Threats and vulnerabilities
Keeping up with the latest threats and vulnerabilities is a battle for any security pro. Get up-to-date information on email threats, nation-state attacks, phishing techniques, ransomware and malware, DDoS attacks, APTs, application vulnerabilities, zero-day exploits, malicious insiders and more.
Top Stories
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News
31 Jan 2023
Horizon3.ai releases POC exploit for VMware vulnerabilities
Penetration testing vendor Horizon3.ai published technical details and exploit code for three new CVEs in VMware vRealize Log Insight that can be chained for remote code execution. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Jan 2023
Ransomware trends, statistics and facts in 2023
Supply chain attacks, double extortion and RaaS were just a few of the ransomware trends that plagued 2022 and will continue to disrupt businesses in 2023. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Jan 2023
How to select a security analytics platform, plus vendor options
Security analytics platforms aren't traditional SIEM systems, but rather separate platforms or a SIEM add-on. Learn more about these powerful and important tools. Continue Reading
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Opinion
20 Jan 2023
6 cybersecurity buzzwords to know in 2023
Enterprise Strategy Group research indicates many organizations will increase cybersecurity spending in 2023, and with that comes an evolving set of vendor buzzwords to sort out. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2023
Chainalysis: Ransomware payments down, fewer victims paying
Ransomware payments dropped significantly this past year, falling more than 40% from 2021, according to new research from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2023
Bitzlato cryptocurrency exchange founder arrested, charged
Russian national Anatoly Legkodymov is accused of using Bitzlato to process more than $700 million in illicit cryptocurrency transactions, including ransomware payments. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Jan 2023
Top 10 ICS cybersecurity threats and challenges
Industrial control systems are subject to both unique and common cybersecurity threats and challenges. Learn about the top ones here and how to mitigate them. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2023
Microsoft fixes SSRF vulnerabilities found in Azure services
Orca Security, which discovered the Azure flaws, warned enterprises to be aware of SSRF attacks, which can result in a threat actor accessing or modifying sensitive data. Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2023
Windows zero day patched but exploitation activity unclear
Avast threat researchers detected exploitation of a Windows zero-day flaw in the wild, and organizations are being urged to patch the flaw immediately. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2023
Vulnerable software, low incident reporting raises risks
Beneath the buzz around tech innovations at CES were discussions about cybersecurity and how to prevent the next generation of tech from being just as vulnerable as the last. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Jan 2023
How to prevent and detect lateral movement attacks
Reduce the success of lateral movement attacks by performing these eight key cybersecurity activities at strategic, operational and proactive levels. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2023
10 of the biggest ransomware attacks of 2022
Like last year, ransomware attacks in 2022 caused prolonged disruptions and saw stolen data leaked to public sites. Here are 10 of the biggest attacks from last year. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2023
Rackspace: Ransomware actor accessed 27 customers' data
Rackspace said Personal Storage Tables of 27 customers were accessed in the attack last month, but added there was no evidence threat actors viewed, obtained or misused the data. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Jan 2023
Windows security tips for the enterprise
Securing a Windows environment is no easy feat. Read up on low-hanging fruit to quickly address, as well as top tips from two security practitioners to get started. Continue Reading
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News
04 Jan 2023
Rackspace: Ransomware attack caused by zero-day exploit
The exploit that led to the Rackspace ransomware attack, referred to as OWASSRF, combines two Exchange Server flaws -- CVE-2022-41080 and a ProxyNotShell flaw, CVE-2022-41082. Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2023
Many Exchange servers still vulnerable to ProxyNotShell flaw
A new exploit chain using one of the ProxyNotShell vulnerabilities has bypassed Microsoft's URL Rewrite mitigations from September and put Exchange servers at risk. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Dec 2022
Top 7 enterprise cybersecurity challenges in 2023
Security teams faced unprecedented challenges in 2022. The year ahead appears no less daunting. Here are the cybersecurity trends and safeguards to take into account in 2023. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Dec 2022
How to prevent and mitigate process injection
Process injection is a defense evasion technique that helps attackers hide from enterprise security systems. Learn how it works and how to mitigate it. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Dec 2022
Top 14 ransomware targets in 2023 and beyond
Two in three organizations suffered ransomware attacks in a single 12-month period, according to recent research. And, while some industries are taking particularly hard hits, no one is safe. Continue Reading
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News
21 Dec 2022
Play ransomware actors bypass ProxyNotShell mitigations
CrowdStrike is urging organizations to apply the latest Microsoft Exchange updates after investigations revealed attackers developed a bypass for ProxyNotShell mitigations. Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2022
Malicious Python package in PyPI poses as SentinelOne SDK
