Active Directory (AD) is the cornerstone of any on-premises or hybrid Microsoft environment. It stores information about users, computers and other objects, and provides vital services that enable employees to be productive and business processes to run. This article covers the Active Directory basics you need to know.

Group Policy is a feature of Microsoft Windows operating systems that helps administrators manage and secure users and computers in Active Directory environments. Group Policy settings are grouped into Group Policy objects (GPOs) and applied to computer and user objects within the scope of the GPO. For example, Group Policy objects can be used to manage: This guide explains the key elements of Group Policy management.

The Gartner research paper “What You Need to Do to Protect Your APIs” outlines key requirements for bolstering API security measures. In this blog post, we’ll delve deeper into these requirements as introduced by Gartner, explain their significance, and demonstrate how AppSentinels offers comprehensive solutions for each requirement. As per Gartner, the second step is to assess the security of these APIs.

Server hardening is a process that secures, essentially “hardening” a server infrastructure reducing the attack surface, which encompasses all potential entry points that unauthorized attackers could exploit. The objective is to enhance protection, minimize vulnerability and improve security posture. Achieving security and compliance requires implementing server hardening as an essential prerequisite. Server hardening is a proactive process that involves.

The NIST Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF) is a recent framework developed by The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to guide organizations across all sectors in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and its systems. As AI continues to become implemented in nearly every sector — from healthcare to finance to national defense — it also brings new risks and concerns with it.

The FBI has issued an alert warning of a widespread SMS phishing (smishing) campaign targeting people in several US states with phony notices of unpaid tolls, BleepingComputer reports. The scammers are currently impersonating the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and E-ZPass services on the East Coast, but the FBI warns that the scam will likely expand to other states.

Organizations commonly rely on third parties such as vendors, suppliers, and other business partners to handle critical operations. While third-party relationships can provide many benefits, they also introduce a range of risks that can threaten data security, compliance, and business continuity. Therefore, it's crucial to recognize and manage these risks with a robust Third-Party Risk Management policy.

Recently, a critical vulnerability, CVE-2024-3400, was discovered in the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software, posing a substantial risk to affected systems. In this blog post, we will discuss the nature of this vulnerability and how Forward Networks can assist organizations in swiftly identifying and addressing their risk exposure.