What's going on? A wave of cheap, crude, amateurish ransomware has been spotted on the dark web - and although it may not make as many headlines as LockBit , Rhysida , and BlackSuit , it still presents a serious threat to organizations. What's "junk gun" ransomware? It's a name coined by Sophos researchers for unsophisticated ransomware that is often sold cheaply as a one-time purchase. "Junk gun" ransomware is appealing to a criminal who wants to operate independently but lacks technical skills. Can you give some examples? Sure. The Kryptina ransomware was made available for sale in December ..read more

Tech leaders taking cybersecurity seriously is something of a double-edged sword. While it’s undoubtedly good that organizations are waking up to the genuine threat cyberattacks pose, it’s depressing that they must siphon off so many resources to protect themselves rather than using them for growth and innovation. A recent survey of UK technology leaders, run by UK IT Leaders and the Horizon CIO Network, revealed that over half of those surveyed said cybersecurity was their top priority for 2024. Again, this is both a good and bad thing. The cyber threat landscape is about as dangerous as ever ..read more

Alexandre Dumas's timeless novel "The Three Musketeers" immortalized the ideal of unyielding solidarity, the enduring motto "All for one and one for all." In the face of ever-evolving threats in the digital realm, the European Union echoes this spirit with its landmark Cyber Solidarity Act . This new legislation recognizes that collective defense is the cornerstone of cybersecurity – in a world where a cyberattack on one nation can have ripple effects across borders, a unified response is no longer an option but a necessity. The stakes are high. Cyberattacks on businesses, government ..read more

In 2023, companies lost about $4.45 million on average because of data breaches. As cyber threats advance, securing endpoints is more important than ever. An advanced Host-based Intrusion Detection System (HIDS) provides a sturdy remedy to improve endpoint security . By monitoring and examining system responses and device status, HIDS identifies and tackles nefarious behaviors that are often overlooked by conventional defenses. The Significance of Advanced HIDS in Endpoint Security An advanced HIDS plays a crucial part in strengthening endpoint security. It is capable of identifying and ..read more

Budgetary and resource constraints play a huge role in cyberattacks on smaller organizations. Amidst a strained global economy, many under-resourced organizations like non-profits, local governments, and hospitals struggle to keep their heads above water - they simply don't have the funds to invest in cybersecurity. To make matters worse, cybercriminals see these organizations as easy prey. Although they may not be able to shell out for extortionate ransom demands as big business can, at the end of the day, data is data and is always worth something on the dark web. In many cases, smaller ..read more

The experience of seeing a doctor has transformed dramatically, thanks in part to the emergence of telemedicine. This digital evolution promises convenience and accessibility but brings with it a host of cybersecurity risks that were unimaginable up until a few years ago. The unique cybersecurity challenges facing telemedicine today underscore the importance of adopting stringent security measures to protect the sanctity of this vital service. Advanced Cybersecurity Threats to Telemedicine The stakes are high as the healthcare sector grapples with the dual challenge of expanding digital ..read more

As businesses transition to hybrid and multi-cloud setups, vulnerabilities arising from misconfigurations and security gaps are escalating, attracting attention from bad actors. In response, the US National Security Agency (NSA) issued a set of ten recommended mitigation strategies, published earlier this year (with support from the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on six of the strategies). The recommendations cover cloud security, identity management, data protection, and network segmentation. Let ' s take a closer look: 1. Uphold the Cloud Shared Responsibility Model ..read more

Police have successfully infiltrated and disrupted the fraud platform "LabHost", used by more than 2,000 criminals to defraud victims worldwide. A major international operation, led by the UK's Metropolitan Police, has seized control of LabHost, which has been helping cybercriminals create phishing websites since 2021 to steal sensitive information like passwords, email addresses, and bank details. LabHost has helped criminals create over 40,000 fraudulent websites and steal data from over 70,000 victims in the UK alone. Scammers used the service to steal vast amounts of information, including ..read more

I’m always surprised – and a little disappointed – at how far we have to go before supply chain cybersecurity gets the respect and attention it deserves. I sat down this week with a new client who wanted some help addressing several internal issues surrounding their IT systems. When I asked them about their relationship with the supplier – essentially, how was their supply chain cybersecurity? - their response was not only worrying but, unfortunately, quite typical. "Well, we've used them since we first started the business a couple of years ago, so we've kind of grown up together,” they ..read more

Cybersecurity has always been a complex field. Its adversarial nature means the margins between failure and success are much finer than in other sectors. As technology evolves, those margins get even finer, with attackers and defenders scrambling to exploit them and gain a competitive edge. This is especially true for AI. In February, the World Economic Forum (WEF) published an article entitled " AI and cybersecurity: How to navigate the risks and opportunities ," highlighting AI's existing and potential impacts on cybersecurity. The bottom line? AI benefits both the good and bad guys, so it's ..read more