While the cost of a cyber attack is often discussed, we seldom hear about just how common these attacks actually are. Numerous security experts believe that a cyber attack or breach of catastrophic proportions is no longer a matter of if, but a matter of when. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Risks Report, the top three risks to global stability over the next five years are natural disasters, extreme weather and cyber…

In order to protect your sensitive data, you have to know what it is and where it lives. Data classification is the process of analyzing structured or unstructured data and organizing it into categories based on the file type and contents. Data classification is a process of searching files for specific strings of data, like if you wanted to find all references to “Szechuan Sauce” on your network. Or if you needed to know where…

The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving. New security threats pop up daily, and threat actors can be an employee in the next cubicle or a blackhat hacker in a coffee shop in Bangkok. Additionally, cybersecurity has real-world implications that reach far beyond the boardroom — everything from Internet-connected teddy bears to the stability of world governments is impacted by cyber. As such, it’s more important than ever that everyone in your organization is up to…

A zero-day vulnerability is a software bug or exploit that hasn’t been patched. It’s like a hole in the bottom of your shoe that you haven’t noticed yet, but a curly-mustachioed villain has found it and is considering putting rusty nails on your gas pedal. Hackers can use these bugs and exploits to steal your data before you’re able to find and patch the weakness. Vulnerabilities allow attackers to slip past your defenses and into…

Data privacy laws are fast becoming a primary element in any data security conversation: from the EU’s GDPR to the California Consumer Privacy Act to Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information, the ability to protect consumer data is top of mind. For companies that are built around consumer data, consumer trust becomes a vital part of their business model. On May 25, 2018, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect.…

Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) analyze network traffic for signatures that match known cyberattacks. Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) also analyzes packets, but can also stop the packet from being delivered based on what kind of attacks it detects — helping stop the attack. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) are both parts of the network infrastructure. IDS/IPS compare network packets to a cyberthreat database containing known signatures of cyberattacks — and flag any…

One of the benefits of working with Koadic is that you too can try your hand at making enhancements. The Python environment with its nicely organized directory structures lends itself to being tweaked. And if you want to take the ultimate jump, you can add your own implants. The way to think about Koadic is that it’s a C2 server that lets you deliver JavaScript malware implants to the target and then interact with them from…

A brute force attack (also known as brute force cracking) is the cyberattack equivalent of trying every key on your key ring, and eventually finding the right one. 5% of confirmed data breach incidents in 2017 stemmed from brute force attacks. Brute force attacks are simple and reliable. Attackers let a computer do the work – trying different combinations of usernames and passwords, for example – until they find one that works. Catching and neutralizing…

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) is the United States regulation that controls the manufacture, sale, and distribution of defense and space-related articles and services as defined in the United States Munitions List (USML). Besides rocket launchers, torpedoes, and other military hardware, the list also restricts the plans, diagrams, photos, and other documentation used to build ITAR-controlled military gear. This is referred to by ITAR as “technical data”. ITAR mandates that access to physical…

Data centers are facilities used to house computer systems and associated components. They are vital to the daily operations of a network and are home to it’s most pivotal systems and equipment. Sound glamorous? Actually, it is. As data privacy becomes more and more important, data centers need to be placed in extraordinary locations in order the ensure maximum security. This need for security, coupled with the fact that data centers are required to be…