Application and platform security
Applications and platform security is the basis of preventing vulnerabilities and attacks. Learn the latest about applications attacks, secure software development, patch management, OS security, virtualization, open source security, API security, web app and server security and more.
Top Stories
-
News
19 May 2025
New GitHub Copilot agent edges into DevOps
The GitHub Copilot coding agent can take on toilsome tasks such as bug fixes and code reviews with its own GitHub Actions pull requests. Continue Reading
-
News
16 May 2025
News brief: Patch critical SAP, Samsung and chat app flaws now
Check out the latest security news from the Informa TechTarget team. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
16 May 2024
3 reasons Synopsys is selling its app security business
Synopsys is selling its application security business to a private equity firm. Analyst David Vance explains why, as well as what it means for the industry. Continue Reading
-
News
14 May 2024
Microsoft handles 2 Windows zero-days on May Patch Tuesday
In addition to the Windows vulnerabilities exploited in the wild, admins should focus on patching multiple flaws in web browsers from Google, Microsoft and Mozilla. Continue Reading
-
News
14 May 2024
Google discloses 2 zero-day vulnerabilities in less than a week
Google released fixed versions to address the two vulnerabilities in its Chrome web browser, but the updates will roll out in stages with no specific dates available. Continue Reading
-
Definition
10 May 2024
Patch Tuesday
Patch Tuesday is the unofficial name of Microsoft's monthly scheduled release of security fixes for the Windows operating system (OS) and other Microsoft software. Continue Reading
-
News
09 May 2024
'Secure by design' makes waves at RSA Conference 2024
Cybersecurity vendors and public sector organizations heavily promoted the secure by design approach, particularly for generative AI tools and projects. Continue Reading
-
Definition
08 May 2024
risk-based patch management (RBPM)
Risk-based patch management (RBPM) is an approach to implementing patches to fix software code that prioritizes patches that address security issues posing the highest risk to the organization. Continue Reading
-
Definition
06 May 2024
risk-based vulnerability management (RBVM)
Risk-based vulnerability management (RBVM) is an approach to identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities in an organization's IT environment that prioritizes remediating vulnerabilities that pose the greatest risk. Continue Reading
-
News
03 May 2024
Cloud campaign intensifies for Atlassian software products
Atlassian plans to continue updating Data Center products, but accelerating cloud updates and migrations touted at Team '24 prompt questions about their long-term future. Continue Reading
-
Tip
03 May 2024
How remote work is changing patch management
The work-from-home revolution is putting new demands on remote patch management. Here's how to tackle the challenges and make sure your remote workforce is protected. Continue Reading
-
News
01 May 2024
Verizon DBIR: Vulnerability exploitation in breaches up 180%
Verizon said it examined approximately twice as many breaches for the 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report -- 10,626 out of 30,458 total tracked incidents. Continue Reading
-
Tip
29 Apr 2024
Navigating cloud patch management: Benefits, best practices
Bad actors use malicious code to exploit vulnerabilities, targeting on-demand systems and applications. Having an efficient mechanism to deploy patches in the cloud is critical. Continue Reading
-
News
24 Apr 2024
GitHub vulnerability leaks sensitive security reports
The vulnerability is triggered when GitHub users correct code or other mistakes they discover on repositories. But GitHub does not believe it warrants a fix. Continue Reading
-
Tip
22 Apr 2024
AI, toll fraud and messaging top the list of UC security concerns
AI might get all the attention, but IT leaders are also concerned about some other key security vulnerabilities within their unified communications platforms. Continue Reading
-
Tip
19 Apr 2024
Automated patch management: 9 best practices for success
Automating the patching process is almost a necessity, especially in large organizations. Here's why, plus pros and cons, tips and best practices for keeping systems up to date. Continue Reading
-
News
18 Apr 2024
