Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Digital expansion, remote work, and the proliferation of connected devices have extended the attack surface, making organizations attractive targets for cybercriminals. Although many businesses believe they are too small to be attacked, hackers often use them as a testing ground to hone their techniques before taking aim at larger, more lucrative targets.

Over the past decade, Detection and Response (DR) solutions have advanced substantially to address the constantly evolving sophistication of cyberattacks. Malicious actors have perfected techniques to evade traditional defenses, making detection and response solutions key requisites in a robust cybersecurity strategy.

We are pleased to announce that WatchGuard has been honored with the prestigious "Security Vendor of the Year" award at the 2024 Innovation Awards. This recognition reinforces our ongoing commitment to excellence in cybersecurity. The Innovation Awards event brought together over 380 industry professionals at the Cordis in Auckland, under the Reseller News banner.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued a new perspective on password management policies, recognizing that many traditional practices used to ensure password security are no longer effective. The suggested practices to eliminate include not requiring periodic password changes, reducing restrictions on special characters, and discontinuing the use of security questions for account recovery.

NIS2, PCI DSS, GDPR, HIPAA or CMMC... this long list of acronyms reminds us that complying with cybersecurity regulations is crucial in today’s threat landscape to protect sensitive information and maintain trust in our organization. Moreover, non-compliance not only exposes companies to security risks, but can lead to significant financial penalties and reputational damage. Compliance also facilitates more agile audits.

As Black Friday approaches, consumers and retailers are gearing up for deals—while cybercriminals prepare to exploit any vulnerabilities. With online shopping at its peak, hackers are poised to take advantage of the busiest, most hectic moments. Retailers face a significant challenge: safeguarding customer data and profits. A 2024 Verizon report shows that system intrusions, social engineering, and web vulnerabilities cause 92% of retail data breaches.

As attacks grow increasingly unpredictable and complex, cybersecurity defense requires much more than a basic strategy; it demands a proactive approach that anticipates the adversary's every move. Many MSPs entrusted with this critical mission by customers must equip themselves with the right technologies that prevent, detect, and respond to potential attacks and adapt as environments and organizational needs change.

External risks, such as cyber scams, ransomware, and identity theft, often steal the limelight. Just look at the numbers: our threat lab reports that 105,571 malware attacks have been blocked daily in the last month, translating into one incident every second. However, insider threats, while more difficult to detect, can be just as damaging to organizations.

The cybersecurity landscape has evolved dramatically, placing IT managers under pressure to adapt. A 168% rise in evasive malware detected by WatchGuard in Q2 2024 underscores this shift, with threat actors following behavioral patterns and adopting attack techniques that become popular and dominate in waves.

With a 168% rise in evasive malware, cyber threats have reached a new level of sophistication. This type of malware employs advanced techniques to evade detection by traditional solutions, which often rely on pre-defined signatures to identify threats. These malicious programs pose a major challenge in cybersecurity by camouflaging themselves within legitimate processes and acting stealthily.