Working in the cloud has many advantages. But to handle your information safely, you should know how to defend against the common problem of misconfigurations leaving cloud data open to thieves.  What are the Benefits of Cloud Computing? Many groups are expanding their use of the cloud. In November 2019, Gartner announced its prediction that the worldw

SolarWinds has announced a cyberattack on its systems that compromised specific versions of the SolarWinds Orion Platform, a widely used network management tool. SolarWinds reports that this incident was likely the result of a highly sophisticated, targeted and manual supply chain attack by a nation state, but it has not, to date, independently verified the

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic shifted the cybersecurity landscape. According to a PR Newswire release, the FBI tracked as many as 4,000 digital attack attempts a day during the pandemic. That’s 400% more than what it was prior to the pandemic. In response to these attacks, 70% of CISOs told McKinsey that they believed their security budgets would

The use of microservices-based architecture to realize complex, evolving solutions is growing in popularity. Microservices make it much easier to replace or upgrade components mid-flight. It also allows multiple developers to work on different aspects of the overall solution without affecting each other.  However, microservices architecture comes with

If most of your business’ data and workloads are handled on public clouds, it can be easy to forget about the onsite servers. With office buildings empty, employees may assume the servers are protected by the same physical security as the rest of the facility. However, physical security has its own considerations, and paying careful attention to them

From the basic building blocks of the internet to cryptocurrency mining on a supercomputer, SOCKS sits at the core of computing. A SOCKS proxy can be used to improve network security in an enterprise, but can also be exploited by cybercriminals for nefarious reasons. Take a look at how SOCKS proxies have been manipulated recently by threat actors. What is

In a previous article, we explored common misconceptions about automation and the realities of using automation to improve security. This article discusses automation best practices as part of an overall Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) strategy. Being fully aware of the pitfalls of automation helps frame best practices and provide gre

Nothing lasts forever. That’s true for cars, devices, even a favorite sweatshirt or pair of jeans. But it is especially true for information technology (IT).  Legacy IT systems stick around in business settings for three main reasons: organizations don’t have the budget to upgrade, teams need to be able to access critical legacy application

A ransomware infection can have a significant financial impact on an organization. American digital security and data backup firm Datto found that ransomware is costing businesses more than $75 billion a year. Part of that financial impact results from downtime costs. Govtech also revealed that businesses lost an average of $8,500 per hour as the result of

Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are increasing in size, frequency and duration. Kaspersky Lab reported a doubling of DDoS attacks in the first quarter of 2020 compared with the fourth quarter of 2019, plus an 80% jump compared with the same quarter last year. Kaspersky also found that DDoS cyberattacks are increasing in duration. Average attack

Transportation networks are foundational to our modern way of life. The current restrictions on global movement and the corresponding reduction in demand for travel and transportation services, while profound, are temporary. Forecasting future demand and capacity requirements is nearly impossible. But, the travel and transportation industries are part of the

Cyber ranges may be one of the most effective ways to train IT professionals in defending against cyber attacks. The virtual environments deliver simulated real-world attacks that test multiple dimensions and stakeholders within diverse environments. Cybersecurity teams can use cyber ranges to practice defending against simulated threats in immersive trainin

IBM X-Force has reported a huge increase in COVID-19-related spam. Malicious domains have also rapidly expanded during the first quarter of 2020.  Focus on Security Fundamentals   One of the key fundamental approaches for security is to ensure your security team can identify, investigate and respond to threats. We recommend mining network

Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, working from home used to be a novelty for many employees. According to a June 2020 IBM Security and Morning Consult “Work From Home Survey,” 80% of respondents say they worked from home either rarely or not at all prior to the pandemic. In-office work allowed employers and information technology (IT) teams to

Over the past few months, a shift to remote working has raised many security questions for businesses trying to protect their data. And, ensuring that legacy systems are secure is a key priority.  Keeping legacy systems up to date in a world of increasing cyber threats has been a concern the past few years, but it has become more prevalent as the pandem