GitLab Duo plans harness growing interest in platform AI
GitLab's next release will tie its Duo AI tools to the full DevSecOps pipeline in a bid to capitalize on increased interest in AI automation among platform engineers. Continue Reading
-
News
18 Apr 2024
CrowdStrike extends cloud security to Mission Cloud customers
CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security and Falcon Complete Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) will be made available through the Mission Cloud One AWS MSP platform. Continue Reading
-
News
17 Apr 2024
DHS funding breathes fresh life into SBOMs
Protobom, now an OpenSSF sandbox project, is the first of multiple software supply chain security efforts funded under the Silicon Valley Innovation Program. Continue Reading
-
Tip
16 Apr 2024
How to conduct security patch validation and verification
Learn about the validation and verification phases of the security patch deployment cycle, two key steps to ensuring an organization's patch management procedure is proactive. Continue Reading
-
Tip
15 Apr 2024
Key software patch testing best practices
Every company has to update and patch its software, but without careful testing, serious problems can occur. Here's how to make sure you're following the right steps. Continue Reading
-
News
12 Apr 2024
CISA: Midnight Blizzard obtained federal agency emails
CISA ordered U.S. federal agencies to reset any credentials exposed by Midnight Blizzard's breach against Microsoft and notify CISA in the case of a known or suspected compromise. Continue Reading
-
News
10 Apr 2024
Supply chain attack abuses GitHub features to spread malware
Checkmarx warned developers to be cautious when choosing which repositories to use, as attackers are manipulating GitHub features to boost malicious code. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
10 Apr 2024
Identity, data security expectations for RSA Conference 2024
Security practitioners can expect to hear about key issues at this year's RSA Conference, including identity and data security, AI and DSPM. Continue Reading
-
News
09 Apr 2024
Microsoft corks Windows zero-day on April Patch Tuesday
The company delivered one of its largest security update releases in recent years with a proxy driver spoofing vulnerability topping the patching priority list. Continue Reading
-
News
09 Apr 2024
Unit 42: Malware-initiated scanning attacks on the rise
Palo Alto Networks' research team warned of threat actors compromising one victim and then using that victim's resources to discreetly scan for vulnerabilities on other systems. Continue Reading
-
Feature
09 Apr 2024
Why the Keitaro TDS keeps causing security headaches
Keitaro insists it is on the side of the law, but threat actors continue to flock to the software company's traffic distribution system to redirect users to malicious domains. Continue Reading
-
News
04 Apr 2024
Infosec professionals praise CSRB report on Microsoft breach
Security professionals and executives weigh in on how the Cyber Safety Review Board handled its investigation into Microsoft and what it could mean for the tech giant. Continue Reading
-
Tip
04 Apr 2024
10 enterprise patch management best practices
It might not be the most exciting responsibility, but the value of a well-executed patch management strategy can't be denied. Use these best practices to build a smooth process. Continue Reading
-
Feature
04 Apr 2024
The ultimate guide to mobile device security in the workplace
Mobile devices provide connectivity for employees to access business data and communicate with colleagues, but these unique benefits come with specific security challenges for IT. Continue Reading
-
News
03 Apr 2024
Cyber Safety Review Board slams Microsoft security failures
The Department of Homeland Security's Cyber Safety Review Board said a 'cascade' of errors at Microsoft allowed nation-state hackers to access U.S. government emails last year. Continue Reading
-
News
02 Apr 2024
GitHub Actions-hosted runners tie in Azure private networks
Private network support is also planned for AWS and Google Cloud Platform, but industry watchers see a power play for Microsoft Azure in GitHub Actions updates this week. Continue Reading
-
News
01 Apr 2024
XZ backdoor discovery reveals Linux supply chain attack
A maintainer for XZ, a popular open source compression library for Linux distributions, compromised the open source project over the course of two years. Continue Reading
-
