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SMB Protocol Explained: Understanding its Security Risks and Best Practices

Server Message Block (SMB) protocol is a communication protocol that allows users to communicate with remote servers and computers, which they can open, share, edit files, and even share and utilize resources. With the expansion of telecommunications, this protocol has been a prime target for threat actors to gain unauthorized access to sensitive...
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Secure Access Control in 2024: 6 Trends to Watch Out For

What Is Secure Access Control? Secure access control, part of the broader field of user management, is a key concept in the realm of information security, particularly in the business environment. It refers to the process of selectively restricting and allowing access to a place or resource. In the context of information technology, it is a vital...
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Financial Institutions in New York Face Stricter Cybersecurity Rules

Boards of directors need to maintain an appropriate level of cyber expertise, incidents must be reported within 72 hours after determination, and all ransom payments made must be reported within a day. Those are just some of the changes made by The New York State Department of Financial Services to its Cybersecurity Requirements for Financial...
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Some Financial Institutions Must Report Breaches in 30 Days

The heat has just been turned up for companies hoping to “hide out” a data breach. Announced October 27th, all non-banking financial institutions are now required to report data breach incidents within 30 days. The amendment to the Safeguards Rule was made by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It will go into effect 180 days after publication...
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5 Tripwire Enterprise Misconfigurations to Avoid

Configuration management is vitally important as part of a sound cybersecurity strategy. We have previously published how patching alone is not enough, as that does not alter a system’s customized configuration. Misconfigurations can be as damaging to security as a deliberate attack on a system. As the manufacturer of Tripwire Enterprise (TE), we...
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Plastic surgeries warned by the FBI that they are being targeted by cybercriminals

Plastic surgeries across the United States have been issued a warning that they are being targeted by cybercriminals in plots designed to steal sensitive data including patients' medical records and photographs that will be later used for extortion. The warning, which was issued by the FBI yesterday and is directed towards plastic surgery offices...
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What is a CMDB?

There are countless tools and technologies available to help an organization stay on top of its IT assets, and a configuration management database (CMDB) is an extremely useful one. The database keeps track of relevant information regarding various hardware and software components and the relationships between them. It allows IT teams to have an...
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Compliance vs. Security: Striking the Right Balance in Cybersecurity

Compliance and security often go hand in hand as ideas that attempt to protect against cyber threats. While both compliance and security are designed to lower risk, they are not mutually inclusive—that is, not everything that is required for compliance will necessarily help with security, and not everything that bolsters security will necessarily...
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Revealed! The top 10 cybersecurity misconfigurations, as determined by CISA and the NSA

A joint cybersecurity advisory from the United States's National Security Agency (NSA) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has shone a light on the top ten most common cybersecurity misconfigurations found in large private and public organisations. The report aims to detail the weaknesses found in many large organisations,...
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How MSSPs Help with Cybersecurity Compliance

While always a part of business, compliance demands have skyrocketed as the digital world gives us so many more ways to go awry. We all remember the Enron scandal that precipitated the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). Now, SOX compliance means being above board on a number of cybersecurity requirements as well. Fortra's Tripwire recently released a new...
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What is NERC? Everything you need to know

Electric grids are part of every nation’s critical infrastructure. Every societal activity and business depends on reliable and safe electricity distribution. The US electric grid is a huge network of powerlines, distribution hubs, and renewable and non-renewable energy generators that is increasingly exposed to cyber-physical risks due to the...
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Closing Integrity Gaps with NIST CSF

The then-new 2014 NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) was designed to plug security gaps in operational technology. It’s still in use today and more relevant than ever. Fortra’s whitepaper provides a cohesive review of this security staple and how to glean the best out of it for your strategy. A Brief History of NIST CSF “The full maximum NIST...
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Increasing Your Business’ Cyber Maturity with Fortra

When building a tower, it helps to start with a sturdy foundation. Cyber maturity is the tower, and there are three levels that build it: Foundational IT/OT & Security Control Processes Fundamental Security Control Capabilities Advanced Security Control Capabilities Fortra occupies a unique space in the industry because of the sheer size of...
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General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – The Story So Far

Do you remember where you were on 25th May 2018? Perhaps you were enjoying a Friday night drink with friends. Perhaps you were with family, relaxing after a busy week at work. I was actually having a GDPR Birthday party with friends and colleagues because 25th May 2018 was a landmark day for the world of Data Protection (yes, seriously, we had a...
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The Consequences of Non-Compliance in Cybersecurity: Risks and Penalties

Non-compliance in cybersecurity marks a grave oversight. It involves neglecting established security protocols, leaving organizations vulnerable to malicious actors. Read on as we examine the potential risks of non-compliance, including heightened susceptibility to cyberattacks, the specter of data breaches, and the erosion of a company's hard...
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5 Reasons Why You Should Conduct Regular Cybersecurity Audits

Cyber threats are growing more sophisticated, covert, and frequent every day. This year alone has seen the likes of T-Mobile and PharMerica suffering serious security breaches. These incidents disrupted operations and threatened their bottom lines, not to mention the lingering aftereffects and negative brand perception in the eyes of their customers...
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What is ISO 27002:2022 Control 8.9? A Quick Look at the Essentials

The basic parameters that control how hardware, software, and even entire networks operate are configurations, whether they take the form of a single configuration file or a collection of connected configurations. For instance, the default properties a firewall uses to control traffic to and from a company's network, such as block lists, port...
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Working with a Reliable Partner for Cybersecurity Success

Technology companies are often seen as revolving doors of constantly shifting personnel. Whether they are seeking a better work environment or chasing a higher paycheck, these staff changes can hurt an organization’s progress. Worse yet, the customers are often negatively impacted by these changes in the continuity of established relationships. At...
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Understanding Firewalls – Types, Configuration, and Best Practices for Effective Network Security

A firewall is a security device that controls the flow of traffic across a network. A firewall may be a hardware appliance, or it may be a piece of software that runs on a third-party operating system. Firewalls operate based on a set of pre-defined, as well as customizable security rules that inspect network traffic to block or permit access to a...
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What is The Network and Information Security 2 Directive (NIS2)?

The Network and Information Security 2 (NIS2) Directive is the European Union's (EU) second attempt at an all-encompassing cybersecurity directive. The EU introduced the legislation to update the much-misinterpreted Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive (2016) and improve the cybersecurity of all member states. It signed NIS2 into law in...