BlackCat (a.k.a. ALPHV and Noberus) is a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) group that emerged in November 2021, making headlines for being a sophisticated ransomware written in Rust. It has both Windows and Linux variants and the payload can be customized to adapt to the attacker’s needs. BlackCat is also believed to be the successor of the Darkside and BlackMatter ransomware groups.

As we enter the thick of budget season, especially in a time where budgets are expected to start tightening, security and IT leaders need to anticipate the discussions they are going to have with executive leaders. This means proactively preparing a formal business case for the security program to ensure funding for upcoming projects.

10 years ago I moved to the UK and made it my home, and I love living here. I like Marmite, debates over whether the evening meal is dinner, tea, or supper, the constant requirement to remark upon the weather… and the many bizarre traditions. One of these bizarre traditions is Bonfire Night, celebrated on 5th November each year to commemorate the Gunpowder Plot when a bunch of conspirators (including a man called Guy Fawkes) tried to blow up Parliament and King James.

A recent campaign, unearthed by researchers at INKY, is the latest example of exploitation of a legitimate cloud service. The campaign impersonates the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), targeting small businesses that are unaware of the fact that the SBA recently stopped accepting applications for COVID-19 relief loans or grants. The element that makes this campaign stand out from the others is the exploitation of a well-known and familiar cloud service to host the phishing page: Google Forms.

The problem of securing the modern workforce goes beyond occasional spats between IT and security. The real problems we see are user credentials under constant attack, alongside attempts to harvest and exploit enterprise data. Plus the cloud resources that workforces need are tough to secure, especially when deployed outside of IT-led processes. In light of these issues, corporations need a way to securely provide always-on cloud access for users while safeguarding enterprise data anywhere it goes.

Vulnerability management can be more than just running scans and sorting by Common Vulnerability Scoring System scores! Take your program to the next level by adding a threat-based approach to vulnerability management by combining the hacker mindset with cyber threat intelligence. With so many vulnerabilities published daily, having a team knowledgeable with the latest threats can help IT teams quickly identify assets that require expedited remediation.

Phishing is a well known threat that users are constantly being warned about, but as we are in Cybersercurity Awarenss Month though, some may still be wondering what exactly phishing is and how to prevent it. In this blog, I am going to dig into how you can recognize phishing and how enabling multi-factor authentication can help keep you safe.

“Digital trust” is a hot topic at the moment—with McKinsey as the latest to dive into the term. The consultancy’s “Why Digital Trust Matters” report presents global research among business leaders and consumers, exploring consumer perceptions of digital trust, and the behaviours it motivates.

“Zero trust” still confuses people—and for good reason. While the term conveys a certain absolute authority (“zero,” “nope,” “nothing”), contemporary approaches offer much more nuanced capabilities. And while zero trust today is typically associated with security initiatives, the concepts have their origin in the definition of network perimeters, who is granted access, and how that access is provided.

Passwords have been employed by many since the days of the Roman Empire, and they quickly became omnipresent as we approached the digital age. However, rapid changes in the security landscape have forced us to evolve what our passwords look like and how they are used. At times, this has led to conflicting advice and confusion on what proper password management looks like. By clarifying how to best create and use passwords, we can make it easier for people to stay safe online.