Category: HelpSystems Blog

VERT Threat Alert: May 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis – Cloned

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s May 2023 Security Updates, which include a new release notes format. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1055 on Wednesday, May 10th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-29336 Up…

Supply Chain Compromise: The Risks You Need to Know

This piece was originally published on Fortra’s AlertLogic.com Blog. Thinking about your own network isn’t enough to keep your business safe and profitable. As more buyers, sellers, and partners collaborate ever more closely across the world, supply chain IT risks…

Tripwire Patch Priority Index for April 2023

Tripwire’s April 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft and Adobe. First on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Edge. These patches resolve over 15 vulnerabilities such as spoofing, type confusion, and…

An overview of the OSI model and its security threats

The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model is a conceptual framework developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO). It has been in use for over 40 years, and is cited in every computer network book. It is also a favorite resource…

Patch now! The Mirai IoT botnet is exploiting TP-Link routers

Businesses should patch their TP-Link routers as soon as possible, after the revelation that a legendary IoT botnet is targeting them for recruitment. The notorious Mirai botnet, which hijacks control of vulnerable IoT devices, is now exploiting TP-Link Archer AX21…

3 Tips to Strengthen AWS Container Security

This piece was originally published on Fortra’s AlertLogic.com Blog. If you’re building an application, you want to ensure it’s reliable, consistent, and rapidly deployable in any cloud environment. That’s what containers are used for — packaging instructions into a digital…

Cybersecurity in the Cloud: The Challenging Hurdles It Has To Overcome

Cloud Security Challenges Organizations embracing cloud environments must understand that cloud applications and services have become popular targets for cybercriminals. A few notable and inherent risks with cloud deployments include: API Vulnerabilities Unfortunately, API exploits are on the rise, costing…

4 Lessons from Fortra’s Attack Surface Management Guide

Think of all the different points within your organization that provide access to information. That could be your website, the mobile version of your application, your Slack instance, and so much more. It’s a list that gets very long, very…

Allowlisting and Blocklisting: What you need to know

The phone rings, displaying “Potential Spam,” warning of the possible downfall of accepting the call. We also have the option to set specific ringtones for the special people in our lives, so we audibly know immediately who’s calling. For other…

Despite Soaring Prices, Cybersecurity Insurance Keeps Growing Briskly

Most cybersecurity professionals know that cyber breaches increase each year. So it’s no surprise that the cybersecurity insurance business also keeps growing briskly. According to data from Markets and Markets and Polaris Market Research, the cyber insurance market swelled to…

What is a WAF? (Web Application Firewall)

This piece was originally published on Fortra’s AlertLogic.com Blog. A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding WAFs: How it Works, Types, and Security Models Web applications drive digital transformation, remote work, employee productivity, and consumer interactions. The ability to connect to critical…

Explaining the PCI DSS Evolution & Transition Phase

The boon of online business and credit card transactions in the early 90s and 2000s resulted in an increasing trend of online payment fraud. Since then, securing business and online card transactions has been a growing concern for all business…

Root Cause Analysis for Deployment Failures

Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a technique used to identify the underlying reasons for a problem, with the aim of trying to prevent it from recurring in the future. It is often used in change management processes to help identify…

Spring is the Perfect Season for a Digital Declutter

Spring is here! Who’s up for some digital spring cleaning? Digital de-cluttering helps you organize your life and has the bonus of reducing your vulnerability to common threats. But knowing where to begin can be hard; most of us leave…

EPA Has ‘New Rules’ for Protecting Public Drinking Water

The EPA isn’t mincing words when it comes to protecting public drinking water. Earlier this month they released a memorandum putting specifics into the general advice to maintain cybersecurity at public water systems (PWSs). Per the report, “[The] EPA clarifies…

Fortra: Your Cybersecurity Ally

It was just a short time ago that Fortra came into being, as the new face of HelpSystems. Fortra is a company that combines a group of cybersecurity products and services into one portfolio. As with all acquisitions, many customers…

A Day in the Life of a SOC Team

This piece was originally published on Fortra’s AlertLogic.com Blog. Managed detection and response (MDR) would be nothing without a SOC (security operations center). They’re on the frontline of our clients’ defenses — a living, breathing layer of intelligence and protection…

