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Summary of South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (PoPIA)

South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (PoPIA), also known as the PoPI Act, is a comprehensive data protection legislation designed to safeguard the privacy and information of South African citizens. While Jacob Zuma assented to PoPIA in November 2013, the act took effect in July 2020. Parliament granted all South African entities a one-year grace period, expecting them to comply by...
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Working with a Reliable Partner for Cybersecurity Success

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...
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Understanding Firewalls – Types, Configuration, and Best Practices for Effective Network Security

A firewall is a security device that controls the flow of traffic across a network. A firewall may be a hardware appliance, or it may be a piece of software that runs on a third-party operating system. Firewalls operate based on a set of pre-defined, as well as customizable security rules that inspect network traffic to block or permit access to a network. Oftentimes, a firewall is logically...
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How To Hide Browsing History – Complete Guide

In years gone by, there was a stigma attached to hiding one's browsing history. Wiping browsing history was seen as suspicious; it suggested that someone had something to hide. It was – and still is- the butt of many jokes. However, individuals might want to hide their browsing history for many reasons. They range from the relatively trivial – like concealing a surprise gift – to the essential –...
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What is The Network and Information Security 2 Directive (NIS2)?

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...
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Cybersecurity's Crucial Role Amidst Escalating Financial Crime Risks

In an era of escalating financial crimes, the spotlight shines brightly on the rising concerns in the realm of cybersecurity. According to a recent survey , a staggering 68% of UK risk experts anticipate a surge in financial crime risks over the next year. These apprehensions echo globally, with 69% of executives and risk professionals worldwide foreseeing an upswing in financial crime risks...
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Why No Business in 2023 Can Grow without APIs

The Importance of APIs Businesses of all sizes are increasingly relying on APIs to connect with their customers, partners, and other systems. APIs, or application programming interfaces, are the building blocks of the modern web, and they allow businesses to share data and functionality in a secure and efficient way. Without APIs, businesses are limited in their ability to innovate and grow. They...
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The CIA Debate: Which is the Most Important?

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...
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CISA Cybersecurity Strategic Plan: What you need to know

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...
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LinkedIn under attack, malicious hackers seize accounts

Security researchers have identified that a widespread LinkedIn malicious hacking campaign has seen many users locked out of their accounts worldwide. Some users who have had their access to their LinkedIn accounts blocked by the cybercriminals changing their passwords have been pressured into paying a ransom, according to a report from Cyberint , and threatened with permanent account deletion. In...
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5-Step Guide on Securing Serverless Architectures in the Cloud with RASP

Serverless architecture has increased in recent years, and is anticipated to grow by nearly 25% over the next decade, According to one source , the serverless architecture market was worth over $9 billion in 2022, with its compound annual growth rate projected to increase. The market could be worth over $90 billion by 2032. This indicates the immense amount of potential that this industry carries...
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The CISO Report – The Culture Club

According to the Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2023 report released by the UK government, 50% of UK businesses face a fundamental cyber security skills gap, while 33% grapple with an advanced skills gap. This is just one of the challenges that the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) must face. While these figures remain similar to 2022 and 2021 , it's evident that there's...
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Q2 Privacy Update: AI Takes Center Stage, plus Six New US State Laws

The past three months witnessed several notable changes impacting privacy obligations for businesses. Coming into the second quarter of 2023, the privacy space was poised for action. In the US, state lawmakers worked to push through comprehensive privacy legislation on an unprecedented scale, we saw a major focus on children's data and health data as areas of concern, and AI regulation took center...
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The Use of Natural Language Processing for Identifying and Mitigating Threats

As technology advances, the battle between cyber criminals and organizations intensifies. Cyber threats have become more sophisticated, complex, and widespread, posing a significant risk to the security and integrity of sensitive data. In Q1 2023 alone, the number of global cyber attacks increased by 7% , with an average of 1,248 attacks reported per week. In a separate report by The Independent...
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2023 Business Email Compromise Statistics

In cybersecurity, knowledge is everything. From APT intelligence to zero-day vulnerabilities, relevant and timely information can be the difference between a thwarted attack and a total disaster. With Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks at their zenith, there has never been a better time for a comprehensive BEC report. As such, Fortra has released its 2023 BEC Trends, Targets, and Changes in...
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Security Immutability: The Importance of Change

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...
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Rhysida ransomware - what you need to know

What is Rhysida? Rhysida is a Windows-based ransomware operation that has come to prominence since May 2023, after being linked to a series of high profile cyber attacks in Western Europe, North and South America, and Australia. The group appears to have links to the notorious Vice Society ransomware gang . What kind of organisations has Rhysida been hitting with ransomware? The US Department of...
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Tripwire Enterprise: Five ‘Other’ Things You Should Know

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...
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Cybersecurity: Creating a Foundation to build on

The cybersecurity landscape has become more complex for many reasons. For one, it is the constantly changing risk environment where businesses are compelled to confront evolving threats and actors that leverage emerging technologies and advanced tactics. Cybersecurity has become a top priority for boards since they realize that being cyber resilient is a strategic choice and a competitive...
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Protecting Sensitive Data from Insider Threats in PCI DSS 4.0

Safeguarding sensitive data is a huge concern for organizations. One of the biggest challenges they face is the threat posed by insiders who work for the organization. In fact, a report found that 74% of organizations are at least moderately vulnerable to threats from insiders. This has increased spending towards protecting against insider threats by more than 76% between 2018 to 2022, according...