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CIS Control 12: Network Infrastructure Management

Networks form a critical core for our modern-day society and businesses. These networks are comprised of many types of components that make up the networks’ infrastructure. Network infrastructure devices can be physical or virtual and include things such as routers, switches, firewalls, and wireless access points. Unfortunately, many devices are shipped from manufacturers with “default”...
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Cyberbiosecurity: Where Digital Threats Meet Biological Systems

Cyberbiosecurity has emerged as an essential area of interest as the boundaries between the digital and biological sectors continue to blur. With rapid advancements in areas such as artificial intelligence, automation, and synthetic biology, the need for strong cyberbiosecurity protections has grown to safeguard the bioeconomy. As biotechnology evolves, it creates a complex landscape where...
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Exploring the Security Risks of VR and AR

In an era where innovative technologies are emerging left, right, and center, two of the most influential in recent years are experiencing exponential growth. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are immersive technologies that have now firmly integrated into numerous industries.As these technologies have become more prevalent in our personal and professional lives, they bring with them...
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VERT Threat Alert: November 2024 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s November 2024 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1132 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEsCVE-2024-43451A vulnerability that allows for NTLMv2 hash disclosure has been both publicly disclosed and actively exploited. According to Microsoft, only minimal...
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IT Security Terms: Regulations, Standards, Controls, Frameworks, and Policies - Where to Start!?

When tasked with the IT security of an organization, it can be easy to get bogged down in particulars and definitions and lose heart before you’ve even begun. With a plethora of terms to learn, details to secure, and moving parts to keep track of, building an effective cybersecurity strategy is no simple task. It requires a great deal of effort, planning, and coordination.Security is a crucial...
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A Snapshot of Cyber Threats: Highlights from the ENISA Threat Landscape 2024 Report

Understanding the threats we face is crucial to protecting against them. Industry research and reports are invaluable to this understanding, providing insights to inform mitigation efforts.Few cybersecurity reports are as valuable or comprehensive as the annual ENISA Threat Landscape Report (ETL). Now in its 20th year and published by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the ETL...
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CIS Control 14: Security Awareness and Skill Training

Users who do not have the appropriate security awareness training are considered a weak link in the security of an enterprise. These untrained users are easier to exploit than finding a flaw or vulnerability in the equipment that an enterprise uses to secure its network. Attackers could convince unsuspecting users to unintentionally provide access to the enterprise network or expose sensitive...
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Tripwire Patch Priority Index for October 2024

Tripwire's October 2024 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft.First on the list are patches for Microsoft Edge, Office, Excel, and Visio that resolve remote code execution, elevation of privilege, and spoofing vulnerabilities.Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows operating system. These patches resolve over 80 vulnerabilities,...
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Real Estate Fraud is Running Rampant in the US

Real Estate Fraud is Running Rampant in the USReal estate is an area ripe for fraud and scams: transactions usually involve large sums of money, convoluted paperwork, and messaging back and forth. Criminals can use a wide variety of methods to intercept legitimate communications or launch their own scams in order to deceive their targets.This type of fraud is on the rise right now in the United...
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What Is the ISA/IEC 62443 Framework?

Cybersecurity threats to manufacturing and process plants come from a wide range of attack vectors, including supply chain, logistics, enterprise computing, remote connections, operator stations, programmable logic controllers, distributed control systems (DCSs), smart sensors, and new smart devices. Internet of Things (IoT) technologies offer greater connectivity and endless applications, but...
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Strategies for Implementing Effective Threat Detection in IIoT

The industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is growing rapidly. While that’s good news for businesses in terms of productivity and cost savings, these devices carry unique cybersecurity risks that demand attention. Amid such rising concerns, IIoT threat detection is a must.Why Organizations Need IIoT Threat DetectionIIoT endpoints are inherently risky because of the potential for lateral movement....
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What's New with the TSA’s Oil and Gas Security Directives?

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...
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CIS Control 16: Application Software Security

The way in which we interact with applications has changed dramatically over the years. Enterprises use applications in day-to-day operations to manage their most sensitive data and control access to system resources. Instead of traversing a labyrinth of networks and systems, attackers today see an opening to turn an organization's application against it to bypass network security controls and...
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Defending Against Ransom DDoS Attacks

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 ...
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Cybersecurity at Ports Gets a Boost with New Bipartisan Bill

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...
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Glimmer Of Good News On The Ransomware Front As Encryption Rates Plummet

No-one would be bold enough to say that the ransomware problem is receding, but a newly-published report by Microsoft does deliver a slither of encouraging news amongst the gloom. And boy do we need some good news - amid reports that 389 US-based healthcare institutions were hit by ransomware last year - more than one every single day. The 114-page Microsoft Digital Defense Report (MMDR) looks at...
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The Importance of Layered Cybersecurity Solutions

The threat of cyberattacks is at an all-time high. In fact, research shows that worldwide cybercrime costs are anticipated to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Cybercriminals threaten all, as 43% of cyberattacks target small enterprises. The rise of these threats underscores the importance of a robust cyber defense strategy, and one key way to do that is through layered cybersecurity...
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Five Challenges of National Information Assurance and How to Overcome Them

The National Information Assurance (NIA) Policy is a framework for offering organizations a foundation for information security management. It was designed and developed to aid organizations with the necessary steps to ensure information security, from assessing and classifying risk to choosing and implementing controls for mitigation.The NIA policy provides businesses with guidelines to support...
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CIS Control 18: Penetration Testing

Penetration testing is something that more companies and organizations should be considering as a necessary expense. I say this because, over the years, the cost of data breaches and other forms of malicious intrusions and disruptions are getting costlier. Per IBM Security’s “Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024,” the average cost of a breach has increased 10% year over year, with the healthcare...
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VERT Threat Alert: October 2024 Patch Tuesday Analysis

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...