U.S. Senator Says Nation Is 'On Point' with Cybersecurity

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The Army is up to the task of fighting cyberattacks, Georgia’s senior U.S. senator says. During a tour of Fort Gordon on Friday, Sen. Johnny Isakson said he was confident that the Army Cyber Command and related missions remain “on point” in intercepting international hacking operations that have compromised federal databases.

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Technica Corporation

Technica has been providing technology integration, professional services, products, and innovative technology solutions to defense, intelligence, law enforcement, and civilian agencies since 1991. We specialize in network operations and infrastructure; cyber defense and security; government application integration; software development and support; systems engineering and training; and product deployment planning, and support.

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Software Security

Transformative Cybersecurity Detection Reshapes the Battle Against Constantly Evolving Cyber Threats

Article | August 9, 2023

Embrace cybersecurity as transformative detection techniques to revolutionize the fight against ever-changing cyber threats. In an interconnected world, cybersecurity poses a growing threat to businesses, capable of wreaking havoc on their operations, reputations, and financial standings. Cyber threats have reached alarming levels, affecting every industry. Successful attacks can lead to data theft, financial losses, reputational damage, and business disruption. These sophisticated attacks exploit vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure. Yet, the challenge of cybersecurity extends beyond the mere presence of threats. It lies in the relentless evolution and adaptability of these malevolent forces. Traditional security measures, once considered sufficient, are now rendered ineffective against their cunning tactics. The landscape of cybercrime is a perpetually shifting entity, leaving organizations in a constant state of vulnerability. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations witnessed a significant surge in cyber threats or alerts, with 61% reporting a substantial increase of 25% or more. With users accessing cloud applications and corporate networks remotely, hackers actively sought to exploit potential security gaps. Protecting Businesses: The Importance of Cybersecurity Detection Early threat detection is a fundamental aspect of effective cybersecurity. By closely monitoring network traffic, system logs, and user behavior, businesses can swiftly detect suspicious activities that may signal an ongoing or imminent cyber-attack. Such proactive detection enables organizations to respond promptly, mitigating potential financial losses from data breaches, system downtime, regulatory fines, legal battles, and reputational damage. For businesses entrusted with sensitive customer data, cybersecurity detection plays a vital role in maintaining trust and complying with data protection regulations. By monitoring data access, identifying unauthorized activities, and promptly detecting breaches or data exfiltration attempts, organizations can safeguard customer information and avoid legal complications. Moreover, cybersecurity detection protects a company's intellectual property, ensuring the integrity of trade secrets, proprietary algorithms, and other confidential information. By effectively identifying and preventing unauthorized access or theft attempts, businesses can maintain their competitive advantage. Compliance with industry regulations is an essential consideration for businesses. Cybersecurity detection helps companies demonstrate proactive measures in detecting security incidents and potential data breaches, ensuring adherence to data security and privacy requirements and avoiding penalties, legal liabilities, and reputational damage associated with non-compliance. Furthermore, effective cybersecurity detection enhances reputational trust. Businesses that invest in robust detection measures are committed to safeguarding sensitive information, thus fostering trust among customers, partners, and stakeholders. Guard Against Cyber Threats with onShore Security’s Panoptic Cyberdefense Panoptic Cyberdefense by onShore Security is a Managed Cybersecurity Detection solution that recognizes security as an ongoing process, not just a mere product. For effective cybersecurity operations, round-the-clock monitoring is required using Security Operations Center (SOC) offered by onShore’s cyberdefence solution. To maximize visibility, businesses need to immediately respond to security threats while also requiring to identify non-threatening data. Leveraging Panoptic Cyberdefense helps streamline identifying, monitoring, and detecting cyber threats. During a conversation with Media 7, Stel Valavanis, CEO, onShore Security highlighted the impact of cyber threats and talked about cybersecurity detection solutions. We have developed our detection platform, the Panoptic Sensor and the Panoptic SIEM over many battle-hardened years. And the process is well-oiled, as you can imagine, involving tiers and workflow communication for alerting, analysis, tuning, and threat-hunting. As cyber threats evolve in complexity and frequency, businesses must remain vigilant in safeguarding their digital assets. onShore Security's Panoptic Cyberdefense offers a comprehensive suite of solutions, including Panoptic Sensor and the Panoptic SIEM, to help organizations mitigate risk, protect sensitive data, elevate their security team, and meet compliance requirements. Through Panoptic Sensor, organizations gain proactive threat intelligence, enabling the early detection and prevention of potential security breaches. Complementing this, the Panoptic SIEM provides powerful analytics and monitoring capabilities, empowering businesses to swiftly identify, investigate, and respond to security incidents. To navigate complex data protection and privacy regulations, minimizing the risk of non-compliance penalties and legal ramifications is needed. Panoptic Cyberdefense offers three levels of cybersecurity detection. The levels of detection, response and analysis include managed detection and response (MDR), second level has both network detection response (NDR) + MDR, and the third level is security orchestration. Harness the Power of Detection By integrating detection capabilities into every layer of protection systems, including user involvement, businesses can establish a formidable defense against cyber threats. Consolidating data from various sources into a centralized platform for analysis becomes essential. Implementing a managed detection and response process enables continuous analysis of this data, empowering early detection of potential attackers and facilitating ongoing security enhancements. Collaborating with government and industry partners can further demonstrate a commitment to high-security standards and compliance requirements. Remaining prepared for potential attacks is crucial. In the event of an incident, prompt response becomes paramount. Equipped with comprehensive data providing attestation of methods and impact, organizations can swiftly and effectively address any cybersecurity breaches.

