The password reuse problem is a ticking time bomb
Despite Bill Gates predicting the demise of passwords back in 2004, they are still very much in use. Passwords, like email, seem future proof; but they are also the source of many cybersecurity problems. Key drivers of these issues are human behavior and the desire for convenience, which results in password reuse across multiple accounts….
Attackers continue to leverage greater levels of social engineering and sophistication
Despite a nearly four-month absence, the return of Emotet within the last two weeks of September accounted for nearly 12 percent of all malicious email samples in Q3, delivering millions of messages with malicious URLs or attachments, Proofpoint found. Emotet returns, organizations need to react “Emotet’s return to the threat landscape and the latest sextortion…
Believe the hype, but control the threat: Reducing the risk of ransomware
Ransomware is becoming an epidemic for any collection or repository of data. Each day the attacks seem to be getting larger and more lucrative for cybercriminals. According to Europol’s annual report, the Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA), file-encrypting malware attacks could become far more destructive as cybercriminals change their tactics. The IOCTA lists ransomware…
Only 47% of cybersecurity pros are prepared to deal with attacks on their IoT devices
Fewer than half (47%) of cybersecurity professionals have a plan in place to deal with attacks on their IoT devices and equipment, despite that fact that nine out of ten express concerns over future threats, according to the Neustar International Security Council (NISC) research. Do you have a plan for the security of your IoT…
Cybersecurity workforce skills gap rises to over 4 million
The estimated current cybersecurity workforce is 2.8 million professionals, while the amount of additional trained staff needed to close the skills gap is 4.07 million professionals, according to (ISC)2. The data indicates a necessary cybersecurity workforce increase of 145% globally. Cybersecurity workforce skills gap around the world In the UK, the current cybersecurity workforce estimate…
Security and risk compliance: Still the most important part of IT strategy
Security practice is the number one priority for IT teams, with a clear majority (59%) reporting deficiencies in the controls, that should ensure data processing and storage systems adhere to security policies; while over a quarter (27%) pointing to a lack of relevant skills as inhibiting quality assurance in the evolving Testing environment, according to…
Phishing attacks at highest level in three years
The number of phishing attacks continued to rise into the autumn of 2019, according to APWG. The total number of phishing sites detected in July through September 2019 was 266,387. This was up 46 percent from the 182,465 seen in the second quarter of 2019, and almost double the 138,328 seen in Q4 2018. “This…
A continuous problem: Tackling the cybersecurity skills shortage
We have read the over abundance of apocalyptic articles covering the growing talent shortage in cybersecurity. But buried under the hyperbolic numbers, there is a larger and more interesting story. But first, let’s level set. This talent shortage is a well recognized issue that grows year after year as qualified candidates become more scarce and…
IoT is an ecosystem, as secure as its weakest link
Remember when, three years ago, several Mirai botnets hit DNS provider Dyn and caused part of the Internet to be unreachable for most users in North America and Europe? For a moment there it really seemed that IoT security would become an indisputable necessity. Unfortunately, that did not happen, and security professionals and consumers are…
IaaS cloud vulnerabilities expected to increase 50% over 2018 figures
Although the total number of IaaS cloud vulnerabilities is still small and the technology relatively young, volumes are increasing year-over-year at a steady rate, an expected to hit 50-percent growth by the end of 2019, Skybox reveals. Key findings of the report include: Vulnerabilities affecting cloud IaaS solutions likely to increase 50% over 2018 figures…