News
29 Mar 2024
Typosquatting campaign, malicious packages slam PyPI
Threat actors used automated typosquatting attacks to lead victims to malicious python packages in yet another campaign targeting the open-source software supply chain. Continue Reading
-
Tip
27 Mar 2024
See what's coming in Windows Server 2025
Microsoft plans several changes to the upcoming version of Windows Server that promise more financial flexibility and boosts in security and workload performance. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
27 Mar 2024
Cybersecurity highlights from KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe
New AI features took the spotlight at the conference, but security teams must prepare to support AI use with the right policies, controls and access. Continue Reading
-
News
26 Mar 2024
Top.gg supply chain attack highlights subtle risks
Threat actors used fake Python infrastructure and cookie stealing to poison multiple GitHub code repositories, putting another spotlight on supply chain risks. Continue Reading
-
News
22 Mar 2024
'GoFetch' attack spells trouble for Apple M-series chips
Academic researchers discovered a hardware optimization feature called 'data memory-dependent prefetcher' could be abused to extract secret encryption keys from vulnerable systems. Continue Reading
-
Tutorial
22 Mar 2024
Fuzzy about fuzz testing? This fuzzing tutorial will help
Organizations are searching for ways to automate and improve their application security processes. Fuzz testing is one way to fill in some of the gaps. Continue Reading
-
Tip
21 Mar 2024
10 remote work cybersecurity risks and how to prevent them
Larger attack surfaces, limited oversight of data use and more vulnerable technologies are among the security risks faced in remote work environments. Continue Reading
-
News
18 Mar 2024
Cisco lays out security, observability plans for Splunk
Cisco disclosed broad integration plans for its $28 billion acquisition of Splunk, now officially closed, that will encompass AI, security, observability and networking. Continue Reading
-
News
18 Mar 2024
GitOps users warned to patch 3 new Argo CD CVEs
Three recently identified vulnerabilities, one designated high severity, now have fixes following a lengthy disclosure process and disagreements about their real-world risk. Continue Reading
-
News
15 Mar 2024
CISA software supply chain security form omits SBOMs
Federal suppliers now have a self-attestation deadline amid ongoing efforts to secure software supply chains. But SBOMs' spotlight is fading and big risks remain, experts said. Continue Reading
-
Feature
14 Mar 2024
JetBrains, Rapid7 clash over vulnerability disclosure policies
In a blog post this week, JetBrains argued that attacks on TeamCity customers were the result of Rapid7 publishing the full technical details of two critical vulnerabilities. Continue Reading
-
News
12 Mar 2024
March Patch Tuesday fixes critical Hyper-V vulnerabilities
Microsoft also corrects a remote code execution flaw on Exchange Server and issues an advisory related to changes with an outdated file-scanning feature on the messaging platform. Continue Reading
-
News
12 Mar 2024
LockBit attacks continue via ConnectWise ScreenConnect flaws
Coalition is latest company to confirm LockBit activity against vulnerable ScreenConnect instances. But the insurer found significant differences between previous LockBit attacks. Continue Reading
-
Tip
11 Mar 2024
5 PaaS security best practices to safeguard the app layer
Underlying APIs, language choice and cybersecurity features can vary widely across PaaS providers. These five security best practices can help in almost any PaaS scenario. Continue Reading
-
Tip
08 Mar 2024
How to create a local admin account with Microsoft Intune
Local admin accounts can cause problems for Windows administrators due to their lack of oversight and privileged account status. Learn how IT can manage these accounts with Intune. Continue Reading
-
Feature
08 Mar 2024
GenAI risks, rewards arise for DevOps and platform engineers
From chatbots that alleviate pressure on IT help desks to full-fledged LLMOps, DevOps and platform teams are at the forefront of enterprise generative AI adoption. Continue Reading
-
News
06 Mar 2024
Apple discloses 2 iOS zero-day vulnerabilities
CVE-2024-23225 and CVE-2024-23296, which bypass kernel memory protections, mark the second and third zero-day vulnerabilities that Apple has disclosed and patched this year. Continue Reading