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Network Threat Detection, Platform Security, Software Security

Identity-Based Authentication Sets New Industry Standards for Secure and Streamlined User Onboarding

Article | June 28, 2023

Embrace the transformative power of identity-based authentication to establish new industry standards for safe and seamless user onboarding processes, enhancing security, workflows & user experience. The increasing adoption of decentralized identity systems, including blockchain-based solutions, introduces intricate challenges in the verification and authorization of identities across distributed networks. During interoperability, the threat to privacy and security within these systems is emerging at an alarming rate that requires urgent attention. Additionally, combating synthetic identity fraud poses a significant hurdle as fraudsters adeptly combine genuine and false information, making it arduous to differentiate between authentic and fraudulent identities. Deepfakes are the rising concern, which generate remarkably realistic audio, video, or images, mimicking genuine individuals and heightening the difficulty of detecting and preventing impersonation attacks. Password fatigue stems from the constant need to create and remember multiple passwords, leading users to choose weak or reused ones. Reusing passwords increases the risk, as compromising one account grants access to others. Password theft is a concern, with attackers employing phishing attacks and malware. A study by Google found that passwordless authentication can reduce password-related help desk tickets by up to 60%. (Source: PYMNTS) Complex password requirements can be challenging, pushing users towards weaker options. Password resets are time-consuming and frustrating. Solutions should alleviate fatigue, promote secure practices, and offer robust protection against theft and unauthorized access. All service providers or product companies confront a common challenge in this novel era of vulnerabilities, the question of creating an optimal and seamless user onboarding cycle while adhering to the necessary standards. This keeps them up at night as they attempt to find the optimal balance between seamless and secured-data onboarding. In this digital age, identity-secure data is the most valuable asset and a transformative resource. Organizations with data stored in cloud storage and password-based authentication systems are vulnerable to cybercrime. These are susceptible to numerous security threats, including phishing, social engineering, and brute-force attacks. These hazards may result in security breaches and sensitive data loss. Additionally, password management becomes burdensome for users, resulting in password fatigue, weak practices, and IT department involvement for password resets. This impacts user experience and productivity. Identity-Based Authentication (IBA) comes into action while implementing this secure identity verification. To ensure widespread adoption of IBA, the industry must standardize two crucial aspects of identity: ‘Identification Verification’ and ‘Passwordless Authentication’. Automating identity verification fundamentally transforms the onboarding work processes by shifting administrative burden to user endpoints and automating data capture, credential validation, and document workflow. This leads to increased user satisfaction and faster access to required services, driving efficiency and reducing the time to generate revenue for customers. BlockID Verify by 1Kosmos prevents such fraudulent accounts through an identity proofing process that verifies identity anywhere, anytime, and on any device with over 99% accuracy, thereby preventing the use of stolen or synthetic identities during customer onboarding. During a conversation with Media 7, Michael Cichon, CMO, 1Kosmos stressed on the implementation of identity proofing and authorization. At 1Kosmos we bring our solutions to the market through three distinct products. One product focuses on workforce authentication, another caters to business-to-consumer use cases, and the third product revolves around self-service identity proofing. These give organizations the ability to remotely verify an identity on the web with a high level of assurance, and then verify that identity at every access attempt. Onboarding users with security and data protection is a critical activity. It is a one-time action that must be combined with an authentication mechanism for long-term identity to be genuinely effective. Organizations with data stored in cloud storage and password-based authentication systems are vulnerable to cybercrime. While these are susceptible to numerous security threats, including phishing, social engineering, and brute-force attacks, these hazards can result in security breaches and sensitive data loss. A recent report by Verizon demonstrated that 61% of all data breaches are caused by compromised credentials. (Source: 1Kosmos) The catch that robust identity verification alone does not guarantee future authentication, calls for FIDO (Fast Identity Online). It is backed by an industry-leading organization 1Kosmos, which provides solutions for Identity Based Authentication. FIDO uses cryptography in the form of a public and private key to authenticate a user. With FIDO2 authentication, employees can authenticate into corporate systems and applications using their personal devices. This eliminates the need for conventional passwords and reduces the likelihood of security vulnerabilities resulting due to password-related attacks. With FIDO2, the user's keys are stored on their devices and not the service provider's server and thus proves to be less vulnerable to identity theft and phishing attempts. This is where the password to cryptographic passkeys adoption comes into picture. BlockID Workforce by 1Kosmos implements password-less authentication using FIDO, and has thus become a necessity, adopting self-service identity verification serving as a credential service provider. The ‘Identity Proofing’ together with ‘Passwordless Authentication’ results in a seamless user experience addressing credential theft, eliminating unauthorized users logging in corporate IT network and thus preventing data breaches, financial fraud, and ransomware.

