Vulnerabilities come from all sides — even from the inside. That’s the case with two notable items from recent worldwide cybersecurity activity. Of even greater significance, however, are the ongoing attacks faced by public institutions seen in generations past as practically untouchable: presidential elections and government operations. U.S. Institutions Dealing with Ongoing Attacks A widespread… Read more
Technology integrates so well into our daily lives that it’s easy to place perhaps too much trust in it. That’s what happened to approximately 100 drivers in California. They trusted Google Maps to find their way out of a traffic jam but ended up stuck in a muddy field. That level of trust can create… Read more
Along with rotary dial phones, cassette-playing Sony Walkman devices, and CRT televisions, add another victim to advancing technology: battle lines. Today, no one is afforded a clear demarcation point between potential conflict and peace. That includes, as we see below, your company. The U.S. Goes After Iran with Cyber Attacks; Iran Attacks Industries Following the… Read more
Trust, but verify. It’s advice popularized by President Ronald Reagan during his tenure. He used to help characterize his philosophy toward Soviet leaders on the subject of nuclear disarmament. The need for such due diligence permeates every layer of every enterprise’s IT landscape. News from the last month underscores how even the largest organizations are… Read more
While wireless technology will never be problem-free, the margin of error for manufacturers grows smaller by the day, driven by global competition as well as increasing client and consumer demand for quality and reliability. For a time, manufacturers could hobble along with various wireless problems. That’s no longer the case, though. Add to the competition… Read more
Hackers never take a break from their assaults, so it’s crucial never to take a break from your defense — even if that means spoiling someone’s idea of “pure fun” (see below). Manufacturers Under (Cyber) Attack from the Inside A report recently released by Verizon highlights a common — and serious — cybersecurity threat: people… Read more
Today’s manufacturers must navigate a demanding and highly competitive industry. And absent any other complications, many of them likely welcome the opportunity to innovate their way to success. Unfortunately, there are other complications. Specifically: cyber threats. Manufacturing is the second most targeted industry based on the number of reported cyber attacks according to the… Read more
Manufacturers today face challenges on multiple fronts. Globalization, new and developing facets of the fourth industrial revolution, cyber threats, and other matters present hurdles for any company looking to make its mark. A survey of the top issues concerning manufacturers today turns up several prominent ones, including the following. 1. Producing and Protecting Innovative Products… Read more
Perhaps to underscore that no single technology is effective against hackers, a wave of recent news related to cryptocurrency has hit. It includes an executive who passed away and took with him the password to about $190 million in cryptocurrency and a successful social engineering attack, among other topics. Blockchains Under Attack It wasn’t… Read more
Sometimes, cybersecurity issues hit VERY close to home. Consider the Apple FaceTime bug that allowed users to see and hear people before they answered the call. Or the Fortnite vulnerability that allowed hackers to eavesdrop on players. Such issues can instill within users a sense of vulnerability. They bring cybersecurity issues into homes across the… Read more
Rogue AI chatbots, IoT breaches, widespread fraud: many expert predictions for 2019 are downright dire. Selecting the right firewall provider can go a long way to protecting your enterprise’s reputation, data, and bottom line. Let’s take a look at five top firewall providers for 2019. 1. Fortinet Maybe it’s the company’s independently certified and continuous… Read more
Despite continual technological advances, development of a crystal ball that accurately predicts the future of cybersecurity eludes us. Thankfully, a couple of recent news items provide guideposts that may well come in handy for this new year. Experts Predict 2019 Cybersecurity Dangers Responding to a request from Forbes, a number of IT experts shared their… Read more
In 2018, the number of breached records totaled more than 1.3 billion. The root cause of many of those breaches? Unintended disclosures. That is to say, user error rather than hacks. Hackers didn’t take the year off, though. As you can imagine, their efforts also comprised a significant number of breaches. For today’s enterprise, looming… Read more
Endpoint security is the practice of protecting a network from malicious programs or activity originating from any one of that network’s numerous connection sites. Anything can happen after that. And whatever does happen could end up costing your company a lot of money. According to the Ponemon Institute, system downtime from an endpoint attack can… Read more
When a cybersecurity issue arises, reaction time matters. Yet in recent news: A government agency let a known problem sit for an entire year A popular retailer swiftly addressed the issue but communicated poorly to affected users. Both issues go away with the right team backing you up. A team led, hopefully, by someone who… Read more
Cybersecurity for 2019 is a tale of three numbers: $6 trillion: Cyber crime’s global economic cost by 2021 $248 billion: The expected size of the cybersecurity market by 2023 10: The number of antivirus options available here from which to choose the best defense for your organization Companies don’t have to face the stark reality… Read more
It’s one of the longest-held animal myths of all time: that ostriches bury their heads in the sand to avoid danger. They don’t; they’re preparing nests or caring for their eggs. (Anything that buried its head in the sand would have a difficult time breathing.) But as a metaphor for people avoiding difficult situations by… Read more
Cybersecurity issues brought to light over the past month or so remind us of a very important aspect of the internet: everything is connected. No website exists on an island that is perfectly fortified against attack. And sometimes, the attacks come from a seemingly friendly territory. The code that KO’d British Airways An attack on… Read more
In a study examining how circumstances influence our perception of time, scientists confirmed what many suspected: when a stressful situation is looming, time seems to slow down. Think car accident, termination notice, etc. That phenomenon might help explain why some decision-makers look at an organization’s wireless network and deem it sufficient. Facing the complexities, and… Read more
Children hacking ostensibly well-protected computer systems. The FBI’s best beating a path to the exits. Unabated cyber assaults against big-name companies. Sounds like it’s time to turn our cybersecurity-related concerns up to “11.” Child hacks voting site Forget Nickelodeon. One 11-year-old boy bypassed Spongebob Squarepants and his cohorts to spend time trying to hack into… Read more