Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Cyber threats are more sophisticated, pervasive, and frequent than ever before. As a result, traditional methods for network security are becoming obsolete. These solutions simply cannot handle the extraordinary scale and complexity of network traffic inherent in modern IT environments. AI-driven solutions, however, can.

While Exponential Organizations (ExOs) are transforming industries beyond the tech space, that doesn’t mean that they are not susceptible to an increasing number of cyber threats. As ExOs harness innovative and cutting-edge technologies to drive transformative growth, the ability to respond effectively and proactively to cyber incidents becomes increasingly vital.

Imagine a seemingly minor misconfiguration in your cloud storage or an employee accidentally emailing a sensitive file to the wrong person. These incidents might seem trivial, but they can quickly snowball into a massive data breach, causing financial consequences. This scenario is a stark reminder of the importance of understanding and preventing data leaks. Data leaks are a threat to organizations, and developers can play a crucial role in preventing them.

We are fast approaching the end of (another) turbulent year for cybersecurity. Looking back, it's hard to believe that so much can happen in such a short time. As we finish up our work for the year, head home to our families, and prepare to close the book on 2024, it's worth considering what's next. And who better than Fortra's experts to offer insights into the year to come? Keep reading for expert predictions of cybersecurity in 2025.

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent veto of SB 1047, a proposed AI safety bill, has sparked a hot debate on the balance between innovation and regulation in the artificial intelligence (AI) space. California has over a dozen AI related bills that have been signed although this bill sought to establish rigorous safety testing requirements for large-scale AI models and introduce an emergency "kill switch" for situations where systems might become dangerous.

At Fortra, we like to encourage a collaborative environment. One of the ways we bring our community together is through our Transformer meetups which aim to provide a positive, energizing, and fun hub for all Fortra employees to learn how to be innovative, get inspired by others, and reach their creative potential. Our most recent meetup was moderated by myself and our panelists were Tyler Reguly, John Wilson, Bob Erdman, and Nathan Ramaker.

The rapid adoption of cloud technology in the past few years has transformed IT environments, enabling unprecedented opportunities for flexibility, scalability, and collaboration. However, this transformation has introduced a potentially dangerous level of complexity into these environments – recent research from PwC revealed that 75% of executives report too much complexity in their organizations, leading to ‘concerning’ cyber and privacy risks.

When thinking about cybersecurity, we envision malicious actors working in dark basements, honing their tools to invent cunning new ways to breach our defenses. While this is a clear and present danger, it's also important to understand that another hazard is lurking much closer to home - the insider threat. These attacks have devastated entities in all sectors, with severe repercussions. These incidents can vary from straightforward acts of fraud or theft to more elaborate sabotage attempts.

Audit logs provide a rich source of data critical to preventing, detecting, understanding, and minimizing the impact of network or data compromise in a timely manner. Collection logs and regular reviews are useful for identifying baselines, establishing operational trends, and detecting abnormalities. In some cases, logging may be the only evidence of a successful attack. CIS Control 8 emphasizes the need for centralized collection and storage and standardization to better coordinate audit log reviews.

One of the hardest parts of managing an organization’s cybersecurity is patch management. Just as one patch cycle is completed, another set of patches are released. When compounded with the highly regulated energy industry, governed by the NERC CIP Standards, the task becomes even more daunting. Fortunately, Fortra’s Tripwire Enterprise (TE) and Tripwire State Analyzer (TSA) can ease the process.