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Software Security

Software Supply Chain Attacks: How Can Code Signing Help?

Article | September 6, 2023

Software supply chain attacks, such as the recent one involving MOVEit Transfer, are a serious issue for modern enterprises. Their dependency on third-party software makes it difficult to successfully vet the security integrity of every product used by enterprises. Software is especially difficult to assess securely, as it can be modified through updates throughout its lifecycle. For threat actors, targeting popular enterprise software tools is a lucrative and time-efficient way to gain access to the systems of a large number of corporate users. Verifying the integrity of software, and using attestation services, is one way to minimize the threat surface. So how can these concepts be leveraged in software? Software integrity (also known as code integrity) refers to the quality of the source code and allows the determination of the safety, security, and reliability of the software. It can mean that the code is unaltered by unauthorized parties, or it can also provide protection against hacks and guarantee privacy. Integrity checking can be relatively complex, but includes, at a minimum (from a security perspective), security features and ensures that security vulnerabilities have been eliminated. It does what it should, can be tested, and is easy to understand and edit, without introducing new errors or flaws. There are code analysis tools that can enable this. Beyond that, the code can be signed through the application of a digital signature to seal that integrity check. This can happen several times during the lifetime of that software: at production, for upgrades and patching, etc. This provides assurance that the software came from the developer and that it has not been changed in an unauthorized manner. This proof of authenticity becomes important in supply chain scenarios, and can be an important tool for brand protection of the developers. Code signing makes use of digital certificates; the signature is cryptographically hashed and packaged in a certificate. This certificate can then be verified by the user of the software through a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), with a certificate authority validating (or refuting) the applied signature. There are various types of code signing certificates: standard and extended. The latter involves a more complex process and stricter requirements for validation and key management. Software attestation is essentially the other side of that process. It’s a trust mechanism that allows the user to independently validate the integrity asserted by a provider. Attestation might require not just the vendors name, version of the software, and origins of the code, but also other software artifacts, such as statements to the effect that they have followed secure development practices, information on external dependencies used to build it, the build process itself, the test suites that were run, and any security checks passed. Together, these artifacts form the metadata of the software, which then can be independently signed. A PKI can then be leveraged to verify the applied digital signature. There are software attestation standards that can be leveraged, including open ones (in-tot and Binary Authorization being two popular ones). The U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is working on a self-attestation form (Secure Software Development Attestation Common Form) for software producers serving the federal government. The form will require them to confirm implementation of specific security practices. This was following the White House’s 2021 Executive Order 14028 and the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) M-22-18, “Enhancing the Security of the Software Supply Chain through Secure Software Development Practices.” Digital signatures for code integrity and software attestation will increasingly be in demand, especially as governments on both sides of the Atlantic (in the European Union and the United States) are pushing for policy and regulation on mandatory Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs). The goal is to make software developers and device manufacturers accountable for the components that make up their products. An SBOM will have to list known vulnerabilities associated with each component (open source and third party), pushing security rights to the forefront of product development. This visibility will allow for product development teams, DevOps, and implementers to address vulnerabilities and thereby strengthen security. SBOMs will likely form part of the software’s metadata, so signing will have a role to play here. In short, code signing and software attestation can both confer a level of security that can minimize the threat of a supply chain attack. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that they won’t address all issues, and will not be 100% fool-proof either. Of course, threat actors know this, and many are already targeting the code signing process in order to inject malicious code. This requires threat actors to compromise development platforms where code signing takes place. Ultimately, the use of digital signatures, from creation to management, is another aspect that will need to be secured from a developer perspective. DevSecOps will also have an important role to play here in order to avoid such malicious tactics, thereby providing a holistic security context for using digital signatures. But there is no doubt that digital signatures are a key technology for code integrity and software attestation, and will have a positive impact on thwarting the progress of supply chain attacks, if used widely. Sources: CISA WH EO 14028 OMB

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Network Threat Detection, Platform Security, Software Security