No attacks resulting from the malicious Python package have been recorded to date. However, according to PyPI, more than 1,000 users had downloaded it before it was taken down. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Dec 2022
What enumeration attacks are and how to prevent them
Web applications may be vulnerable to user enumeration attacks. Learn how these brute-forcing attacks work and how to prevent them. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Dec 2022
20 companies affected by major ransomware attacks in 2021
Between hefty ransom demands, major disruptions and leaked data, 2021 saw major ransomware activity across companies and industries. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Dec 2022
11 cybersecurity predictions for 2023
Analysts and experts have looked into their crystal balls and made their cybersecurity predictions for 2023. Is your organization prepared if these predictions come true? Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2022
Check Point classifies Azov as wiper, not ransomware
While Azov was initially considered ransomware, Check Point researchers warned the polymorphic malware is designed to inflict maximum damage to targeted systems. Continue Reading
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News
14 Dec 2022
Cybereason warns of rapid increase in Royal ransomware
Enterprises need to be aware of the group's partial encryption technique because the less data it encrypts, the less chance the activity will be detected by a security product. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Dec 2022
Top 15 email security best practices for 2023
Attackers exploit email every day to break into corporate networks, but the risk can be reduced by adhering to these 15 email security best practices. Continue Reading
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News
13 Dec 2022
Microsoft addresses two zero days in December Patch Tuesday
December's Patch Tuesday features fixes for 48 new bugs, including several critical vulnerabilities and two zero days, one of which is currently being exploited in the wild. Continue Reading
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News
13 Dec 2022
Citrix ADC and Gateway zero day under active exploitation
The NSA said that APT5, a suspected Chinese nation-state threat group, is actively exploiting the Citrix zero-day flaw, which affects the vendor's ADC and Gateway products. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Dec 2022
12 types of wireless network attacks and how to prevent them
From packet sniffing and rogue access points to spoofing attacks and encryption cracking, learn about common wireless network attacks and how to prevent them. Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2022
Fortinet confirms VPN vulnerability exploited in the wild
In an advisory Monday, Fortinet urged customers to take steps to immediately mitigate the critical flaw, which was disclosed earlier by French infosec firm Olympe Cyberdefense. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Dec 2022
Understanding malware analysis and its challenges
Discover what to expect in a malware analyst career, from the types of malware you'll encounter to important tools to use to difficulties that arise for those new to the field. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Dec 2022
Why is malware analysis important?
Malware continues to plague all organizations, causing data loss and reputational damage. Discover how malware analysis helps protect companies from such attacks. Continue Reading
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News
06 Dec 2022
MegaRAC flaws, IP leak impact multiple server brands
MegaRAC BMC software from American Megatrends, Inc. have a trio of serious security vulnerabilities that were discovered following an intellectual property leak. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
06 Dec 2022
How to use the Hydra password-cracking tool
Need help brute-forcing passwords? Get started by learning how to use the open source Hydra tool with these step-by-step instructions and companion video. Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2022
Education sector hit by Hive ransomware in November
The education sector remained a popular target last month, particularly from Hive, a ransomware-a-as-a-service group, that even warranted a government alert in late November. Continue Reading
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News
01 Dec 2022
Archive files become preferred format for malware delivery
The team at HP Wolf Security found that cybercriminals are using archive files as the preferred method for spreading malware, beating Microsoft Office for the first time. Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2022
Exchange Server bugs caused years of security turmoil
The four high-profile sets of security vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, disclosed by researcher Orange Tsai, are set to remain a major concern for organizations. Continue Reading
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Podcast
30 Nov 2022
Risk & Repeat: Twitter, Elon Musk and security concerns
This podcast episode discusses Twitter's security concerns following Elon Musk's acquisition last month, as well as a possible data breach from 2021 that came to light recently. Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2022
Tenable: 72% of organizations remain vulnerable to Log4Shell
New research shows the attack surface remains wide for the Log4j vulnerability, known as Log4Shell, which caused significant problems for organizations over the past year. Continue Reading
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News
28 Nov 2022
Infosec researcher reports possible 'massive' Twitter breach
The alleged Twitter breach involves a data set from late 2021 and includes the phone numbers and personal information of millions of users in the U.S. and Europe. Continue Reading
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News
23 Nov 2022
Cybereason warns of fast-moving Black Basta campaign
Threat actors with the Black Basta ransomware-as-a-service group are compromising networks in as little as one hour and stealing sensitive data before disabling DNS services. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Nov 2022
Top metaverse cybersecurity challenges: How to address them
