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...

Privacy and convenience have always been at odds, especially regarding digital onboarding or online sign-ups. For modern organizations, striking a balance between the two has become increasingly important. At the same time, a recent report said 53% of customers suggest that they would give up their interaction with a brand if it took longer than two minutes, while as many as 87% expect basic...

At a time when digital connectivity is the lifeblood of all business operations, the specter of network attacks is greater than ever. As entities depend on complex network infrastructures, malefactors exploit vulnerabilities with growing sophistication and frequency.Understanding the diverse nature of these threats—from DoS and DDoS attacks to reconnaissance exploits—is crucial for devising...

A new ransomware operation has started to leak information it claims has been stolen from organisations it has compromised around the world.In recent days Valencia Ransomware has posted on its dark web leak site's so-called "Wall of shame" links to gigabytes of downloadable information that has seemingly been exfiltrated from a Californian municipality, a pharmaceutical firm, and a paper...

When discussing the consequences of a data breach for organizations, we usually consider three types of damage: financial, legal, and, somewhat more tenuously, reputational. But what about stock prices? One would assume that stock price—an indicator of a business’s overall health and investor confidence—would plummet after a breach, but is this really the case?Do Stock Prices Fall After Data...

Amid the numerous instruments that have augmented our digital communication and commerce experiences over time, email remains a staple for everything, from confirming purchases to life-changing events like the authorization of financial aid.It comes as no surprise that email scams have been a mainstay of cyberattacks since the earliest days of online correspondence. Worse yet, their scope and...

So, you're considering integrating the NIST CSF 2.0 (National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework) into your cybersecurity practices. Congratulations! You've taken the first step toward improving your organization's cybersecurity posture.However, you may need clarification about the best approach to aligning your cybersecurity practices with the NIST CSF. This process can...

The modern age of renewable energy has seen a surge in solar panels and wind turbines. While these systems enhance sustainability, their digital technologies carry risks. Cybersecurity professionals must know the relevant nuances when integrating renewable systems.How Solar Energy Is Vulnerable to Outside AttacksRecent incidents have demonstrated the importance of cybersecurity for power grids....

To allay dependence on oil revenue and expand the private sector, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has committed, in recent years, to establishing a knowledge-based economy. Consequently, they have become a formidable competitor in Information Communication Technology (ICT). As the ICT industry has grown, so have government agencies to regulate it, namely the Signals Intelligence Agency, formerly...

Securing virtual identities and entry points has become a critical priority as cyber threats grow more sophisticated. A Single Sign-On (SSO) system offers ease and allows multi-functionality with a single set of identity verification, but they are enticing targets for cyber attackers. Organizations need Zero Trust Architecture to alleviate this risk. Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) is a protection...

The CIS Critical Security Controls (CIS Controls) are a set of best practices designed to help organizations protect themselves from the most common cyber attacks. First developed in 2008, the controls define the minimum level of cybersecurity any organization that collects or maintains personal information should meet.CIS released version 8.1 of the CIS Critical Security Controls on June 25th,...

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) most recent Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) has revealed that computer misuse cases rose 37% in the year ending March 2024, bucking a general trend of decline.The CSEW first started tracking computer misuse in the year ending (YE) March 2017, which saw roughly 1.8 million incidents. By March 2023, this number had fallen to 745,000. In March 2024,...

Security Operations Teams (SOCs) today are under attack by the very mechanisms meant to help them. A recent industry study revealed a few startling facts:SOCs spend a third of their workday hunting down false positives.Even then, SOCs only get to half of the alerts they need to every day.Out of all the teams currently using automation, only half apply it to threat hunting and incident enrichment...

Misconfigurations (when cloud computing assets are set up incorrectly, leaving them vulnerable to unauthorized access, data breaches, and operational disruptions) and inadequate change control top the list of cloud security threats in 2024, rising from third place the year before. It's clear that the transition to cloud computing has amplified the challenges of configuration management, making it...

Developers of plugins and themes for WordPress.org have been told they are required to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) from October 1st.The move is intended to enhance security, helping prevent hackers from gaining access to accounts through which malicious code could be injected into code used by millions of websites running the self-hosted version of WordPress.The threat posed by supply...

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...

Achieving Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act compliance is becoming more difficult. While the Act is primarily a financial reporting regulation, it requires all publicly traded companies operating in the United States to maintain the integrity, accuracy, and reliability of financial reporting, which those organizations can only achieve through robust cybersecurity measures. As such, an effective...