Digital Defense 2023: Top Network Security Trends for Businesses

Article | June 28, 2023

Discover emerging network security trends to stay informed about evolving landscape and safeguard business operations, protect sensitive data, and fortify defenses against evolving cyber threats. Contents Introduction The Latest Network Security Trends Every Business Should Know in 2023 Zero Trust Architecture Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Internet of Things (IoT) Security Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in Network Security Privacy-Enhancing Technologies Third-party Security and Interoperability Incident Response and Cyber Insurance Network Security: Beyond the Horizon Introduction The landscape of network security is evolving rapidly, driven by advancements in technology and the cyberattack tactics of cybercriminals. There has been a significant rise in network security threats, such as ransomware attacks, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), phishing, and others, over the past few years. According to a report by Barracuda, 81% of the companies surveyed stated that they had suffered at least one security breach in 2021. As a result, it is increasingly becoming crucial for businesses to stay vigilant and well-informed about the recent trends in network security to protect their critical assets, maintain the trust of their customers, and mitigate the potentially devastating consequences of current cybersecurity threats. The Latest Network Security Trends Every Business Should Know in 2023 As technology evolves, so do the threats that businesses face in the digital landscape. Network security has become a critical concern for organizations as they navigate the complex world of data protection, privacy, and cyber threats. Several upcoming network security trends are shaping the landscape, demanding the attention of businesses worldwide. Understanding and adapting to these trends is crucial to maintaining a secure and resilient network infrastructure. Key emerging network security future trends in the information security industry are as follows: Zero Trust Architecture Traditional perimeter-based security approaches are no longer sufficient to protect today's dynamic and distributed networks. The zero trust architecture is gaining massive traction as an emerging cyber security technology in the network security sector. It operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify," requiring continuous authentication and authorization for every user, device, and application seeking access to network resources. Implementing these conditions enables businesses to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access, lateral movement, and data breaches. Consequently, organizations are focusing on embracing this approach to strengthen their security posture and safeguard critical assets, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their network infrastructure. Secure Access Service Edge The rapid adoption of cloud services and the proliferation of remote work have accelerated the need for a unified and cloud-native network security solution. Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) combines network security functions, such as secure web gateways, firewall-as-a-service, and data loss prevention, into a single cloud-delivered service. SASE offers businesses a scalable and flexible approach to secure their networks, providing consistent security policies and access controls regardless of the user's location or device. As SASE simplifies network security management, reduces complexity, and improves visibility, organizations are increasingly adopting these solutions to enhance overall security posture. Internet of Things (IoT) Security The proliferation of IoT devices presents significant security challenges for businesses today. These devices often have limited computing resources and lack built-in security features, making them vulnerable to exploitation. Additionally, continuous monitoring, threat intelligence, and timely patching of IoT devices are essential to identify and address vulnerabilities promptly. As a result, businesses are paying close attention to IoT security by implementing robust security controls, device authentication mechanisms, and network segmentation. Prioritizing IoT security, they can safeguard their networks and sensitive data, as well as maintain trust with customers. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Network Security As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, leveraging AI and Machine Learning (ML) in network security becomes essential for businesses to stay ahead of evolving threats. These technologies analyze vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and detect anomalies in real time, enabling companies to proactive threat detection and response. The threat detection and remediation capabilities of AI and ML-powered solutions provide organizations with rapid real-time protection. These solutions enable them to analyze complex datasets without human intervention by automating routine security tasks, enhancing network visibility, and empowering faster incident response times. Privacy-Enhancing Technologies With the increasing emphasis on data privacy regulations and consumer expectations, privacy-enhancing technologies are extensively gaining importance in network security. These technologies, including differential privacy, homomorphic encryption, and secure multiparty computation, allow businesses to protect sensitive data while performing essential operations. The adoption of privacy-enhancing technologies also assists organizations in maintaining compliance with privacy regulations, building customer trust, and mitigating the risks of data breaches and privacy violations. Consequently, they are increasingly implementing these advanced technologies to demonstrate their commitment toward data privacy and strike a balance between data utility and protecting individual privacy rights. Third-party Security and Interoperability Organizations often rely on third-party vendors, suppliers, and partners for critical services and solutions, in today's interconnected business landscape. However, this reliance introduces potential vulnerabilities and risks to the network infrastructure. A study by Forrester anticipates that nearly 60% of security incidents will involve third parties. Ensuring third-party entities adhere to robust security standards and practices is crucial to maintaining a secure ecosystem. Thus, businesses are implementing robust interoperability protocols, secure APIs, and standardized security controls to enable secure communication and data sharing between different network components. Incident Response and Cyber Insurance Despite comprehensive security measures, organizations can still fall victim to cyberattacks. Incident response plans ensure a swift and effective response to security incidents, enabling the detection, containment, and recovery from breaches. Businesses can minimize damage, protect sensitive data, and maintain operational continuity by promptly addressing security incidents. Furthermore, considering the increasing financial impact of cyberattacks, organizations are obtaining cyber insurance to mitigate the potential financial losses associated with data breaches, business disruptions, and legal liabilities. This allows organizations to transfer some of the financial burden of a cyberattack. Network Security: Beyond the Horizon With the proliferation of cyber threats and the increasing value of data, organizations must prioritize the protection of their networks and sensitive information. A robust network security framework ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical business data, guarding against unauthorized access, data breaches, and potential financial and reputational damage. Businesses must prioritize improving their network security to protect their operations, reputation, and sensitive data effectively. Keeping pace with these global security trends enables organizations to identify vulnerabilities, implement robust safeguards, and deploy advanced defense mechanisms. Actively monitoring and responding to these emerging security trends in network infrastructures enable organizations in fortifying their resilience, maintaining customer trust, and securing their long-term success in an ever-evolving digital environment.

