Best Practices for Implementing the Principle of Least Privilege
Article Link: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2024/09/09/umaimah-khan-opal-security-principle-of-least-privilege-polp/
- When implementing least privilege, start by setting principle of least privilege (PoLP) goals and key performance indicators (KPIs). Focus on limiting access to important assets with just-in-time permissions.
- Work with essential people in security, IT, and compliance. Build a tech solution and a least privilege culture. Use a step-by-step plan to cut unnecessary access.
- Keep track of progress and update stakeholders often. Remind them that PoLP is ongoing, not just once. Regular updates help reduce problems and keep things running smoothly.
- In multi-cloud sets, manage permissions complexity by not giving too much access. AI can help by spotting unusual access and fixing issues in advanced systems.
Internal Disconnects vs. Cybersecurity: How Connectivity Shapes Challenges
Article Link: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2024/09/12/organizations-technology-connectivity-advantages/
- A global study conducted by TeamViewer and FT Longitude involving 500 business leaders from Australia, Canada, Japan, Germany, the UK, and the US between March and April 2024, revealed that 99% of business leaders worry about internal data trustworthiness, citing issues like multiple truth versions (38%), conflicting data management practice (32%), and poor hardware reliability (31%).
- Data mistrust is more pronounced in smaller companies, where 40% of leaders report a lack of data literacy, compared to 21% in larger firms with over $10 billion in revenue.
- Only 5% of leaders feel their organizations have seamless technology connectivity, indicating a significant gap that could enhance data trust and improve various business functions.
- Better connectivity could yield substantial benefits: 80% believe it improves customer interactions, 81% see increased innovation, 82% note better decision-making, and 86% consider it vital for talent retention.
- Link to TeamViewer’s Report: https://www.teamviewer.com/en-ca/global/company/press/2024/teamviewer-research-highlights-the-need-for-seamless-technology-connectivity/
Evasion Tactics Used by Cybercriminals to Fly Under the Radar
Article Link: https://www.securityweek.com/evasion-tactics-used-by-cybercriminals-to-fly-under-the-radar/
- Malware changes its code to hide from regular antivirus programs. To fight this, it is encouraged that organizations watch user behavior closely and use advanced tools to spot bad activities that slip past routine checks.
- Hackers use fake device IDs to trick security systems. Using multi-factor authentication and looking for unusual activity can help stop this.
- Some malware techniques delay their actions to fool security tools. Constant monitoring and smart detection can help stop these tricks.
- Phishing scams, like fake domains and CAPTCHA tricks, rely on user trust to avoid being caught. Using strong phishing defenses and training workers to spot threats can lower phishing risks.
Understand How Threat Intelligence Benefits for a Business
Article Link: https://cybersecuritynews.com/understand-how-threat-intelligence-benefits-for-a-business/
- Threat intelligence gives quick information on new cyber threats, helping SOC teams avoid attacks early. Without it, teams react slower, which adds to the impact to organizations during incidents.
- Using threat intelligence, businesses can lower breach risks, cut losses from scams, and avoid fines. Early detection greatly reduces attack impacts.
- Threat intelligence tools make security work better by focusing on high-risk alerts, cutting false alarms, and boosting threat hunting. This means quicker and more accurate threat detection.
- Advanced tools can give instant information on threats, allowing faster actions. Features like YARA malware detection and command-and-control (C2) tracking can clear visibility, helping businesses improve defenses and stay ahead of attackers.
Cybersecurity Workforce Gap Rises by 19% Amid Budget Pressures
Article Link: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cybersecurity-workforce-gap-budget/
- Based on insights from 15,852 cybersecurity experts, a report from ISC2 projects the urgent need for more investment in workforce development and reflecting the rising threat landscapes and defending important assets.
- The gap in the cybersecurity workforce has grown by 19% with a need for 4.8 million more security professionals worldwide. Budget issues, not a lack of talent, are the main problem.
- Economic challenges have caused 37% of organizations to cut budgets. About 25% have had layoffs, and 38% have stopped hiring. This weakens cybersecurity defenses and raises risks.
- There are big skill gaps in AI (34%), cloud security (30%), and zero trust (27%). Yet only 12% of hiring managers focus on AI skills, leaving important areas unprepared.
- Link to ISC2’s Report: https://www.isc2.org/Insights/2024/09/Employers-Must-Act-Cybersecurity-Workforce-Growth-Stalls-as-Skills-Gaps-Widen
Immediate Threats or Long-Term Security? Deciding Where to Focus is the Modern CISO’s Dilemma
- Modern CISOs must tackle immediate threats like ransomware and phishing while planning within tight budgets. Likewise, many must prioritize based on risk, align short-term actions with long-term goals, and invest in skilled staff.
- Economic pressures, such as reduced financial resources and hiring freezes and complicated threat management, require strategic planning and flexible funding.
- Real-world examples illustrate how companies can balance short-term defenses with long-term projects, like zero-trust architecture, by seeking cost-effective solutions and temporarily boosting resources.
Operational Technology Leaves Itself Open to Cyber-Attack
Article Link: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ot-open-cyberattack/
- The rise of multiple remote access tools (RATs) in operational technology (OT) environments is increasing security risks, with over half of organizations using four or more RATs and a third using six or more, according to Team82, who surveyed data from over 50,000 remote access enabled devices.
- Many RATs lack critical security features like multi-factor authentications, exposing OT systems to cyber-attacks. Historical breaches of tools such as TeamViewer and AnyDesk further highlight the exploitation risk.
- To mitigate these issues, Team82 recommends centralizing RAT management, enforcing strict access control policies, and minimizing the use of low-security RATs in OT environments.
Data Backup and Recovery Tools Are Failing Businesses Far More Than Expected
Article Link: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/data-backup-and-recovery-tools-are-failing-businesses-far-more-than-expected
- Backup failures account for 32% of data loss incidents, revealing significant weaknesses in current recovery strategies, as many companies struggle to fully recover from data disruptions and ransomware attacks, even after paying ransoms.
- Nearly half of organizations that paid ransoms fail to recover all their data, highlighting a critical gap in backup and recover effectiveness and the need for more reliable data protection solutions.
- Companies should apply continuous data protection (CDP) to address these challenges and integrate backup with disaster and cyber recovery strategies for a comprehensive approach to protecting and recovering data.
Technology Causes “Digital Entropy” as Firms Struggle with Governance
Article Link: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/tech-causes-digital-entropy/
- Increasingly complex and overlapping regulatory demands are stretching organizational governance structures, complicating risk management, and implementing new technologies like AI, as highlighted in the Organizational Digital Governance Report 2024 for the IAPP.
- This “digital entropy” creates a challenging environment where executives grapple with an intricate maze of regulations, leading to gaps in governance and increased compliance risks.
- To address these issues, organizations must adopt a cohesive strategy integrating cybersecurity, AI governance, and privacy regulations, equipping leadership with more straightforward responsibilities and coordinated efforts to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape effectively.
- Link to IAPP’s Report: https://iapp.org/resources/article/organizational-digital-governance-report/
