Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

In recent months, we’ve seen a sharp rise in software supply chain attacks that infect legitimate applications to distribute malware to users. SolarWinds, Codecov and Kesaya have all been victims of such attacks that went on to impact thousands of downstream businesses around the globe. Within minutes of these high-profile attacks making headline news, CEOs often ask: “Should we be concerned? How is it impacting us? What can we do to mitigate risk?” .

After being hit by a ransomware or phishing attack, it might be tempting for businesses to think the damage has been done and they can now focus on rebuilding. This is rarely the case. Research shows that 80% of organisations targeted by ransomware end up suffering another attack – and 46% are targeted by the same cybercriminals that hit them in the first place.

Cyberattacks are on the rise. The growing number of internet-connected devices and the value of business data means cybercriminals have more to gain than ever from breaking into a company’s network. It’s not uncommon for hackers to target operations of all sizes — meaning that any company holding onto important information needs defenses that will keep that data secure. These seven strategies are some of the most important cybersecurity tactics for a business to use.

The U.S. government aims to tackle cybercrime, in particular attacks targeting critical infrastructure. For this purpose, the U.S. State Department has announced a reward of up to $10 million to anyone who offers valid information about any potential cyberattacks on critical infrastructure supported by foreign states.

AT&T Alien Labs has recently discovered a cluster of Linux ELF executables that have low or zero anti-virus detections in VirusTotal, though our internal threat analysis systems have flagged them as malicious. Upon inspection of the samples, Alien Labs has identified them as modifications of the open-source PRISM backdoor used by multiple threat actors in various campaigns.

One of the most worrisome trends in cybersecurity today is the skyrocketing incidence of supply chain attacks, such as the ones that hit SolarWinds last year and Kaseya more recently. Because they focus on compromising software development and delivery, supply chain attacks have forced developers and DevOps teams to scramble for solutions. Unfortunately, supply chain attacks are particularly challenging to prevent, detect and remediate, and, because of their stealthy nature, are often devastating.

In a world of automation, computers and the data on them have become the backbone of many organizations. But data is a double-edged sword. It can be leveraged by organizations to improve operations, but in the wrong hands, it can be a deadly weapon for hackers. So how do organizations ensure their data is safe?

U.S. President Joe Biden is under pressure to take a stand against a relentless pace of cybersecurity attacks. Russian-speaking hackers have claimed accountability for a recent ransomware assault on IT management software provider Kaseya VSA. The group of Russian threat actors also referred to as the Revil Group, launched a bombshell supply-chain hit during the weekend of July 4th, 2021 against Kaseya VSA and multiple managed service providers.

No discussion on ICS attacks could be complete without talking about what some would call, ‘the elephant in the room.’ Critical infrastructure has always been a target for warfare, and modern ICS are no exception. Several high-profile ICS disruptions have in fact been attributed to malicious hackers working at the behest of a military or intelligence agency.