The Latest

• 

  Remote-access tools the intrusion point to blame for most ransomware attacks

  Self-managed VPNs from Cisco and Citrix were 11 times more likely to be linked to a ransomware attack last year, At-Bay research found.

  Breaches

• 

  Unsafe software development practices persist, despite CISA’s push

  The industry isn’t making sufficient progress in cleaning up code despite recurring efforts from the agency to eliminate entire classes of vulnerabilities.

  Strategy

• 

  National Cyber Director echoes past warnings: Nation-state cyber threats are mounting

  State-linked actors with ties to China and Russia are growing more sophisticated in their efforts to disrupt critical infrastructure, Harry Coker Jr. said during a CyberUK conference keynote.

  Threats

• 

  Cybersecurity leaders expect their SOC budgets to grow, KPMG finds

  Average annual SOC budgets stand at $14.6 million, but most security leaders expect their budgets and headcount to grow by up to 20% over the next two years, the survey found.

  Strategy

• 

  Cyber insurance costs are stabilizing as global market grows

  Increased capacity is helping to meet rising demand for cyber coverage and more insurers are using tools to assess potential risk, a report from S&P Global Ratings shows.

  Strategy

• 

  Cyber pros weigh an intel-sharing quandary: What to share when attacks hit close to home

  The detail and speed with which companies share information after an attack can prevent future pain. But businesses aren’t always keen on transparency.

  Strategy

• 

  How a CISA proposal could impact K-12 cyber incident reporting

  Overall, the nonprofit K12 Security Information Exchange backed the requirement for schools, but it asked for clarification on how the sector should report cyber incidents students initiate.

  Policy & Regulation

• 

  Black Basta ransomware is toying with critical infrastructure providers, authorities say

  The threat group has impacted more than 500 targets worldwide and the vast majority of critical infrastructure sectors.  Numerous attacks have exploited vulnerabilities in ConnectWise ScreenConnect.

  Vulnerability

• 

  Congress wants to question Microsoft exec over security defects

  The committee wants to question Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president and vice chair, over the company’s security shortcomings and how it plans to strengthen security measures.

  Policy & Regulation

• 

  Only one-third of firms deploy safeguards against generative AI threats, report finds

  Generative AI gives attackers an edge over cyber defenders, according to a Splunk survey of security experts.

  Strategy

• 

  Officials see a real change in Microsoft’s security plans: financial accountability

  CISA Director Jen Easterly pointed to Microsoft’s decision to link security to executive compensation as a meaningful signal of its priorities.

  Strategy

• 

  White House wants to hold the software sector accountable for security

  Federal officials are taking steps toward a long-stated goal of shifting the security burden from technology users to the companies that build it.

  Strategy

• 

  Some Ascension hospitals diverting emergency care after cybersecurity incident

  The health system’s electronic health records, MyChart patient portal and several systems for ordering tests and medications are unavailable, Ascension said.

  Cyberattacks

• 

  CISA explains why it doesn’t call out tech vendors by name

  Federal officials rarely criticize tech companies when their mistakes result in attacks. The stinging conclusions CSRB levied at Microsoft are an exception, not the norm.

  Strategy

• 

  68 tech, security vendors commit to secure-by-design practices

  CISA said companies ranging from Microsoft to Palo Alto Networks signed the voluntary pledge in an effort to boost resiliency and increase transparency around CVEs and cyberattacks.

  Strategy

• 

  Ascension hit by cybersecurity incident disrupting clinical operations

  The major nonprofit health system detected “unusual activity” on some network systems Wednesday.

  Cyberattacks

• 

  The US really wants to improve critical infrastructure cyber resilience

  A report from the Office of the National Cyber Director highlights persistent threats targeting healthcare and water, echoing warnings from cyber officials earlier this year. 

  Strategy

• 

  Generative AI is a looming cybersecurity threat

  Researchers have not identified any AI-engineered cyberattack campaigns, yet, but they say it’s only a matter of time before an AI system is dominant enough in the market to draw attention. 

  Vulnerability

• 

  China-linked attackers are successfully targeting network security devices, worrying officials

  Espionage groups linked to China are heavily exploiting zero days, focusing on devices that lack endpoint detection and response capabilities, one expert said.

  Vulnerability

• 

  CISA, FBI urge software companies to eliminate directory traversal vulnerabilities

  The software defects are linked to recent exploitation campaigns against critical infrastructure providers, including healthcare and schools. 

  Vulnerability

• 

  Change Healthcare cyberattack: 5 technical takeaways from UnitedHealth CEO’s testimony

  Change Healthcare was running on legacy technology, which magnified the ransomware attack’s impact and hampered recovery efforts, Andrew Witty said.

  Cyberattacks

• 

  Tech skills gaps put pressure on existing IT staff

  Technologists surveyed by Pluralsight said skills gaps are adding to their workloads, especially across cybersecurity, cloud and software development jobs. 

  Leadership & Careers

• 

  Microsoft restructures security governance, aligning deputy CISOs and engineering teams

  The company will enhance management roles under the CISO and partially tie compensation to security performance.

  Strategy

• 

  Amazon CEO touts AWS cloud security as AI risk concerns mount

  Andy Jassy urged enterprises “not to overlook the security and operational performance” of cloud-based generative AI services. “It’s less sexy, but critically important.”

  Strategy

• 

  Congress grills UnitedHealth CEO over Change cyberattack

  Legislators slammed Andrew Witty over the company’s lack of cybersecurity practices and the impact of the breach, which may have compromised the data of a third of Americans.

  Breaches

More stories