In recent years, breach and attack simulation (BAS) has gained significant traction among enterprises, emerging as a crucial component in fortifying proactive security by automating the ongoing testing of threat vectors. It empowers organizations to verify potential threats, enhance security controls, identify vulnerabilities in critical assets, and prioritize remediation efforts to bolster cyber resilience.

Endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions have become a key component of many enterprise endpoint security strategies, resulting in a forecasted market value close to $17 billion by 2030. This is due in no small part to the increase in remote work following the COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend in which employees use personal devices for work-related activities, and the constant evolution of cyber threats.

On April 18th, the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), and the Netherlands’ National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NL) issued an urgent advisory about Akira ransomware’s recently exhibited malicious behavior (as of February 2024). Detailed information about these threats and the associated IOCs and TTPs can be seen on #StopRansomware: Akira Ransomware.

Microsoft Windows is the world’s most widely used desktop operating system (OS). It accounts for more than 70% of market share as of February 2024, according to market research firm Statista, and can be found on more than 1.4 billion active devices. As with any software vendor, Microsoft continuously evolves their OS with the release of updated versions that offer new features and functionality.