Today’s cyber threat landscape necessitates that we, as defenders of the enterprise, place identities at the center of our detection, prevention and response efforts. Indeed, threat actor tactics and techniques observed in the wild demonstrate that credential theft presents a large risk to the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems - be they on premises or in the cloud.

In the underground cybercrime circles of the Dark Web, ransomware attacks are a particularly lucrative enterprise. These attacks are on the rise. And they’re disrupting the stalwart IT industry. The average cost of a ransom attack in 2023 was $1.54 million, almost double the previous year’s average. And research we gathered for The CISO Report show that 83% of organizations hit by a ransomware attack paid their attackers. Curious which industry is most likely to pay the ransom? Retail.

Cooper Aerobics is a health and lifestyle entity concerned with providing comprehensive wellness solutions. As a business organization, their brand includes The Cooper Institute, a Clinic, a Fitness Center, a Spa, a Vitamin line, Wellness Strategies, and a Hotel.

As part of our effort to make the world safer, SecurityScorecard has been tracking threat actor groups conducting cyberattacks on behalf of nation states.

Hackers want stolen medical records to commit identity theft, use the stolen data as a ransom, sell it on the dark web or impersonate the victim to receive medical services. Medical records are valuable to cybercriminals as they allow cybercriminals to commit fraud and go undetected longer than they can with other Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Properly configured firewalls are vital in any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. However, even the most robust configurations can be vulnerable to exploitation by attackers. No single security measure can offer absolute protection against all cyber threats and data security risks. To mitigate these risks, it’s crucial to understand how cybercriminals exploit firewall vulnerabilities.

With personal data or business communications, our vast digital footprint is vulnerable to malefactors. Consequently, safeguarding sensitive information has become a pressing concern for companies of all sizes. The cost of cybercrime was $8 trillion globally in 2023 and is projected to hit $10.5 trillion by 2025. This alarming statistic emphasizes the escalating threat and the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures.

In working with customers across different enterprises and experiencing it myself, the challenges in managing vulnerabilities effectively are felt. Drawing from the insights of customers and my experiences, I’ve learned much about using Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in the vulnerability remediation process.