Stanford University Department of Public Safety is investigating an alleged data breach by the Akira ransomware gang that stole 430 GB of data, including private information and confidential documents.
Cyber Security
Cyber criminals, state-sponsored hackers and even the occasional disgruntled employee are constantly looking to gain unauthorized access for a variety of purposes: theft of money, cyber espionage, personal information for sale or for use in scams, and damage to critical infrastructure for just a few of the most common.
So how does an organization mitigate an entire world full of continual cyber attacks? Just as buildings have a number of necessary elements of physical security: access control, cameras, alarms and so on; there are similar key elements of cyber security that are absolutely vital for just about any modern business.
It starts with identifying and closing the most common doors that attackers use. For example, phishing attacks on employees are far and away the most common initial point of entry. The breach of even a low-level employee account can quickly turn into an escalation in access privileges and the ability to reach sensitive information. This is also true of smart devices, which are generally more poorly secured than computers and phones.
The Marina Bay Sands data breach appears to be similar to the ones that struck both MGM and Caesars in recent months. About 665,000 Sands LifeStyle program members are impacted, but the perpetrator remains unknown.
A two-day international summit held in the UK has concluded with an agreement on AI safety, with 28 countries that represent most of the leading forces in AI development getting on board.
Relying solely on log analytics is a cybersecurity strategy that should be in the rearview mirror. Organizations need to prioritize immediate and precise threat detection with proactive response mechanisms.
The LockBit ransomware gang has claimed responsibility for the Boeing cyber attack that allegedly exploited a zero-day vulnerability and leaked substantial data.
The International Counter Ransomware Initiative conference has produced a pledge by 40 countries to refuse ransomware payments going forward, including the United States and EU members. The pledge appears to only apply to government entities.
SolarWinds and its CISO Timothy Brown are facing serious charges in connection with the catastrophic security breach of 2020, with the SEC alleging that he had knowingly ignored and downplayed serious security risks since at least 2018.
Ransomware attacks are on the rise. They’ve become more targeted in the last five years – and more specific to their victims. But it doesn’t mean a successful attack is inevitable. Here are lessons learnt from 100+ ransomware recoveries.
The MOVEit data breach saw about 632,000 emails from the Departments of Defense and Justice accessed by a criminal hacking group based in Russia, in addition to already-documented personal information leaks at some 1,000 companies.
By returning to the grassroots of information security and remembering that there’s room for creative thinking in cybersecurity, CISOs can spend less time saying “no” and more time exploring new solutions, optimizing programs, and building strong connections with their teams.










