The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has warned that scammers are impersonating its employees in an attempt to commit fraud. In an alert posted on the CISA website, the organisation warned that so-called impersonation scams are on the rise. An impersonation scam is any type of fraud where a criminal pretends to be a trusted individual or organisation to dupe a victim...

The Verizon 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report noted a 180% increase in exploited vulnerabilities over the previous year’s figures. The importance of keeping an up-to-date vulnerability management policy for remediating and controlling security vulnerabilities cannot be understated. 1. Overview: Summary of Vulnerability Management Policy Taking the time to give a short summary of the policy...

Many companies strive to achieve the best security possible. Along the path to improved security, many companies are also required to meet various compliance standards. In some cases, compliance is also a regulatory requirement. This crossroad between security and compliance can sometimes seem at odds with the organization’s goals. Compliance does...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s June 2024 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1110 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-50868 The only disclosed vulnerability we have this month, is CVE-2023-50868, a DNSSEC protocol level vulnerability that can lead to denial of service. The...

Exploring the intricate relationship between people and cybersecurity opens up a dynamic landscape where individuals' decisions, habits, and intentions significantly impact the safety and integrity of digital systems. Cybercriminals are savvy opportunists, and like pickpockets, they go where the crowds are. They scan the virtual world, identifying weaknesses in the popular sites and systems...

Did your company fall victim to the LockBit ransomware? Have cybercriminals left gigabytes of your data encrypted, with no easy route for recovery that doesn't involve paying a ransom? Well, don't fear. The FBI announced this week that it had obtained over 7,000 decryption keys for the LockBit ransomware and is urging victims to come forward for free assistance. In a speech at this week's...

Threats to sensitive data are everywhere. From sophisticated cybercriminal syndicates to accidental exposure to nation-state-backed advanced persistent threat (APT) groups and everything in between, it's never been more critical for organizations to have the correct data protection tools. When designing how to protect company information from loss...

The ISF (Information Security Forum) Standard of Good Practice (SoGP) is a comprehensive set of best practices designed to help organizations effectively manage their information security risks. Covering various topics, including governance, risk management, compliance, incident management, and technical security controls, it helps establish and...

Have you ever wondered how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could mimic consciousness and autonomously control various tasks? It sounds rather daunting. However, it may not be as intimidating as it seems under the right conditions. Moreover, Would AI perform tasks independently in the same manner as humans? And what implications does this hold for...

When you speak with many of the seasoned veterans of cybersecurity, it is not unusual to learn of the twisted path in technology that eventually landed them in the security profession. However, the newest cybersecurity professionals are digital natives. They grew up in a world of technology and were exposed to cybersecurity as early as their first...

Anyone remotely wired into technology newsfeeds – or any newsfeeds for that matter – will know that AI (artificial intelligence) is the topic of the moment. In the past 18 months alone, we’ve borne witness to the world’s first AI Safety Summit, a bizarre and highly public leadership drama at one of the world’s top AI companies, and countless prophecies of doom. And yet, even after all that, it...

An insider threat is someone inside an organization – including current and former employees, partners, and contractors – who, intentionally or otherwise, put their organization at risk. They typically abuse their access to private information and privileged accounts to steal or sabotage sensitive data, often for financial gain or even revenge. ...

Vulnerability management and patch management are often confused. However, it's crucial to recognize that, while complementary, they are distinct processes. Understanding the differences between vulnerability management and patch management is essential for a solid security posture. Let's delve into the concepts to understand better what they are, how they differ, and how they work together...

A vast network of millions of compromised computers, being used to facilitate a wide range of cybercrime, has been disrupted by a multinational law enforcement operation. The 911 S5 botnet, described as "likely the world's largest botnet ever" by FBI Director Christopher Wray, has had its infrastructure and assets seized and its alleged mastermind arrested and charged. 35-year-old YunHe Wang, a...

The energy sector is having a tumultuous decade. During the COVID pandemic, the price of oil plummeted. In 2021, a ransomware attack forced one of the US’s most significant oil pipelines to cease operations for five days, causing a state of emergency in seventeen states. Putin’s war in Ukraine has disrupted natural gas supplies across Europe. And now, it seems, it is the electricity providers’...

Data is the lifeblood of modern organizations, and while watertight data protection policies are undeniably crucial, the need for robust data destruction methods has never been more pressing. Ultimately, all parties and vendors in your supply chain trust you to maintain the integrity of their data. Once that data is no longer needed, transparency...

A security incident can be the result of a single unauthorised change. A few may say, 'one change is inconsequential, don't sweat the small stuff.' But when it comes to infrastructure security, the detail is of paramount importance! Just a single edit to a single line item can have a negative effect on an entire file or operating system. It's...

Cloud computing offers indisputable benefits, but with the caveat that it can quickly become a disorganized jumble unless adequately managed. It’s common for the average organization to use dozens of cloud instances, solutions, and resources scattered across multiple platforms. Such off-premises services quickly accumulate to accommodate the company...

Cyberattacks on the automotive industry are becoming more sophisticated. In its 2024 Automotive Cybersecurity Report, Upstream found that 50% of all automotive cyber incidents in 2023 had a high or massive impact. Similarly, 95% of all attacks in 2023 were executed remotely, and 37% of attacker activities in the deep and dark web target multiple original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)...

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard are some of the most exciting technologies in the world. They have already begun to revolutionize productivity, supercharge creativity, and make the world a better place.But as with any new technology, generative AI has brought about new risks—or, rather, made old risks worse. Aside from the much-discussed potential "AI apocalypse" that has...