What Is Microsegmentation and 5 Compelling Security Use Cases

What Is Microsegmentation? Microsegmentation is a security technique that partitions a network into small, isolated sections to reduce the attack surface and reduce an organizations risk. Each microsegment is typically defined by specific security policies, accessible only to authorized users…

Glamourizing fraudsters hurts victims of fraud, and society

We seem to be fascinated by fraudsters, and recent documentaries prove this. The documentary landscape is populated with many fraud-centered stories, such as The Tinder Swindler, Fyre, The Con, Fake Heiress, The Inventor, and many others. Some have even been…

The U.S. Army Is Revamping Its Cybersecurity Approach

Military cybersecurity operations are shifting to a digital battlefield, where tools and technology work to save lives and increase efficiency. With these advancements comes the increased need for resilient measures to meet the needs of soldiers, leadership, and civilians alike.…

CISA Publishes Advisory on Improving Network Monitoring and Hardening

CISA released in late February a cybersecurity advisory on the key findings from a recent Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) red team assessment to provide organizations recommendations for improving their cyber posture. According to the Agency, the necessary actions…

VERT Threat Alert: April 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s April 2023 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1050 on Wednesday, April 12th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-28252 A vulnerability in the Common Log File System…

30 Ransomware Prevention Tips

Dealing with the aftermath of ransomware attacks is like Russian roulette. Submitting the ransom might seem like it’s the sole option for recovering locked data. Ransomware also continues to evolve as a threat category within the past year, with old…

Securing your Digital Life: MFA, Password Managers and Risk

In security, there are always tensions; the balancing act between security, convenience, and functionality. While these three, often competing interests cause many people to become frustrated, there are some simple steps that can ease the security struggle: Any Multi-Factor Authentication…

Tripwire Patch Priority Index for March 2023

Tripwire’s March 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Google and Microsoft. First on the patch priority list this month is a patch for Microsoft Office Outlook that resolves a critical elevation of privilege vulnerability (CVE-2023-23397) that…

Distributed Energy Resources and Grid Security

As the United States government, the energy industry, and individual consumers work toward cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions, it is crucial to consider how new and advancing technologies affect, and are affected by, cybersecurity concerns. ­­­­Increasing use of smart…

The impact of Quantum Computing on cybersecurity

Quantum computers can solve highly complex problems faster than any of its predecessors. We are currently in a period of a quantum revolution. Many organizations are currently investing in the quantum computer industry, and it is predicted that the quantum…

5 Secure Ways to Avoid Crypto Theft in 2023

The rise in popularity of cryptocurrencies has brought about significant concerns regarding wallet vulnerabilities and digital theft among individuals and businesses transacting in the market. While the meteoric rise in the value of cryptocurrency has attracted legitimate investors, it has…

How to Secure Your Mobile Device: 8 Tips for 2023

The rapidly changing technology and portability of mobile devices have forced people to rely heavily on those products. With their increased functionalities, mobile devices carry out a number of our day-to-day activities, such as surfing the web, booking appointments, setting…

Motivations for Insider Threats: What to Watch Out For

While a majority of discourse in the cybersecurity industry is focused on external threats – malicious hacking, phishing, and the like – the fact is that internal actors are just as capable of causing damage to an enterprise, if not…

VERT Reads All About It – Cybersecurity News March 27, 2023

The Tripwire Vulnerability Exposure and Research Team (VERT) keeps its finger on the cybersecurity pulse. Check out some of the stories that stood out for us recently: WordPress forced the patching of WooCommerce Plugin The WooCommerce Plugin is subject to…

VIN Cybersecurity Exploits and How to Address Them in 2023

Cybersecurity is no longer the exclusive domain of computers, servers, and handheld devices. As wireless connectivity grows, it makes many daily activities more convenient, but it also means that cars may be vulnerable to cyberattacks. Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric…

5 Key Components of Cybersecurity Hardening

Hardening in Cybersecurity Cybersecurity hardening is a comprehensive approach to keeping your organization safe from intruders, and mitigating risk. By reducing your attack surface, vulnerability is reduced in tandem. Hardening (or system hardening) considers all flaws and entry points potentially…

Key Findings: UK Cybersecurity Breaches Survey 2022

The cybersecurity landscape is continuously evolving. It has led businesses to question how they are protecting themselves and their consumers from data breaches. Since 2014, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has commissioned the Cybersecurity Breaches Survey…

