the United States' critical infrastructure has become a pressing concern, particularly in the oil and gas sector, due to its pivotal role in the nation's economy and energy supply. Recognizing this, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) implements several new directives in July each year aimed at enhancing the security and resilience of vital energy...

DDoS attacks have become an annoyance most companies assume they may have to deal with at some point. While frustrating, minor website disruptions from small-scale hacktivist campaigns rarely create substantial business impacts. However, a particularly insidious DDoS spinoff has emerged over the past decade – one aimed at blackmail.This evolutionary milestone stems from what's called Ransom DDoS ...

Cybersecurity's role in geopolitics is growing more significant by the day. In a world of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, governments worldwide are recognizing the impact digital attacks can have on national security, trade, and infrastructure.This has never been more evident than with the recent introduction of the Protecting Investments in Our Ports Act by U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R...

We all know that it is a question of when you will be compromised and not if you will be compromised. It is unavoidable. The goal of CIS Control 17 is to ensure that you are set up for success when that inevitable breach occurs. If an organization is neither equipped nor prepared for that potential data breach, they are not likely to succeed in responding to the threat.Key TakeawaysOne takeaway...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s October 2024 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1127 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEsCVE-2024-43573A vulnerability in the Windows MSHTML Platform has seen active exploitation attacks against a spoofing vulnerability. Based on the CWE that Microsoft selected...

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has warned that malicious hackers continue to be capable of compromising industrial control systems (ICS) and other operational technology (OT) using "unsophisticated methods" - suggesting that much more still needs to be done to secure them properly.In an advisory posted on CISA's website yesterday, the agency said that internet...

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...

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...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s September 2024 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1123 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2024-38217Windows uses the Mark of the Web (MoTW) to identify files downloaded from the Internet. This is done by setting the NTFS Zone.Identifier alternate Data...

The demand for robust security, transparency, and accountability is at an all-time high, and many businesses are relying on managed service providers (MSPs) to manage their IT infrastructure, ensure data security, or provide seamless operational support. Concurrently, MSPs must continuously innovate and differentiate their offerings to meet the growing needs of businesses.The wide range of MSPs...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s August 2024 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1119 as soon as coverage is completed.In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEsCVE-2024-38178CVE-2024-38178 describes a vulnerability in the Microsoft Edge scripting engine when run in Internet Explorer Mode. On top of requiring Edge be running in...

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising solution to modernize power grids. The technology, alongside other upgrades like Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, could make energy infrastructure more reliable and sustainable. However, AI power grids also pose significant cybersecurity risks.Attacks against critical infrastructure are becoming more common. As energy authorities ramp...

Companies often go for high-end cybersecurity solutions because dealing with complex problems looks impressive. The appeal of fancy tech and advanced security challenges gives them a sense of achievement and a chance to show off their skills - and says they're serious about staying ahead of cyber crooks.However, this isn't always the best strategy. Many significant risks arise from simple...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s July 2024 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1114 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEsCVE-2024-38112A vulnerability in the Windows MSHTML Platform could allow spoofing to occur. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires that the attacker convince...

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) regulations often make exacting demands of Fortra Tripwire's customers, requiring them to update or create new change processes and document those processes in order to comply. In any NERC CIP-centered IT\OT project, there are always crucial indicators of success - even before the project gets...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s June 2024 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1110 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-50868 The only disclosed vulnerability we have this month, is CVE-2023-50868, a DNSSEC protocol level vulnerability that can lead to denial of service. The...

The energy sector is having a tumultuous decade. During the COVID pandemic, the price of oil plummeted. In 2021, a ransomware attack forced one of the US’s most significant oil pipelines to cease operations for five days, causing a state of emergency in seventeen states. Putin’s war in Ukraine has disrupted natural gas supplies across Europe. And now, it seems, it is the electricity providers’...

Attacks against industrial control systems (ICS) are on the rise. Cyberattacks are more prevalent, creative, and faster than ever. So, understanding attackers' tactics is crucial. The IBM Security X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2023 highlights that backdoor deployments enabling remote access to ICS systems were the most common type of attacker...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s May 2024 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1106 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2024-30040 Up first this month, we have a security feature bypass in MSHTML. More specifically, we have an Object...

“When the cat’s away, the mouse will play,” the old adage goes. Filings to anti-fraud non-profit Cifas would support that claim, as Insider Threat Database (ITD) reports rose by 14% this past year and are largely attributable to hard-to-monitor work-from-home employees mixed with “increasing financial pressures.” The report details further incidents...