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Spotlight

Technica Corporation

Technica has been providing technology integration, professional services, products, and innovative technology solutions to defense, intelligence, law enforcement, and civilian agencies since 1991. We specialize in network operations and infrastructure; cyber defense and security; government application integration; software development and support; systems engineering and training; and product deployment planning, and support.

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Data Security, Enterprise Identity

Keeper Security's Cybersecurity Census Finds U.S. Businesses are Unprepared for Escalation in Cyberattacks

Keeper Security | September 15, 2022

Keeper Security, the leading provider of zero-trust, zero-knowledge and FedRAMP Authorized cybersecurity software, today released findings from its second annual Cybersecurity Census. The report explores insights from IT decision-makers at businesses and organizations across the U.S., revealing that most respondents expect the onslaught of cyberattacks to intensify over the next year, yet 32% lack a management platform for IT secrets–posing a significant risk to organizational security. The 2022 U.S.Cybersecurity Census Report explores the ongoing threats of cyberattacks and the need for cybersecurity investment. The report maps the evolving cybersecurity landscape as hybrid and remote work have transformed businesses over the past two years. According to survey findings, the average U.S. business experiences 42 cyberattacks annually—between three to four each month. Still, fewer than half (44%) of respondents provide their employees with guidance or best practices for governing passwords and access management. IT leaders reveal a lack of preparedness for cyberattacks U.S. businesses face many cyberattacks each year, significantly impacting their organizations. Most respondents agree the total number of attacks will increase over the next year, with 39% predicting the number of successful cyberattacks will also rise. Most organizations in the U.S. believe they're prepared to fend off cyberattacks, with 64% of respondents rating their preparedness at least an eight on a 10-point scale and 28% rating themselves as a 10/10. At the same time, the majority of respondents (57%) say it is taking longer to respond to attacks and only 8% say responses are getting faster. Though most report feeling prepared for attacks, leaders admit their tech stacks lack essential tools. Nearly one-third of respondents (32%) lack a management platform for IT secrets, such as API keys, database passwords and privileged credentials. 84% are concerned about the dangers of hard-coded credentials in source code but 25% don't have software to remove them. More than one-quarter of respondents (26%) said they lack a remote connection management solution to secure remote access to IT infrastructure. With the rise in hybrid work and remote work, this is a significant security gap. This lack of investment in cybersecurity tools is alarming, especially considering the lasting impact of cyberattacks that survey respondents revealed. Nearly one-third (31%) suffered a disruption of partner or customer operations in the wake of a cyberattack and the same percentage experienced theft of financial information. 18% of organizations experienced theft of money, with the average amounting to more than $75,000, while 37% lost $100,000 or more. 23% experienced the inability to carry out business operations. In addition to direct costs, cyberattacks can cause lasting damage to business perception and client trust. More than one-quarter of respondents (28%) suffered reputational damage due to a successful cyberattack and 19% reported losing business or a contract. "The volume and pace at which cyberattacks are hitting businesses is increasing and with that come severe financial, reputational and organizational penalties," said Darren Guccione, CEO and co-founder of Keeper Security. "Leadership must prioritize cybersecurity, enabling their security teams to address rapid shifts in technology and distributed remote work. The impact these shifts have on cybersecurity are both pervasive and extreme. Building a culture of trust, accountability and responsiveness is critical." U.S. businesses must take immediate action against cyber threats Cybersecurity is a pillar of every good business and these findings underscore the need for business leaders to make cybersecurity a part of organizational culture. U.S. business leaders are working to source the necessary talent to stay secure. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of respondents have made new hires in cybersecurity over the past year and 58% say they've increased cybersecurity training. A devastating cyberattack is one stolen password away, but despite this threat, fewer than half (48%) of respondents state they have plans to invest in password management, visibility tools for network-based threats or infrastructure secrets management. Only 44% of respondents provide their employees with guidance and best practices governing passwords and access management. 30% of respondents allow employees to set and manage their passwords and admit that employees often share access to passwords. A mere 26% have a highly sophisticated framework for visibility and control of identity security. Many organizations are considering future investments with 73% of respondents expecting their cybersecurity budgets to increase. However, they face being outmatched by rising external threats and the demands created by existing weaknesses. Cybersecurity in company culture Employees understand the dangers of both external and internal threats. An overwhelming 79% of IT professionals are concerned about a breach from within their organization and 47% have suffered a breach of that nature. As more employees work remotely, businesses must rethink their investments in order to maintain security. In fact, 40% of respondents highlighted remote and hybrid work as a top concern, with rising external threats close behind at 39%. IT leaders themselves admit a lack of transparency in cyber incident reporting within their organizations, with nearly half of respondents (48%) being aware of a cyberattack, but keeping it to themselves. Businesses must foster a sense of trust and transparency in their organizations, creating an open dialogue to recognize the scale of the cybersecurity challenges their organization faces. Only with that recognition can resources be devoted to education and embedding a cybersecurity mindset into the organization's culture. Keeper's 2022 U.S. Cybersecurity Census Report demonstrates that cyberattacks present a profound and ongoing threat. Preventative measures, including investment, education and cultural shifts, are essential for businesses to drive resilience and protect their organizations from cybercriminals. Methodology The report yielded results from 516 IT leaders and decision-makers in businesses across the U.S. About Keeper Security Keeper Security, Inc. ("Keeper") is transforming the way organizations and individuals protect their credentials, secrets, connections and sensitive digital assets to significantly reduce the risks of identity security-related cyberattacks, while gaining visibility and control. Keeper is the leading provider of zero-trust and zero-knowledge security cloud services trusted by millions of people and thousands of organizations for password management, secrets management, privileged access, secure remote infrastructure access and encrypted messaging.