Ransomware Risk Management: A Cybersecurity Framework Profile

How big is Ransomware? The San Francisco 49ers, confirmed a ransomware attack, Cisco was attacked by the Yanluowang ransomware gang, and Entrust was attacked by Lockbit. And that’s just a handful of ransomware accounts noted in 2022. On the surface,…

A Look at The 2023 Global Automotive Cybersecurity Report

From its inception, the automotive industry has been shaped by innovation and disruption. In recent years, these transformations have taken shape in rapid digitization, ever-growing Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure, and advanced connectivity. These shifts have redirected the automotive industry, meeting…

Don’t fail an audit over a neglected annual policy review

When did you last have a light-bulb moment? For me, it was very recent. I was working with a client, supporting them in their latest Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) annual compliance assessment, and, in discussion with…

How Retiring Gas and Coal Plants Affects Grid Stability

Legacy gas and coal plants are being aged out – and no one wants to pay enough to keep them going. With increased pressure from green energy laws and added competition from renewable sources, these monsters of Old Power are…

What are Rootkits? How to prevent them

A Rootkit is a malicious program composed of malware that is created to provide prolonged root-level or privileged-level access to a computer. It remains hidden in the computer system while maintaining control of the system remotely. Rootkits have the ability…

What is CSAF (Common Security Advisory Framework)?

The world of security advisories is disjointed, with disparate systems holding critical documentation in various formats. To make matters more challenging, despite living in a digital-first era, most of these documents are not legible for machines and must be parsed,…

VERT Threat Alert: March 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s March 2023 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1046 on Wednesday, March 15th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-24880 Up first this month is a publicly disclosed…

What actually is database integrity?

If you were to poll the folks in a typical office about which aspect of the infamous CIA Triad was most important to them, you would likely get different answers from different people. While confidentiality, integrity, and availability are all…

ISO27001 Updates: Change is afoot

If you blinked, you might have missed it… On October 25th 2022, the new standard for the Information Security Management System, ISO27001 was released. Without fuss, and without fanfare. But, to quote a famous movie, “There was a great disturbance…

TSA tells US aviation industry to boost its cybersecurity

The US Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) has issued new requirements for airport and aircraft operators who, they say, are facing a “persistent cybersecurity threat.” The agency’s new directive compels the aviation industry to improve their defences against malicious hackers…

What Are Parameter Tampering Attacks?

APIs will continue to drive business and accelerate digital transformation this year to the extent that nearly no other technology can; according to the 19th Developer Economics survey by Slashdata, almost 90% of all developers use APIs. This makes them…

What to Know About Business Email Compromise (BEC) Scams

Business email compromise (BEC) is a dangerous type of email spoofing that targets businesses, aiming to damage them in some way. Overall, BEC “is one of the most financially damaging online crimes,” according to a joint Cybersecurity Advisory by the…

What is Malware as a Service (MaaS)?

Malware as a Service is the unlawful lease of software and hardware from the Dark Web to carry out cyber attacks. The threat actors who use this service are provided with botnet services and technical support by the MaaS owners.…

Stop Working in Silos: Integrating with APIs

Is your security tool an island? Does it do its singular task with little more to offer than what it says on the package? Too many security offerings behave as singular entities, forcing you to constantly perform task switching to…

Tripwire Patch Priority Index for February 2023

Tripwire’s February 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the patch priority list this month is a patch for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint that resolves a security feature bypass vulnerability. Next are patches for…

Trezor crypto wallets under attack in SMS phishing campaign

Willie Sutton, the criminal who became legendary for stealing from banks during a forty year career, was once asked, “Why do you keep robbing banks?” His answer? “Because that’s where the money is.” However, today there’s a better target for…

10 Database Security Best Practices You Should Know

Around 39 billion records were compromised between January and December of last year, according to Flashpoint’s 2022 A Year in Review report. While this result is quite staggering, it also sends a clear message of the need for effective database…

Social Engineering: Definition & 6 Attack Types

We all know about the attacker who leverages their technical expertise to infiltrate protected computer systems and compromise sensitive data. This type of malicious actor ends up in the news all the time. But they’re not the only ones making…

Key tips for helping secure your digital life

The key to protecting your digital life Even those who consider themselves well educated about security threats – and do everything they have been taught to do – can still end up as a victim. The truth is that with…

Social Engineering: Definition & 5 Attack Types

We all know about the attacker who leverages their technical expertise to infiltrate protected computer systems and compromise sensitive data. This type of malicious actor ends up in the news all the time. But they’re not the only ones making…

