From nation-state threat actors to cybercriminals, today’s businesses face many cybersecurity threats. At the same time, organizations struggle to maintain a strong security posture because they have not yet shifted to a holistic approach to risk – one that combines a 360º view of the attack surface with the ability to communicate risk meaningfully and respond effectively.

The government of a U.S. county announced on September 11 that a recent cyber incident had disrupted its online services. Subsequent coverage of the event has noted that it strongly resembles a ransomware attack. The disruption comes against a backdrop of frequent ransomware activity targeting state and local governments and the education sector.

Spoiler alert: The answer is yes. But not in the way you might expect. Unless you live in an enchanted land where mermaids feed you healthy beer for breakfast, your security budget has probably shrunk recently. The good news is that this can be good news because determining with ruthless clarity the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of your cybersecurity program will help you take deliberate steps to improve it with an efficient spend.

When you choose to work with a third party, there's always the risk that they will cause your business harm. The right tools can help you make better-informed decisions about the vendors you choose and spot problems before they occur. Third-party vendors are an important part of any business, but it's important for employers to understand what the risks are when working with these partners.

As cybercriminals discover new ways to expand the threat landscape, cyber security professionals need to be able to predict their next move and stay ahead of evolving cyber threats. But in order to do so, businesses must be aware of their vulnerabilities, have a clear view of their cybersecurity posture, and have an understanding of their associated risks.

In late August, a technology provider that offers student loan account management and payment services submitted a breach notice indicating that a compromise detected on July 22 exposed 2.5 million individuals’ data, including their names, contact information, and social security numbers. At present, neither the breach notice nor subsequent reporting have provided detailed insights into the nature of the breach, noting only that it likely began in June and continued until July 22.

We’re excited to announce a new way to monitor all of the companies you care about, but maybe don’t need all the granular security data on. Watch List lets you monitor the high-level score information of companies you care about without consuming a more detailed Portfolio slot.

Chief Information Security Officers know all about the “Sea of troubles,” and they experience “slings and arrows” daily. In mid-September, we saw a breach of Uber that threatened to undo the company’s security program - for exposing a fairly easy path to super admin privileges across most (if not all) of its infrastructure and security tools like GSuite, AWS, and HackerOne private vulnerability reports. The stakes are high.

The purpose of vendor risk management is to strike a delicate balance between facilitating the needs of the business by integrating new vendors and ensuring that those same business partners don’t exceed the organization’s risk appetite. Maintaining a healthy balance between those two interests requires leaders to always consider broader business goals when executing VRM strategies.

Ransomware has traditionally revolved around the encryption of victims’ files. But even if encryption remains ransomware groups’ most common approach, it isn’t really their priority–extortion is. Financially-motivated cybercriminals care more about extracting payment from their victims than they do about the particular methods used to achieve that goal.