Tripwire's March 2025 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft and Google.Up first on the list are patches for Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) and Google Chromium that resolve spoofing, out of bounds read, use after free, and other vulnerabilities.Next on the list are patches for Microsoft Office, Excel, Word, and Access. These patches resolve 12 remote...

What is HellCat?HellCat is the name of a relatively new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group that first came to prominence in the second half of 2024. Like many other ransomware operations, HellCat breaks into organisations, steals sensitive files, and encrypts computer systems - demanding a ransom payment for a decryption key and to prevent the leaking of stolen files.So it's your typical "double...

What is the VanHelsing ransomware?First reported earlier in March 2025, VanHelsing is a new ransomware-as-a-service operation.Oh, so it's a relatively new player on the malware scene, then. Why the concern?At least three victims of VanHelsing have already been identitified, and a number of variants of the malware have been analysed by security researchers. The fact that VanHelsing runs as a RaaS...

The terms “patch management” and “vulnerability management“ are not the same. And that difference is a big difference.They may be confused because applying patches is one of the many ways to mitigate cyber risks. However, it is one piece of the entire vulnerability management puzzle and organizations that do not realize this are burdened with a false sense of security. A patch management program...

If your website is targeting multiple states or countries, by default, you face a double-pronged challenge: adapting to regional regulatory demands while defending against sophisticated cyber threats. Tackling this requires localization. But what does the term actually entail?Localization isn’t just about tailoring products, services, and infrastructure to meet local market requirements; it has...

A critical aspect of manufacturing, energy, and transportation is Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technologies (OT). The rapid pace of digital growth makes these systems susceptible to cyberattacks.OT and ICS system security is important, making penetration testing an essential activity. This tactic makes it possible to mitigate weaknesses so they are no longer vulnerabilities. It...

Tripwire's February 2025 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft.Up first on the list are patches for Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) that resolve 4 remote code execution and 2 spoofing vulnerabilities.Next on the list are patches for Microsoft Office and Excel. These patches resolve 8 issues such as remote code execution and information disclosure...

The evolution of the cyber threat landscape highlights the need for organizations to strengthen their ability to identify, analyze, and evaluate cyber risks before they evolve into security incidents. Criminals often exploit known unpatched vulnerabilities to penetrate Industrial Control Systems (ICS) environments and disrupt critical operations. Although patch management seems like the obvious...

Many organizations have a vulnerability management (VM) problem without knowing it. Vulnerability management is a crucial component of any organization’s cybersecurity program and is required by most major compliance standards because of its sink-or-swim impact on network security. One of the biggest issues in VM is that organizations aren’t testing the entirety of their networks. Could yours be...

The latest version of the CIS Controls was released in June 2024. The new version, 8.1, introduces some minor updates via design principles.ContextNew asset classes are updated to better match the specific parts of an enterprise’s infrastructure that each Safeguard applies to. New classes require new definitions, so CIS has also enhanced the descriptions of several Safeguards for greater detail,...

The original NIS Directive came into force in 2016 as the EU’s first comprehensive law governing cybersecurity in member states. As part of its key policy objective to make Europe “fit for the digital age,” the European Commission proposed in December 2020 that NIS be revised, and NIS2 entered into force in January of 2023. Member states were required to transpose it into law by October 17, 2024...

Since 2008, the CIS Controls have been through many iterations of refinement and improvement leading up to what we are presented with today in CIS Controls version 8.1.CIS Controls reflect the combined knowledge of experts from every part of the ecosystem (companies, governments, and individuals). The controls reflect consideration by people in many different roles, such as threat analysts,...

Security experts have warned that a cybercriminal group has been running a malicious and inventive phishing campaign since August 2024 to break into organizations across Europe, North America, Africa, and the Middle East.The Russian group, known as Storm-2372, has targeted government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as firms working in IT, defence, telecoms, health, and the...

Today, I will be going over Control 2 from version 8.1 of the top 18 CIS Controls – Inventory and Control of Software Assets. I will go over the seven safeguards and offer my thoughts on what I’ve found.Key Takeaways for Control 2Reusability. The tools that were mentioned in Control 1 will be used in Control 2 as well. Reusing tools that accomplish goals for both Controls 1 and 2 can help cut...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s February 2025 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1143 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEsCVE-2025-21391A vulnerability in Windows Storage could lead to elevation of privilege, however, it is important to note that this would not give complete access to the file...

Building a vulnerability management (VM) program from the ground up is no small feat. It requires technical expertise, organizational buy-in, and a clear roadmap. In recent months, I’ve been working with a client who had to discard their legacy approach and start afresh. We came to realize just how many components have to come together to get a decent start on a VM project while also showing value...

Key Takeaways for Control 3At the heart of a strong data management plan is awareness surrounding the 'Five Ws' of the enterprise's data:What data does the enterprise store or handle?Who should have access to it?Where is it stored or accessed?When should it be deleted?Why does it need protection?A comprehensive data management plan incorporates the answers to these questions with policy decisions...

Tripwire's January 2025 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft.First on the list are patches for the Microsoft office platform, including Word, Access, Visio, Excel, OneNote, and Outlook. These patches resolve 13 issues such as remote code execution and security feature bypass vulnerabilities.Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows...

Key Takeaways for Control 4Most fresh installs of operating systems or applications come with preconfigured settings that are usually insecure or not properly configured with security in mind. Use the leverage provided by multiple frameworks such as CIS Benchmarks or NIST NCP to find out if your organization needs to augment or adjust any baselines to become better aligned with the policies your...