As the metaverse takes shape, companies must consider a slew of new cybersecurity challenges and how to deal with them. Continue Reading
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News
17 Nov 2022
Magecart malware menaces Magento merchants
Sansec researchers say as many as 38% of commercial customers running the Adobe Commerce and Magento platforms could be infected with Magecart's TrojanOrders malware. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Nov 2022
Top 5 vulnerability scanning tools for security teams
Use these five vulnerability scanning tools to find weaknesses and potential exploits in web applications, IT and cloud infrastructure, IoT devices and more. Continue Reading
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Podcast
16 Nov 2022
Risk & Repeat: Researchers criticize HackerOne
This podcast episode discusses a recent TechTarget Security article about bug bounty platform HackerOne in which researchers aired several complaints about the company. Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2022
Rapid7 discloses more F5 BIG-IP vulnerabilities
While the severity of the issues is relatively low, F5 devices are commonly targeted by attackers to gain persistence inside a network. Continue Reading
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News
10 Nov 2022
Flashpoint launches new 'ransomware prediction model'
Flashpoint's new model assigns a 'ransomware likelihood' rating for vulnerabilities contained in the VulnDB database, which contains more than 300,000 flaws. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Nov 2022
Common lateral movement techniques and how to prevent them
Lateral movement techniques enable attackers to dig deeper into compromised environments. Discover what lateral movement attacks are and four attack techniques. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Nov 2022
Types of vulnerability scanning and when to use each
Vulnerability scanning gives companies a key weapon when looking for security weaknesses. Discovery, assessment and threat prioritization are just a few of its benefits. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Nov 2022
How to build a shadow IT policy to reduce risks, with template
With a shadow IT policy in place, organizations reduce security risks from unapproved applications and services that employees introduce independently. Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2022
Microsoft: Nation-state threats, zero-day attacks increasing
Microsoft's Digital Defense Report 2022 pointed the finger at China, which enacted a new vulnerability disclosure law last year, as the source of many zero-day attacks. Continue Reading
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News
04 Nov 2022
Yanluowang ransomware gang goes dark after leaks
The Yanluowang ransomware operation appears to have shut down for the time being after an anonymous individual published a series of internal code and chat leaks. Continue Reading
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News
03 Nov 2022
Ransomware on the rise, hitting schools and healthcare
October ransomware disclosures and public reports tracked by TechTarget Editorial increased from previous months, with notable attacks on education and healthcare organizations. Continue Reading
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News
01 Nov 2022
OpenSSL vulnerabilities get high-priority patches
The OpenSSL Project released version 3.0.7 Tuesday to address a pair of high-severity buffer overflow vulnerabilities in the widely used cryptography library. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
28 Oct 2022
It's time to rethink security certification for OT devices
Security certifications don't protect OT devices from vulnerable processes and insecure-by-design practices. It's time to update security certs for the connected OT age. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Oct 2022
Enterprise ransomware preparedness improving but still lacking
An Enterprise Strategy Group survey found enterprises are making strides in ransomware preparedness, but work remains to prevent and mitigate attacks. Continue Reading
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Opinion
27 Oct 2022
How Sheltered Harbor helps banks navigate cyber-recovery
Banks must be able to recover quickly from a cyber attack -- a difficult task, given the volume and sophistication of attacks. The not-for-profit Sheltered Harbor aims to help. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Oct 2022
Types of cloud malware and how to defend against them
Cloud malware isn't going away anytime soon, but organizations have a growing number of tools at their disposal to combat the threat. Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2022
Cisco, CISA warn 2 AnyConnect flaws are under attack
CISA added two Cisco AnyConnect flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which signals active exploitation and an urgency to patch. Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2022
Researchers criticize HackerOne over triage, mediation woes
HackerOne researchers told TechTarget Editorial that they regularly encountered months-long wait times for responses and a mediation process that rarely favors researchers. Continue Reading
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News
25 Oct 2022
Apple patches actively exploited zero-day iOS bug
The iOS zero-day was joined by a slew of other vulnerabilities in Apple's Oct. 24 security update. The iOS 16 update contained patches for 13 arbitrary code execution flaws. Continue Reading
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News
24 Oct 2022
CISA warns of ransomware attacks on healthcare providers
A new CISA advisory warned administrators at hospitals and healthcare providers about newly discovered ransomware variant, dubbed Daixin Team, that poses a particular threat. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Oct 2022
The top 5 ethical hacker tools to learn
Ethical hackers have a wealth of tools at their disposal that search for vulnerabilities in systems. Learn about five such tools that should be part of any hacker's tool set. Continue Reading
