Ransomware’s new favorite victim is educational institutions. Ransomware attacks, that exploit targets utilizing malicious software code, have increased tremendously over the past few years. In addition to targeting business sectors, cybercriminals are now attempting to ambush the security posture of educational sectors. Educational institutions are an easy prey for ransomware attackers as they lack the fundamental elements of a secured network.

Cyberattacks have intensified over the last few years as threat actors are always improvising their game plan to carry out new and sophisticated methods. Concepts like Ransomware as a Service have made it easy for small threat groups to leverage weaponized services with devastating results for organizations. This highlights how traditional security systems and approaches are no longer able to keep up with the ever-evolving threat landscape.

The shift towards hybrid work models has expanded the perimeters of work, adding to the burden on IT teams as they fight to stay resilient in the face of increased attack surfaces. All it takes for an invasion into an enterprise’s IT infrastructure is one compromised identity. So, what are enterprise identities? These are the user names, passwords, networks, endpoints, applications, etc., that act as gateways to business-sensitive information.

Five worthy reads is a regular column on five noteworthy items we’ve discovered while researching trending and timeless topics. This week we are exploring cyber insurance, how it can help businesses in the event of a cyberattack, and why it is necessary for your organization.

According to a study by Microsoft, more than 80% of enterprises have experienced at least one firmware attack in the past three years. Is your enterprise’s security posture secure? Does your security software manage and defend all your endpoints from vulnerabilities?

The rise in the frequency and intensity of cybercrime has seen many organizations turning to cyber insurance to help protect against the extent of financial losses following a cyberattack. While identifying and adopting a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy is crucial, even the most secure networks can still be exploited by adept hackers. According to reports, the global cyber insurance market is projected to grow from $11.9 billion in 2022 to $29.2 billion by 2027.

With the new browser botnet, Cloud9, waiting to penetrate your browsers remotely to access and steal your sensitive and confidential data, it can be challenging to stay safe while browsing the internet. As reported by Bleeping Computer, this Remote Access Trojan named Cloud9 allows cyberattackers to execute commands remotely to steal your data. This malicious extension is not found in the Chrome store, but has been reported to be installed by other means. What’s the story of Cloud9?