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Data Security, Platform Security, Software Security

Hillstone Networks Targets Cyberattacks at Network Edge with High-End Next Generation Firewall Offerings

Hillstone Networks | August 25, 2022

Hillstone Networks, an innovative and accessible cybersecurity solutions provider, today unveiled new models in the Hillstone Networks A-Series Next Generation Firewalls (NGFW), the A7600 and A6800, to help enterprises secure their expanding network edge, deliver powerful network security capabilities, and drive sustainability with solutions in a compact 1RU form factor. According to IBM’s Cost of a Breach 2022 report, 83% of organizations studied have had more than one breach. Cyberattacks are not abating, and the cost, damages and recovery from a single breach continue to rise. Against an aggressive cyberattack backdrop, the volume and complexity of traffic in today’s IT environments continue to exponentially increase due to the expansion of different services such as videos, apps, and cloud-based-everything. With increased connectivity to services comes an increased complexity of vulnerabilities to secure against. Secure An Expanded Network Edge with Hillstone A-Series Next Generation Firewalls Enterprises need high-performing next-generation firewalls to meet today’s bandwidth requirements, service levels, and defend against more advanced threats. As the network edge expands from the traditional on-premises network perimeter, IT teams now must secure unforeseen levels of depth, as all layers of the IT stack must be secured at the edge. Minimize the Speed versus Security Trade-off with Proprietary Hardware Acceleration Engine IT teams regularly compromise one need over another, based on budget or resources. Hillstone’s proprietary Hardware (HW) Acceleration Engine offloads network traffic from the processor, allowing more resources to be dedicated for comprehensive security services, bringing streamlined threat detection and prevention capabilities to high-traffic applications and scenarios. The HW Acceleration Engine delivers ultra-low latency in network packet forwarding, allowing the NGFW to sift through and secure even the most latency-sensitive applications, including multimedia streaming, broker services, and other high-volume transactions. Native Cyberresilience Combined with High Throughput/Low Latency Deliver on App and Customer Experience Raw processing speed, with throughputs of 200 Gbps and 280 Gbps, allow for packet forwarding within a few microseconds, delivering quality of service across networks. Enterprise-grade security features come native with these offerings, including comprehensive and advanced threat protection for known and unknown malware with multiple security services, including Intrusion Prevention, IP Reputation, URL Filtering, Anti-Spam, Anti-Virus, Cloud Sandbox, Botnet C2, among others. “Because today’s network traffic across all applications and services is increasing both in complexity, and in volume across hybrid and multi-cloud deployments, a high performing NGFW is no longer optional – it is now mandatory. “Today’s data centers, edge locations, service providers are looking for a powerful solution that delivers on multiple fronts – security, performance, and customer experience. The new NGFW offerings deliver the on the needs of our customers today with the flexibility of multiple deployment models.” Tim Liu, co-founder & CTO, Hillstone Networks The A-Series NGFW is a solid platform for enterprise customers to enable an SD-WAN solution to bridge connectivity and security needs. The integration consolidates network VPN and security in one device or client, allowing for a faster, lower-cost and more secure local internet connection at remote locations. In addition, customers can also unlock a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution, to meet remote access security requirements, including identity-based, least-privileged secure access, as well as context-aware, adaptive access control, enhancing both security and effectiveness for the remote connections. About Hillstone Networks Hillstone Networks’ innovative and accessible cybersecurity solutions reshape enterprise and service provider security, enabling cyber resilience while lowering TCO. Providing comprehensive visibility, superior intelligence, and rapid protection to see, understand, and act against cyberthreats from edge to cloud, Hillstone is favorably rated by leading analysts and trusted by global companies.

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How COVID-19 and Remote Working Increased Risks of Cyberattacks on Australian Businesses

Tech Guide | July 18, 2020

Abrupt and unexpected are two of the adjectives most commonly used when describing the shift to working remotely that the global workforce has faced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. No sector has been spared, including government operations, private businesses, and institutions of education.This seismic shift not only impacted the millions of people who found themselves working from home for the first time in Australia and around the globe, but it also stressed the complex technology infrastructures that were unexpectedly required to support massive amounts of traffic.Businesses and leaders in technology have met the challenges posed by the recent work at home reality head on. Unfortunately, intertwined with the positive work being done to make working from home possible, there are hackers and bad actors who have seen this sudden change as an opportunity to exploit potential weaknesses in the technological infrastructure backing the newly decentralized workforce.In their haste to get employees back to work and provide their products and services to customers, some enterprises have been blinded to the increasing security risks that having employees work from home present.

