Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

According to the 2023 Insider Threat Report by Cybersecurity Insiders, 74% of organizations are at least moderately vulnerable to insider threats. This statistic underscores a critical issue: Insider threats are notoriously difficult to detect because they originate from individuals with authorized access and intimate knowledge of your systems. While traditional security measures focus on external threats, they often fall short when it comes to spotting insider threats.

Access to data comes with significant responsibility, and misuse of this access can negatively affect organizations. When employees misuse data for personal gain or other unauthorized purposes, it can jeopardize data security and lead to costly breaches. Indeed, 68% of data breaches involve a human element, according to the 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report by Verizon.

NetBT (NetBIOS over TCP/IP) is a network protocol used to integrate NetBIOS services into the TCP/IP protocol suite. NetBT settings are specific to each interface and include the NetbiosOptions setting and the NameServerList. These settings can be configured individually for each interface using the answer file. NetBT is essential for integrating legacy systems, enabling older applications and devices that rely on NetBIOS to communicate seamlessly with modern TCP/IP networks.

Personal Information (PI) encompasses any data that can identify an individual, either directly or indirectly. This includes basic information such as names and addresses. It also includes more specific details like Social Security Numbers (SSN) and biometric data. Understanding the difference between Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Sensitive Personal Information (SPI) is crucial for effective data protection.

Businesses have gone mobile-first, and with good reason—people are spending more time and more money on their phones than ever before. For instance, in 2023, an estimated 66% or 2/3rds of all online orders were made from mobile devices. And in 2024, businesses are expected to spend $402 billion on mobile advertising. Mobile apps have become the first choice for users for their online activities in banking, e-commerce, media streaming, social media, etc.

Organizations are falling victim to ransomware attacks where data is stolen, but the victim isn’t being told about it. I have a theory as to why this is happening. Many assume data is being exfiltrated as part of a ransomware attack and it’s going to be used as part of the extortion component of the attack. But according to Arctic Wolf’s The State of Cybersecurity: 2024 Trends Report, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Organizations need to be aware of the threat posed by QR code phishing (quishing), according to researchers at Trend Micro. “Phishing emails continue to be the number one attack vector for organizations,” the researchers write. “A QR code phishing, or quishing attack, is a modern social engineering cyber attack technique manipulating users into giving away personal and financial information or downloading malware.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has slowly but surely weaved its way into our homes and places of work. From smart homes to industrial control systems, IoT has brought convenience and efficiency to our lives. However, with this increased connectivity we have increased our risk. The IoT Attack Surface IoT devices are often designed with functionality in mind, rather than security. This means that many devices have weak or default passwords, unpatched vulnerabilities, and insecure communication protocols.