-
News
28 Feb 2024
New Nvidia, GitHub AI coding assistants expand devs' options
GitHub Copilot Enterprise and StarCoder2 LLMs, both released this week, will add to an array of AI coding assistants. But caution, especially with security, is still warranted. Continue Reading
-
News
27 Feb 2024
Ransomware gangs exploiting ConnectWise ScreenConnect flaws
Ransomware activity is ramping up against vulnerable ScreenConnect systems as Black Basta and Bl00dy threat actors were observed exploiting the vulnerabilities. Continue Reading
-
News
23 Feb 2024
GitHub Copilot replicating vulnerabilities, insecure code
Research from Snyk shows that AI assistants such as GitHub Copilot, which offer code completion suggestions, often amplify existing bugs and security issues in a user's codebase. Continue Reading
-
News
22 Feb 2024
ConnectWise ScreenConnect flaws under attack, patch now
Huntress said in a blog post this week that the ConnectWise ScreenConnect flaws, which have come under attack, were 'trivial and embarrassingly easy' for a threat actor to exploit. Continue Reading
-
News
21 Feb 2024
Apple unveils PQ3 post-quantum encryption for iMessage
Apple said its new PQ3 protocol for iMessage is the first of its kind and addresses both future threats from quantum computing as well as "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks. Continue Reading
-
Definition
15 Feb 2024
firewall as a service (FWaaS)
Firewall as a service (FWaaS), also known as a cloud firewall, is a service that provides cloud-based network traffic analysis capabilities to customers as part of an overall cybersecurity program. Continue Reading
-
News
15 Feb 2024
Eclypsium: Ivanti firmware has 'plethora' of security issues
In its firmware analysis, Eclypsium found that the Ivanti Pulse Secure appliance used a version of Linux that was more than a decade old and several years past end of life. Continue Reading
-
News
14 Feb 2024
Microsoft, OpenAI warn nation-state hackers are abusing LLMs
Microsoft and OpenAI observed five nation-state threat groups leveraging generative AI and large language models for social engineering, vulnerability research and other tasks. Continue Reading
-
News
13 Feb 2024
February Patch Tuesday corrects two Windows zero-days
Administrators should focus on quickly deploying a critical vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook and exercising caution when applying an Exchange Server 2019 cumulative update. Continue Reading
-
Definition
12 Feb 2024
crisis management plan (CMP)
A crisis management plan (CMP) outlines how an organization should respond to a critical situation that if left unaddressed, could negatively affect its profitability, reputation or ability to operate. Continue Reading
-
News
07 Feb 2024
CISA: Volt Typhoon had access to some U.S. targets for 5 years
A joint cybersecurity advisory expanded on the Volt Typhoon threat Wednesday, confirming attackers maintained prolonged persistent access to critical infrastructure targets. Continue Reading
-
Tip
29 Jan 2024
Cybersecurity skills gap: Why it exists and how to address it
The cybersecurity skills shortage is putting enterprises at risk. Worse, it shows no sign of abating. Here is why it's happening and what employers can do to mitigate the problem. Continue Reading
-
News
19 Jan 2024
Chinese threat group exploited VMware vulnerability in 2021
After VMware confirmed that CVE-2023-34048 had been exploited, Mandiant attributed the activity to a China-nexus threat group and revealed that exploitation began in late 2021. Continue Reading
-
News
18 Jan 2024
Chainalysis observes decrease in cryptocurrency crime in 2023
During 2023, Chainalysis tracked a decrease in the total value and volume of illicit cryptocurrency transactions. But it is unclear if the downward trend will continue. Continue Reading
-
News
17 Jan 2024
New zero-days in Citrix NetScaler ADC, Gateway under attack
The new vulnerabilities come four months after a variety of threat actors exploited the 'Citrix Bleed' zero-day flaw in NetScaler ADC and Gateway products. Continue Reading
-
News
16 Jan 2024
Ivanti zero-day flaws under 'widespread' exploitation
Volexity confirmed that multiple threat actors have exploited two critical Ivanti zero-day vulnerabilities, with 1,700 devices compromised so far. Continue Reading
-
News
11 Jan 2024
Ivanti confirms 2 zero-day vulnerabilities are under attack