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News
21 Oct 2022
BlackByte ransomware using custom data exfiltration tool
Symantec researchers say BlackByte ransomware may be poised to move into the elite ransomware ranks, as the group has begun developing its own custom malware tools. Continue Reading
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News
19 Oct 2022
ProxyLogon researcher details new Exchange Server flaws
After testing Microsoft's mitigations for ProxyLogon, security researcher Orange Tsai discovered new Exchange Server bugs, including one flaw that took more than a year to fix. Continue Reading
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News
19 Oct 2022
Azure vulnerability opens door to remote takeover attacks
Orca Security researchers uncovered a flaw in Azure Service Fabric that was fixed in last week's Patch Tuesday. It allows elevation of privilege and remote takeover of nodes. Continue Reading
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News
18 Oct 2022
Python vulnerability highlights open source security woes
A 15-year-old unpatched vulnerability in a tarfile module for the Python programming language prompted researchers from cybersecurity vendor Trellix to take action. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Oct 2022
Compare vulnerability assessment vs. vulnerability management
Vulnerability assessments and vulnerability management are different but similar-sounding security terms. Discover their similarities and differences. Continue Reading
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News
13 Oct 2022
NPM API flaw exposes secret packages
A flaw in the API for NPM could potentially allow a threat actor to see the internal packages for corporate users -- a possible first step for a supply chain attack. Continue Reading
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News
13 Oct 2022
Despite LockBit rebound, ransomware attacks down in 2022
LockBit cybercriminals are back in action with new ransomware attacks and publicity pushes. But many other new groups saw lower levels in activity in Q3, according to Cyberint. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Oct 2022
Why Kali Linux is the go-to distribution for penetration testing
Discover why penetration testers prefer to use the Kali Linux distribution for offensive security, from collecting useful tools together to being usable from multiple devices. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Oct 2022
How to configure and customize Kali Linux
Learning how to use Kali Linux for ethical hacking and penetration testing? Read step by step how to configure and customize the distribution. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Oct 2022
7 steps for implementing zero trust, with real-life examples
More than a decade since the term's inception, zero-trust security is still much easier said than done. Here's how to get started. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Oct 2022
An overview of the CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model
A zero-trust framework blocks all attempts to access internal infrastructure without authentication. The CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model is a roadmap to get there. Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2022
NPM malware attack goes unnoticed for a year
A cybercriminal crew known as "LofyGang" poisoned software supply chains with bad NPM packages for more than a year, according to Checkmarx researchers. Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2022
BlackByte ransomware uses new EDR evasion technique
Attackers deploying the BlackByte ransomware strain are using vulnerable drivers to target a part of the operating system that many security products rely on for protection. Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2022
Critical Fortinet vulnerability under active exploitation
Fortinet said the critical vulnerability affects three of its services -- FortiOS, FortiProxy and FortiSwitch Manager -- and urged customers to take immediate action. Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2022
CISA lists top vulnerabilities exploited by Chinese hackers
The U.S. government published a list of the most commonly exploited vulnerabilities exploited by Chinese state-sponsored actors, including Log4Shell and the ProxyLogon bugs. Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2022
Microsoft Exchange Server targeted with zero-day vulnerabilities
Microsoft warned that two unpatched zero-day vulnerabilities are being exploited against Exchange Server, a problem that's causing déjà vu for some researchers. Continue Reading
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News
29 Sep 2022
Cobalt Strike malware campaign targets job seekers
Cisco Talos researchers spotted a new wave of phishing attacks that target job seekers in the U.S. and New Zealand, infecting them with Cobalt Strike beacons. Continue Reading
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News
29 Sep 2022
Unit 42 finds polyglot files delivering IcedID malware
Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 says attackers are using decoy Microsoft Compiled HTML Help files containing multiple file formats to infect systems with information-stealing malware. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
29 Sep 2022
Solve ICS security issues with ICS and IT team convergence
It's predicted that threat actors will weaponize industrial control systems to harm or kill humans by 2025. Prepare by learning how to balance ICS and security convergence. Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2022
NCC Group: IceFire ransomware gang ramping up attacks
While the ransomware group was first observed in March, IceFire emerged on NCC Group's radar last month when attacks against English-speaking organizations soared. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Sep 2022
Compare zero trust vs. the principle of least privilege
Zero trust and the principle of least privilege may appear to solve the same issue, but they have their differences. Read up on the two methodologies. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Sep 2022
Zero trust vs. defense in depth: What are the differences?