Deepfakes: What they are and tips to spot them

Deepfakes are forged images, audio, and videos that are created using Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning technologies. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), deepfake videos are increasing at an annual rate of 900%, and recent technological advances have…

Fake ChatGPT apps spread Windows and Android malware

OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot has been a phenomenon, taking the internet by storm. Whether it is composing poetry, writing essays for college students, or finding bugs in computer code, it has impressed millions of people and proven itself to be the…

Public or Private Cloud: Choices to Consider

Organizations are progressively moving towards a predominantly cloud-based computing environment. What this means is that essentially all of their back-end infrastructure, systems, and client-facing applications can be accessed and distributed through the cloud. Modern cloud computing goes a step further…

Why Application Dependencies Are Critical for Cloud Security

Application dependencies occur when technology components, applications, and servers depend on each other to provide a business solution or service. Developers have a specific technology stack in mind when building solutions. This can typically include operating systems, database engines, and…

How do mail filters work?

Mail filters play a huge role in protecting organizations from cyberattacks. Even though their task is quite small, they are very important for an organization’s ability to deter many malicious phishing and spam emails before delivery to a person’s inbox.…

How to achieve and maintain data compliance in 2023

The Compliance Landscape Only those hiding from the news, prospects, and customers can miss the data security and privacy challenges that are occurring. More businesses are relying on data analytics (garnered from data collection) for more and improved service and…

A Guide on 5 Common LinkedIn Scams

The fact that scammers haunt Facebook and Twitter is not surprising. Even so, digital criminals don’t stop with just those two platforms. They’re also known to stalk users on LinkedIn where connections carry greater professional gravity. Fortunately, users can stay…

Cybercriminal convicted of $90 million SEC earning reports hack

The owner of a Russian penetration-testing company has been found guilty of being part of an elaborate scheme that netted $90 million after stealing SEC earning reports. For nearly three years, 42-year-old Vladislav Klyushin – the owner of Moscow-based cybersecurity…

Four of the Oldest Tricks in Scammers’ Books

As the world grows increasingly digital and dependent on the internet, cyberthreats are constantly evolving to clash with newer and more rigid security features. Despite cybercriminals’ propensity for finding new and innovative ways to take advantage of their targets, however,…

How to achieve and maintain data compliance in 2023

The Compliance Landscape Only those hiding from the news, prospects, and customers can miss the data security and privacy challenges that are occurring. More businesses are relying on data analytics (garnered from data collection) for more and improved service and…

A Guide on 5 Common LinkedIn Scams

The fact that scammers haunt Facebook and Twitter is not surprising. Even so, digital criminals don’t stop with just those two platforms. They’re also known to stalk users on LinkedIn where connections carry greater professional gravity. Fortunately, users can stay…

VERT Threat Alert: February 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s February 2023 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1042 on Wednesday, February 15th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-21823 The first vulnerability in the list this week…

Cybersecurity Is Necessary for Mission-Critical Energy Grids

Today’s energy sector is undergoing massive change, especially as more utilities try to usher in clean or renewable energy alternatives like solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and wind power. In addition to the clean energy transition, grid modernization is another major shift…

How to protect organizations against Brute Force Attacks

A brute force attack is an attempt to reveal passwords and login credentials in order to gain access to network resources. These attacks are mainly done with the purpose of gaining unauthorized, and undetected access to compromise systems. Threat actors…

The Role of Data Hygiene in the Security of the Energy Industry

We create massive amounts of data daily, from the exercise stats compiled by our wearable devices to smart meters used at our homes to reduce expense consumption to maintenance statistics of critical systems in industrial settings. If data creation continues…

The Role of Data Hygiene in the Security of the Energy Industry

We create massive amounts of data daily, from the exercise stats compiled by our wearable devices to smart meters used at our homes to reduce expense consumption to maintenance statistics of critical systems in industrial settings. If data creation continues…

Social Networking Without Selling Yourself

A truism about the free tools online is that if you aren’t paying for the service, then you are the product. Take your grocery store’s “club” card program. You sign up and give them your name and phone number, and…

Safer Internet Day 2023: Protecting Your Personal Data

February 7th is the 20th Safer Internet Day, a day to focus on addressing ways to reduce the risks created by our now very online world. Painting the internet as an inherently dangerous place full of predators and … would…