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...

Data breaches continue to cost organizations millions of dollars each year, with costs rising steadily. According to IBM's 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average cost of a data breach has surged to $4.88 million globally, reflecting the increasing complexity and sophistication of cyberattacks. In the United States, this figure is even higher, averaging $9.8 million per breach, and the...

It’s been a tough year for the healthcare sector. Throughout 2024, cybercriminals have unleashed a barrage of attacks on a vast number of healthcare organizations - with disconcerting levels of success. FBI research revealed that healthcare is now the US’s most targeted industry.The attack on Change Healthcare, a United Health-owned health tech company, for example, disrupted operations at...

Small businesses may think they don’t need to implement cybersecurity training programs because larger enterprises with more revenue are more profitable for bad actors. However, small businesses lacking essential security measures are prime targets due to the ease of access and fewer resources for investigation and remediation. While cybersecurity solutions can be an indispensable part of a robust...

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...

Investment scams are a growing problem. Modern cybercriminals are increasingly using this technique to swindle money out of unsuspecting victims. It’s easy to understand why: investment scams are remarkably effective. Research from Barclays even found that they accounted for a staggering 33% of all money lost to scammers in 2023.It’s clear then that many people don’t know how to identify an...

In the early part of 2024, the Center for Internet Security (CIS) released the latest version of the well-respected Critical Security Controls (CSC). The new version, 8.1, adds contours to the prior versions, making it more comprehensive and timely in today’s challenging cybersecurity environment.The CIS CSC has been a valued source of guidance for many organizations since its initial release in...

Can you imagine a modern working world without Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications? Productivity, communication, and project management solutions have transformed the modern workplace, enabling hybrid and remote working, helping to cut costs, and offering unprecedented opportunities for collaboration and innovation. Without them, the business world would grind to a halt.But these...

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has proposed new rules requiring those under its jurisdiction to follow specific cyber risk management (CRM) requirements, report cybersecurity incidents in a certain timeframe, and address physical security concerns.This is positive news for the transportation industry, as hundreds of attacks have been leveled against the sector. These attacks have...

The Turkish government is proposing a controversial new cybersecurity law that could make it a criminal act to report on data breaches. The new legislation proposes penalties for various cybersecurity-related offences. But they key one which has people concerned is this:"Those who carry out activities aimed at targeting institutions or individuals by creating the perception that there has been a...

Security Operations Center (SOC) analysts have it rough. Modern security tools generate an extraordinary number of alerts, attackers are more sophisticated than ever, and IT infrastructures are unprecedentedly complex. As a result, analysts are overwhelmed with workload and alerts, making it near-impossible to make intelligent, informed decisions. Fortunately, artificial intelligence (AI) is...

Knowing who has credentials, how those credentials are granted, and how they are being used is the foundation of any secure environment. It begins with user accounts and the credentials they use. Maintaining a thorough inventory of all accounts and verifying any changes to those accounts as authorized and intentional vs unintended is paramount to establishing a secure environment, and this...

Recently, I looked at Microsoft’s assigned CVSS v3.1 scores for Patch Tuesday vulnerabilities alongside the Microsoft assigned severity ratings. I wanted to revisit these numbers and see just how closely CVSS aligns with Microsoft’s opinion of severity.Disclaimer: I’m aware that CVSS v4.0 exists. However, Microsoft has not yet adopted it, and I wanted an apples-to-apples comparison.What Is CVSS v3...

What is the Medusa ransomware?Medusa is a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) platform that first came to prominence in 2023. The ransomware impacts organisations running Windows, predominantly exploiting vulnerable and unpatched systems and hijacking accounts through initial access brokers.Initial access brokers?Initial access brokers (IABs) specialise in gaining unauthorised access to the networks of...

NASA is about to introduce new requirements for its contractors. These requirements will dramatically improve the cybersecurity of spacecraft and the US’ resilience to cyber threats. But what do these requirements mean for spacecraft manufacturers? What challenges will they face? And what will they need to do to comply? Keep reading to find out. Understanding the Cyber Space ThreatWhile NASA has...

The energy sector is the cornerstone of modern infrastructure, powering essential services and supporting the daily operations of economies worldwide. However, it also faces unique cybersecurity challenges, particularly in complying with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) standards.Cyber threats keep growing in sophistication and...

Remote work isn’t just a temporary trend anymore; it has become a permanent fixture. What began as a quick response during the pandemic has evolved into the new normal for businesses worldwide. In America, 20% of people now work from home.While this has its advantages (flexibility for workers and cost savings for businesses), it’s not without its complications, having cracked open a host of issues...

Fortra’s Tripwire has always been widely known as a File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) solution, and a very good one at that. The good news is that it still is - only when you look closely, it’s a lot more. And it always has been.Besides its traditionally known role as an integrity and security configuration management tool, Tripwire’s powerful capabilities make it a comprehensive cybersecurity...

CIS Control 6 merges some aspects of CIS Control 4 (admin privileges) and CIS Control 14 (access on a need-to-know basis) into a single access control management group. Access control management is a critical component in maintaining information and system security, restricting access to assets based on role and need. It is important to grant, refuse, and remove access in a standardized, timely,...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s January 2025 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1139 as soon as coverage is completed.In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEsCVE-2025-21333The first of three Hyper-V vulnerabilities this month is a heap-based buffer overflow that leads to privilege escalation to SYSTEM. Microsoft has reported this...