Volexity reported the vulnerabilities to Ivanti after discovering that suspected Chinese nation-state threat actors created an exploit chain to achieve remote code execution. Continue Reading
-
News
09 Jan 2024
Microsoft starts year with a subdued January Patch Tuesday
For the second month in a row, Microsoft had no zero-days and relatively few vulnerabilities for administrators to address. Continue Reading
-
Definition
09 Jan 2024
sandbox
A sandbox is an isolated testing environment that enables users to run programs or open files without affecting the application, system or platform on which they run. Continue Reading
-
News
27 Dec 2023
Another Barracuda ESG zero-day flaw exploited in the wild
On Christmas Eve, Barracuda disclosed that a China-nexus threat actor had resumed attacks against its Email Security Gateway appliance using a new zero-day vulnerability. Continue Reading
-
News
21 Dec 2023
Cisco Security Cloud adds Isovalent for multi-cloud networks
The commercial backer of open source networking and security projects Cilium and Tetragon comes under Cisco's control for cloud-native network security. Continue Reading
-
Tip
21 Dec 2023
Web fuzzing: Everything you need to know
Web fuzzing provides automated web application testing, which enables security teams to discover vulnerabilities within web apps before attackers do. Continue Reading
-
Definition
21 Dec 2023
Zoombombing
Zoombombing is a type of cyber-harassment in which an unwanted and uninvited user or group of such users interrupts online meetings on the Zoom video conference app. Continue Reading
-
News
18 Dec 2023
Akamai discloses zero-click exploit for Microsoft Outlook
During research into an older Microsoft Outlook privilege escalation vulnerability, Akamai discovered two new flaws that can be chained for a zero-click RCE exploit. Continue Reading
-
Definition
15 Dec 2023
business logic
In programming, business logic is the part of a software program responsible for implementing the business rules that define how data should be created, modified, transformed, communicated and in other ways managed and controlled. Continue Reading
-
News
12 Dec 2023
Microsoft delivers light December Patch Tuesday for admins
IT operations teams should prioritize deploying the Windows cumulative update to dispatch a critical MSHTML bug affecting Microsoft Outlook. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
12 Dec 2023
Application security consolidation remains nuanced
As web application and API protection converge into cloud-based WAAP, Enterprise Strategy Group research shows enterprise interest, but security concerns remain. Continue Reading
-
News
05 Dec 2023
Exposed Hugging Face API tokens jeopardized GenAI models
Lasso Security discovered more than 1,600 exposed Hugging Face API tokens provided access to generative AI and large-language models contained in hundreds of repositories. Continue Reading
-
News
04 Dec 2023
Fancy Bear hackers still exploiting Microsoft Exchange flaw
Microsoft and Polish Cyber Command warned enterprises that Russian nation-state hackers are exploiting CVE-2023-23397 to gain privileged access to Exchange email accounts. Continue Reading
-
News
30 Nov 2023
ScamClub spreads fake McAfee alerts to ESPN, AP, CBS sites
Malwarebytes said the malicious affiliate behind the fake virus alerts and other malvertising attacks has been flagged many times over the years, but McAfee has yet to take action. Continue Reading
-
News
29 Nov 2023
Okta: Support system breach affected all customers
Okta warned customers that they face an 'increased risk of phishing and social engineering attacks' after new details emerged from a breach that occurred earlier this year. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
20 Nov 2023
Security continues to lag behind cloud app dev cycles
Enterprise Strategy Group research revealed security gaps in cloud-native software development -- issues that should be addressed as soon as possible. Continue Reading
-
Tip
17 Nov 2023
SBOM formats compared: CycloneDX vs. SPDX vs. SWID Tags
Organizations can choose between three SBOM formats: CycloneDX, SPDX and SWID Tags. Learn more about them to determine which fits your organization best. Continue Reading
-
News
14 Nov 2023
Microsoft halts 3 zero-days on November Patch Tuesday
Microsoft addresses 67 vulnerabilities, including six critical, and shuts down four bugs in the Exchange Server email platform this month. Continue Reading
-
News
