Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Financial institutions, such as banks and trading houses, have a strong interest in recording key transaction activity within their networks. In the face of daunting data storage requirements, many are finding that Corelight’s network metadata—notably metadata produced by Zeek—is the key to a simplified tracking and storage process. Many of our customers used to rely on packet capture (PCAP).

The financial industry is known for its rigorous and sometimes quirky data retention requirements that can challenge even the most seasoned security expert. For example, FINRA Rule 4511 requires members to "preserve for a period of at least six years those FINRA books and records for which there is no specified period under the FINRA rules or applicable Exchange Act rules." Keeping six years of records: That's no small feat. But it's certainly doable.

Web application firewalls (WAFs) are one of the most commonly used tools that organizations deploy to protect their applications at runtime. By monitoring HTTP traffic and filtering out suspicious requests, WAFs act as a protective layer around an application that protects it from certain types of incoming threats. However, WAFs often fall short of expectations.

Change is an inevitable part of managing a large-scale enterprise network, but executing it efficiently and securely remains a major challenge. Global organizations must navigate complex IT environments, multiple teams, and a high volume of daily changes—each carrying the risk of misconfiguration, downtime, or security vulnerabilities. Without a structured approach to change management, even routine updates can spiral into costly outages, endless troubleshooting calls, and operational disruptions.

Cybercriminals often exploit outdated vulnerabilities – quite literally. While organizations focus on addressing the latest zero-day threats, attackers continue to profit by targeting weaknesses that should have been resolved long ago. Some of these Common Vulnerability and Exposures (CVEs) date back nearly a decade, yet they remain heavily exploited. This trend proves that old flaws never truly disappear.

Change isn’t optional—IT leaders know this better than anyone. IT has always been the backbone of the business, keeping everything secure, connected, and efficient. But the demands on IT—and the business—have changed. Cloud adoption, hybrid work, competitive pressures, and rising costs have exposed the cracks in legacy architectures and pushed them past their limits.

In November 2024, I participated in SCinet with the Network Security team at SC24. My job was supporting Corelight sensors and threat hunting using the data the sensors produced. This engagement allowed for a very constructive comparison between the networking challenges at SC and Black Hat USA, where I had the honor of working in the Network Operations Center (NOC) a few months earlier. At SC, I felt immersed in the cutting-edge world of research computing with people showcasing the fastest everything.

In today’s digital landscape, network failures and data breaches are not just technical headaches or concerns for CISOs only, they can trigger major legal consequences. Regulatory agencies are sharpening their focus on cybersecurity, and class-action lawsuits, hefty fines, and reputational damage are real risks. For legal teams and boards, ensuring compliance, conducting robust due diligence, and being ready for litigation is not optional; it is a must.

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