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Data Security, Enterprise Identity

Keeper Security's Cybersecurity Census Finds U.S. Businesses are Unprepared for Escalation in Cyberattacks

Keeper Security | September 15, 2022

Keeper Security, the leading provider of zero-trust, zero-knowledge and FedRAMP Authorized cybersecurity software, today released findings from its second annual Cybersecurity Census. The report explores insights from IT decision-makers at businesses and organizations across the U.S., revealing that most respondents expect the onslaught of cyberattacks to intensify over the next year, yet 32% lack a management platform for IT secrets–posing a significant risk to organizational security. The 2022 U.S.Cybersecurity Census Report explores the ongoing threats of cyberattacks and the need for cybersecurity investment. The report maps the evolving cybersecurity landscape as hybrid and remote work have transformed businesses over the past two years. According to survey findings, the average U.S. business experiences 42 cyberattacks annually—between three to four each month. Still, fewer than half (44%) of respondents provide their employees with guidance or best practices for governing passwords and access management. IT leaders reveal a lack of preparedness for cyberattacks U.S. businesses face many cyberattacks each year, significantly impacting their organizations. Most respondents agree the total number of attacks will increase over the next year, with 39% predicting the number of successful cyberattacks will also rise. Most organizations in the U.S. believe they're prepared to fend off cyberattacks, with 64% of respondents rating their preparedness at least an eight on a 10-point scale and 28% rating themselves as a 10/10. At the same time, the majority of respondents (57%) say it is taking longer to respond to attacks and only 8% say responses are getting faster. Though most report feeling prepared for attacks, leaders admit their tech stacks lack essential tools. Nearly one-third of respondents (32%) lack a management platform for IT secrets, such as API keys, database passwords and privileged credentials. 84% are concerned about the dangers of hard-coded credentials in source code but 25% don't have software to remove them. More than one-quarter of respondents (26%) said they lack a remote connection management solution to secure remote access to IT infrastructure. With the rise in hybrid work and remote work, this is a significant security gap. This lack of investment in cybersecurity tools is alarming, especially considering the lasting impact of cyberattacks that survey respondents revealed. Nearly one-third (31%) suffered a disruption of partner or customer operations in the wake of a cyberattack and the same percentage experienced theft of financial information. 18% of organizations experienced theft of money, with the average amounting to more than $75,000, while 37% lost $100,000 or more. 23% experienced the inability to carry out business operations. In addition to direct costs, cyberattacks can cause lasting damage to business perception and client trust. More than one-quarter of respondents (28%) suffered reputational damage due to a successful cyberattack and 19% reported losing business or a contract. "The volume and pace at which cyberattacks are hitting businesses is increasing and with that come severe financial, reputational and organizational penalties," said Darren Guccione, CEO and co-founder of Keeper Security. "Leadership must prioritize cybersecurity, enabling their security teams to address rapid shifts in technology and distributed remote work. The impact these shifts have on cybersecurity are both pervasive and extreme. Building a culture of trust, accountability and responsiveness is critical." U.S. businesses must take immediate action against cyber threats Cybersecurity is a pillar of every good business and these findings underscore the need for business leaders to make cybersecurity a part of organizational culture. U.S. business leaders are working to source the necessary talent to stay secure. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of respondents have made new hires in cybersecurity over the past year and 58% say they've increased cybersecurity training. A devastating cyberattack is one stolen password away, but despite this threat, fewer than half (48%) of respondents state they have plans to invest in password management, visibility tools for network-based threats or infrastructure secrets management. Only 44% of respondents provide their employees with guidance and best practices governing passwords and access management. 30% of respondents allow employees to set and manage their passwords and admit that employees often share access to passwords. A mere 26% have a highly sophisticated framework for visibility and control of identity security. Many organizations are considering future investments with 73% of respondents expecting their cybersecurity budgets to increase. However, they face being outmatched by rising external threats and the demands created by existing weaknesses. Cybersecurity in company culture Employees understand the dangers of both external and internal threats. An overwhelming 79% of IT professionals are concerned about a breach from within their organization and 47% have suffered a breach of that nature. As more employees work remotely, businesses must rethink their investments in order to maintain security. In fact, 40% of respondents highlighted remote and hybrid work as a top concern, with rising external threats close behind at 39%. IT leaders themselves admit a lack of transparency in cyber incident reporting within their organizations, with nearly half of respondents (48%) being aware of a cyberattack, but keeping it to themselves. Businesses must foster a sense of trust and transparency in their organizations, creating an open dialogue to recognize the scale of the cybersecurity challenges their organization faces. Only with that recognition can resources be devoted to education and embedding a cybersecurity mindset into the organization's culture. Keeper's 2022 U.S. Cybersecurity Census Report demonstrates that cyberattacks present a profound and ongoing threat. Preventative measures, including investment, education and cultural shifts, are essential for businesses to drive resilience and protect their organizations from cybercriminals. Methodology The report yielded results from 516 IT leaders and decision-makers in businesses across the U.S. About Keeper Security Keeper Security, Inc. ("Keeper") is transforming the way organizations and individuals protect their credentials, secrets, connections and sensitive digital assets to significantly reduce the risks of identity security-related cyberattacks, while gaining visibility and control. Keeper is the leading provider of zero-trust and zero-knowledge security cloud services trusted by millions of people and thousands of organizations for password management, secrets management, privileged access, secure remote infrastructure access and encrypted messaging.

