When it comes to cybersecurity, vulnerability management is one of the older technologies that still play a critical role in securing our assets. It is often overlooked, disregarded, or considered only for checkbox compliance needs, but a proper vulnerability management program can play a critical role in avoiding a series of data breaches.CIS Control 07 provides the minimum requirements and table...

Maintaining compliance with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards is a complex process that can put significant strain on security and compliance teams. Easing this strain and ensuring compliance relies on effective preparation. As the old adage goes, fail to prepare, prepare to fail.The NERC CIP preparation process is best...

A Divisive Veto: California Rejects AI Safety Bill SB 1047California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent veto of SB 1047, a proposed AI safety bill, has sparked a hot debate on the balance between innovation and regulation in the artificial intelligence (AI) space. California has over a dozen AI related bills that have been signed although this bill sought to establish rigorous safety testing...

One of the hardest parts of managing an organization’s cybersecurity is patch management.Just as one patch cycle is completed, another set of patches are released. When compounded with the highly regulated energy industry, governed by the NERC CIP Standards, the task becomes even more daunting. Fortunately, Fortra’s Tripwire Enterprise (TE) and Tripwire State Analyzer (TSA) can ease the process...

Audit logs provide a rich source of data critical to preventing, detecting, understanding, and minimizing the impact of network or data compromise in a timely manner.Collection logs and regular reviews are useful for identifying baselines, establishing operational trends, and detecting abnormalities. In some cases, logging may be the only evidence of a successful attack.CIS Control 8 emphasizes...

Web browsers and email clients are used to interact with external and internal assets. Both applications can be used as a point of entry within an organization. Users of these applications can be manipulated using social engineering attacks. A successful social engineering attack needs to convince users to interact with malicious content. A successful attack could give an attacker an entry point...

Cyber resilience is a constant topic of concern in technology and cybersecurity, as it approaches security from the standpoint of assuming that attacks are inevitable rather than solely attempting to prevent them. Layered cybersecurity is crucial to ensure comprehensive defense against a wide range of threats. Cyber resilience has long been a necessity for hardware and software components, but...

With the continuing rise of ransomware, malware defenses are more critical than ever before with regard to securing the enterprise. Anti-Malware technologies have become an afterthought in many organizations, a technology that they’ve always had, always used, and never really thought about. This control serves as a reminder that this technology is as critical as it ever was and lays out the...

Data loss can be a consequence of a variety of factors from malicious ransomware to hardware failures and even natural disasters. Regardless of the reason for data loss, we need to be able to restore our data. A data recovery plan begins with prioritizing our data, protecting it while it is being stored, and having a plan to recover data. Key Takeaways for Control 11Prioritize your data and come...

As cyber threats escalate in frequency and severity, IT and security teams face increased pressure to maintain transparency. With this in mind, the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Cyber Disclosure Rule, released on 26 July 2023, mandates timely and detailed public disclosures about cyber incidents.This rule places a heavy burden on chief information security officers (CISOs), chief...

When we think about cybersecurity, we think of malicious actors constantly devising new ways to breach our defenses. While this is critical, it's equally important to understand that another menace can be sitting down the hall. The risk of insider attacks is significant and should not be overlooked.These attacks have floored businesses of all sizes and in various industries, frequently with dire...

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”...

Networks form a critical core for our modern-day society and businesses. People, processes, and technologies should be in place for monitoring, detecting, logging, and preventing malicious activities that occur when an enterprise experiences an attack within or against their networks.Key Takeaways for Control 13Enterprises should understand that their systems and networks are never perfectly...

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...

In today's cybersecurity landscape, controlling access to USB drives is critical, particularly for organizations looking to maintain compliance with regulations like NERC CIP and bolster their security posture. Unauthorized USB usage poses significant risks, from data exfiltration to malware injection. However, restricting USB access entirely isn't always practical. Instead, organizations can...

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...

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...