14 Nov 2023
Cryptocurrency wallets might be vulnerable to 'Randstorm' flaw
Cryptocurrency recovery company Unciphered discovered a vulnerability in a JavaScript Bitcoin library that could jeopardize private keys. Continue Reading
-
News
09 Nov 2023
Generative AI brings changes to cloud-native platforms
Generative AI took over tech in 2023, and cloud-native platforms are no exception. The need to support LLMs is already affecting CNCF projects, including Kubernetes. Continue Reading
-
News
09 Nov 2023
Lace Tempest exploits SysAid zero-day vulnerability
SysAid urged users to patch a zero-day vulnerability in its on-premises software, which is being exploited by the threat actor behind the MoveIt Transfer ransomware attacks. Continue Reading
-
News
08 Nov 2023
Atlassian Confluence vulnerability under widespread attack
Atlassian's Confluence Data Center and Server products are under attack again as reports of widespread exploitation roll in just days after CVE-2023-22518 was publicly disclosed. Continue Reading
-
News
08 Nov 2023
Intel exec affixes OpenSSF, CNCF open source security efforts
Intel's Arun Gupta, now governing board chair of both the CNCF and OpenSSF, discusses his plans to bring all three organizations together to improve open source security. Continue Reading
-
News
07 Nov 2023
Microsoft, ZDI disagree over Exchange zero-day flaws
Microsoft said it had previously fixed one of the flaws and that the others did not require a patch. Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative, however, disagreed with the software giant. Continue Reading
-
Definition
06 Nov 2023
multisig (multisignature)
Multisig, also called multisignature, is the requirement for a transaction to have two or more signatures before it can be executed. Continue Reading
-
News
02 Nov 2023
Microsoft launches Secure Future Initiative to bolster security
In the wake of several significant attacks, Microsoft announced new initiatives to address software development and vulnerability mitigation, among other security risks. Continue Reading
-
News
02 Nov 2023
Zscaler finds 117 Microsoft 365 bugs via SketchUp 3D file type
Microsoft published patches to address all 117 Microsoft 365 Apps flaws disclosed Tuesday, and the tech giant has disabled support for SketchUp, or SKP, 3D model files. Continue Reading
-
Definition
01 Nov 2023
authentication
Authentication is the process of determining whether someone or something is who or what they say they are. Continue Reading
-
News
31 Oct 2023
No patches yet for Apple iLeakage side-channel attack
Apple said it is working on more complete fixes for the iLeakage side-channel attack technique, but only one partial mitigation is currently available to macOS customers. Continue Reading
-
Definition
31 Oct 2023
virtualization-based security (VBS)
Virtualization-based security (VBS) is a technology that abstracts computer processes from the underlying operating system (OS) and, in some cases, hardware. Continue Reading
-
Definition
30 Oct 2023
supercookie
A supercookie is a type of tracking cookie inserted into an HTTP header to collect data about a user's internet browsing history and habits. Continue Reading
-
Tip
30 Oct 2023
What an email security policy is and how to build one
Companies must have an effective security policy in place to protect email from cybercriminals and employee misuse. Learn how to build one for your company. Continue Reading
-
News
24 Oct 2023
1Password stops attack linked to Okta breach
1Password said a threat actor used a HAR file stolen in the recent Okta breach to access the password manager's Okta tenant, but the activity was detected and blocked. Continue Reading
-
News
23 Oct 2023
Okta customer support system breached via stolen credentials
During the latest breach against the identity and access management vendor, attackers took advantage of the system intended to provide support for Okta customers. Continue Reading
-
Tip
20 Oct 2023
How to work with the new Windows LAPS feature
Microsoft updated this automated method to manage and back up passwords for local administrator accounts on Windows desktop and server systems. See what's new with Windows LAPS. Continue Reading
-
News
19 Oct 2023
North Korean hackers exploit critical TeamCity vulnerability
While a patch is available, Microsoft and JetBrains confirmed TeamCity users have been compromised in attacks that leverage CVE-2023-42793 as an initial attack vector. Continue Reading