There are countless tools and technologies available to help an organization stay on top of its IT assets, and a configuration management database (CMDB) is an extremely useful one. The database keeps track of relevant information regarding various hardware and software components and the relationships between them. It allows IT teams to have an organized view of configuration items (CIs) that can enable more streamlined processes when it comes to IT work.

These days, it’s not a matter of if your password will be breached but when. Major websites experience massive data breaches at an alarming rate. Have I Been Pwned currently has records from 705 sites comprising 12.6 billion accounts. This includes well-known names like Wattpad, Verifications.io, and Facebook.

Footprinting, also known as fingerprinting, is a methodology used by penetration testers, cybersecurity professionals, and even threat actors to gather information about a target organization to identify potential vulnerabilities. Footprinting is the first step in penetration testing. It involves scanning open ports, mapping network topologies, and collecting information about hosts, their operating systems, IP addresses, and user accounts.

Gaming companies collect data concerning user behavior for a variety of reasons: to inform investment and content decisions, enable game and advertisement personalization, and improve gameplay, to name a few. However, the data available provides a daunting task for those attempting to make use of it, as well as a ripe target for attackers. Effectively utilizing and protecting this data can be a challenge, especially as the volume of gaming data increases over time.

Interconnected, data-enabled devices are more common now than ever before. By 2027, it is predicted that there will be more than 41 billion new IoT devices. The emergence of each new device offers a fresh vulnerability point for opportunistic bad actors. In 2022, there were over 112 million cyberattacks carried out on IoT devices worldwide. Without sufficient protection, attackers can exploit these weak points to gain access to sensitive data or restrict access to internet networks.

One of the most reliable constants in the cybersecurity world is that threats are always increasing as cybercriminals advance their tactics and develop new ones. It can be a daunting task for organizations to continually stay on top of these threats, protect their own data and assets, and monitor the threat landscape for changes.

Attacks against industrial control systems (ICS) are on the rise. Cyberattacks are more prevalent, creative and faster than ever. So, understanding attackers’ tactics is crucial. The IBM Security X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2023 highlights that backdoor deployments enabling remote access to ICS systems were the most common type of attacker action in 2022.

As cyber threats grow more frequent and sophisticated, the need for vigilant defense is paramount, and cybersecurity is top of mind for organizations nationwide. Understanding the threat landscape and current and future trends is crucial to designing effective security strategies to mitigate risk and keep companies, their employees, and their data safe. The following threat trends are of particular importance, affecting organizations of all sizes.

Data is expanding beyond environments, applications, and geographical boundaries. It is safe to say that we are currently experiencing the era of the Big Bang of Data. It is driving economies and industries. Organizations that can leverage data to its fullest potential take the helm of their industry, leading it peerlessly. However, with the proliferation of data comes increasingly serious risks to data security and privacy.

Compliance and security often go hand in hand as ideas that attempt to protect against cyber threats. While both compliance and security are designed to lower risk, they are not mutually inclusive—that is, not everything that is required for compliance will necessarily help with security, and not everything that bolsters security will necessarily put you in compliance.