These Were the Most Common Passwords Used in 2016

Although weak and commonly used passwords have long been one of the most used venues to compromise accounts, they remain at the top of the most popular passwords charts, a recent Keeper Security report reveals. Last year’s mega-breaches once again brought to the spotlight the long-lasting issue of weak passwords, but users remained deaf to…

The Coolest Hacks Of 2016

In a year when ransomware became the new malware and cyber espionage became a powerful political propaganda tool for Russia, it’s easy to forget that not all hacking in 2016 was so ugly and destructive. Sure, cybercrime and cyber espionage this past year turned the corner into more manipulative and painful territory for victims. But…

Ransomware took in $1 billion in 2016–improved defenses may not be enough to stem the tide

Increased user awareness of phishing threats, better antivirus technology, more industry-wide information sharing and cross-border efforts by law enforcement authorities will combine to turn the tide against ransomware this year, according to some security experts, but others expect the attacks to continue to increase. According to a security expert who requested anonymity, ransomware cyber-criminals took…

The year ransomware became one of the top threats to enterprises

On Feb. 5, employees at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, started having network access problems that prevented electronic communications. Over the next few days, they learned that the hospital was the victim of a ransomware attack that encrypted files on multiple computers. After several days during which staff had to resort to pen…

IDG Contributor Network: Grid security insights for 2017: Pressure mounts to prevent physical attacks

As we close out 2016 and look forward to 2017, it seems appropriate to pause a moment and provide some grid security predictions for the new year. Predictions based on trends, insight, and understanding can arm security programs with the knowledge needed to test policies, exercise physical protection systems, and allocate corporate funds for resources….

The difference between IT security and ICS security

In this podcast recorded at IoT Solutions World Congress Barcelona 2016, Andrew Ginter, VP of Industrial Security at Waterfall Security, talks about the difference between IT security and ICS security. On IT networks, the focus of a security program is generally preventing the theft of information. The primary focus on control system networks is safety…