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Data Security, Platform Security, Software Security

Hillstone Networks Targets Cyberattacks at Network Edge with High-End Next Generation Firewall Offerings

Hillstone Networks | August 25, 2022

Hillstone Networks, an innovative and accessible cybersecurity solutions provider, today unveiled new models in the Hillstone Networks A-Series Next Generation Firewalls (NGFW), the A7600 and A6800, to help enterprises secure their expanding network edge, deliver powerful network security capabilities, and drive sustainability with solutions in a compact 1RU form factor. According to IBM’s Cost of a Breach 2022 report, 83% of organizations studied have had more than one breach. Cyberattacks are not abating, and the cost, damages and recovery from a single breach continue to rise. Against an aggressive cyberattack backdrop, the volume and complexity of traffic in today’s IT environments continue to exponentially increase due to the expansion of different services such as videos, apps, and cloud-based-everything. With increased connectivity to services comes an increased complexity of vulnerabilities to secure against. Secure An Expanded Network Edge with Hillstone A-Series Next Generation Firewalls Enterprises need high-performing next-generation firewalls to meet today’s bandwidth requirements, service levels, and defend against more advanced threats. As the network edge expands from the traditional on-premises network perimeter, IT teams now must secure unforeseen levels of depth, as all layers of the IT stack must be secured at the edge. Minimize the Speed versus Security Trade-off with Proprietary Hardware Acceleration Engine IT teams regularly compromise one need over another, based on budget or resources. Hillstone’s proprietary Hardware (HW) Acceleration Engine offloads network traffic from the processor, allowing more resources to be dedicated for comprehensive security services, bringing streamlined threat detection and prevention capabilities to high-traffic applications and scenarios. The HW Acceleration Engine delivers ultra-low latency in network packet forwarding, allowing the NGFW to sift through and secure even the most latency-sensitive applications, including multimedia streaming, broker services, and other high-volume transactions. Native Cyberresilience Combined with High Throughput/Low Latency Deliver on App and Customer Experience Raw processing speed, with throughputs of 200 Gbps and 280 Gbps, allow for packet forwarding within a few microseconds, delivering quality of service across networks. Enterprise-grade security features come native with these offerings, including comprehensive and advanced threat protection for known and unknown malware with multiple security services, including Intrusion Prevention, IP Reputation, URL Filtering, Anti-Spam, Anti-Virus, Cloud Sandbox, Botnet C2, among others. “Because today’s network traffic across all applications and services is increasing both in complexity, and in volume across hybrid and multi-cloud deployments, a high performing NGFW is no longer optional – it is now mandatory. “Today’s data centers, edge locations, service providers are looking for a powerful solution that delivers on multiple fronts – security, performance, and customer experience. The new NGFW offerings deliver the on the needs of our customers today with the flexibility of multiple deployment models.” Tim Liu, co-founder & CTO, Hillstone Networks The A-Series NGFW is a solid platform for enterprise customers to enable an SD-WAN solution to bridge connectivity and security needs. The integration consolidates network VPN and security in one device or client, allowing for a faster, lower-cost and more secure local internet connection at remote locations. In addition, customers can also unlock a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution, to meet remote access security requirements, including identity-based, least-privileged secure access, as well as context-aware, adaptive access control, enhancing both security and effectiveness for the remote connections. About Hillstone Networks Hillstone Networks’ innovative and accessible cybersecurity solutions reshape enterprise and service provider security, enabling cyber resilience while lowering TCO. Providing comprehensive visibility, superior intelligence, and rapid protection to see, understand, and act against cyberthreats from edge to cloud, Hillstone is favorably rated by leading analysts and trusted by global companies.

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How COVID-19 and Remote Working Increased Risks of Cyberattacks on Australian Businesses

Tech Guide | July 18, 2020

Abrupt and unexpected are two of the adjectives most commonly used when describing the shift to working remotely that the global workforce has faced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. No sector has been spared, including government operations, private businesses, and institutions of education.This seismic shift not only impacted the millions of people who found themselves working from home for the first time in Australia and around the globe, but it also stressed the complex technology infrastructures that were unexpectedly required to support massive amounts of traffic.Businesses and leaders in technology have met the challenges posed by the recent work at home reality head on. Unfortunately, intertwined with the positive work being done to make working from home possible, there are hackers and bad actors who have seen this sudden change as an opportunity to exploit potential weaknesses in the technological infrastructure backing the newly decentralized workforce.In their haste to get employees back to work and provide their products and services to customers, some enterprises have been blinded to the increasing security risks that having employees work from home present.

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