Security administrators don't have to choose between zero-trust and defense-in-depth cybersecurity methodologies. Learn how the two frameworks complement each other. Continue Reading
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News
26 Sep 2022
Critical Sophos Firewall bug under active exploitation
Sophos said the exploitation of the critical firewall vulnerability has, at this time, affected "an extremely small subset of organizations" predominantly located in South Asia. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Sep 2022
Does AI-powered malware exist in the wild? Not yet
AI sending out malware attacks may invoke images of movielike, futuristic technology, but it may not be too far from reality. Read up on the future of AI-powered malware. Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2022
Malicious NPM package discovered in supply chain attack
Threat actors are circulating a look-alike version of the Material Tailwind NPM package to infect developers for supply chain malware attacks, according to ReversingLabs. Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2022
15-year-old Python vulnerability poses supply chain threat
Trellix researchers issued a call for help to patch a vulnerable software module, which was found in more than 300,000 open source GitHub repositories. Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2022
Cobalt Strike gets emergency patch
The developer of Cobalt Strike issued an out-of-band security update to address a cross-site scripting vulnerability in the popular penetration testing suite. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Sep 2022
Discover the benefits and challenges of bug bounty programs
Bug bounty programs have a number of benefits and challenges. Before adopting such a program at your organization, read up on the pros and cons to decide if it would be a good fit. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Sep 2022
Use shadow IT discovery to find unauthorized devices and apps
Shadow IT may be convenient for users, but it isn't for IT -- especially where security is concerned. Shadow IT discovery finds unmanaged devices and apps. Continue Reading
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News
15 Sep 2022
Transparency, disclosure key to fighting ransomware
Current and former CISA members say the best methods for curbing ransomware attacks are organizations reporting attacks and assisting in investigations. Continue Reading
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News
14 Sep 2022
U.S. drops the hammer on Iranian ransomware outfit
The departments of Justice and the Treasury announced criminal charges and sanctions against a group of Iranian nationals accused of running an international ransomware operation. Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2022
Secureworks reveals Azure Active Directory flaws
Secureworks published details of what it claims are significant security flaws in Azure's authentication system, but Microsoft has dismissed them as non-issues. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Sep 2022
Cloud detection and response: CDR vs. EDR vs. NDR vs. XDR
Cloud detection and response is the latest detection and response abbreviation. Explore how it differs from endpoint, network and extended detection and response. Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2022
CrowdStrike threat report: Intrusions up, breakout time down
According to a new report by CrowdStrike's threat hunting team, Falcon OverWatch, attempted intrusions against the healthcare sector doubled year over year. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Sep 2022
How to prepare for post-quantum computing security
One of the biggest fears about quantum computing is its ability to break encryption algorithms more easily. Learn why and how to start making quantum security preparations now. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Sep 2022
The ultimate guide to cybersecurity planning for businesses
This in-depth cybersecurity planning guide provides information and advice to help organizations develop a successful strategy to protect their IT systems from attacks. Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2022
Cisco Talos traps new Lazarus Group RAT
The North Korean-backed Lazarus Group has deployed a new type of remote access Trojan that has already been turned against foreign government networks and private energy companies. Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2022
Google: Former Conti ransomware members attacking Ukraine
Google said former members of the Conti ransomware gang are operating as part of threat group UAC-0098, which is conducting attacks of both political and financial nature. Continue Reading