Week in review: 5 popular cybersecurity exploitation techniques, new issue of (IN)SECURE Magazine

Here’s an overview of some of last week’s most interesting news, articles and interviews:

(IN)SECURE Magazine issue 69 released
(IN)SECURE Magazine is a free digital security publication discussing some of the hottest information security topics. Issue 69 has been released today. It’s a free download, no registration required.

U.S. Government sets up ransomware task force, offers $10 million reward for info
The U.S. Government has set up a cross-agency ransomware task force, a hub for ransomware resources, and is offering $10 million for information on state-sponsored cyber attackers.

Explosion of 0-day exploits: The bad news and the good news
Have you noticed that lately we’ve been hearing more about in-the-wild attacks exploiting 0-day vulnerabilities? “Halfway into 2021, there have been 33 0-day exploits used in attacks that have been publicly disclosed this year — 11 more than the total number from 2020,” researchers with Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) have pointed out in a recent blog post.

July 2021 Patch Tuesday: Microsoft fixes 4 actively exploited bugs
Microsoft has released patches for 117 CVEs, 13 of which are considered to be critical. 6 of the total are publicly known, and 4 are actively exploited (including CVE-2021-34527, aka PrintNightmare).

SolarWinds patches zero-day exploited in the wild (CVE-2021-35211)
SolarWinds has released an emergency patch for CVE-2021-35211, a RCE vulnerability affecting its Serv-U Managed File Transfer and Serv-U Secure FTP that is currently being exploited in the wild.

How Microsoft is taking cloud-powered innovation beyond Earth with Azure Space
Stephen Kitay – the Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy and now Senior Director at Microsoft Azure Space – shared with Help Net Security how the company is helping drive innovation both on the ground and in orbit.

Gmail increases email security by adding support for BIMI
Organizations who deploy Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) will, from now on, be able to increase Gmail recipients’ trust in the emails, newsletters, receipts and offers they send by automatically displaying the company’s logo.

Critical vulnerability in Schneider Electric Modicon PLCs can lead to RCE (CVE-2021-22779)
Researchers at Armis discovered an authentication bypass vulnerability (CVE-2021-22779) in Schneider Electric’s Modicon programmable logic controllers (PLCs) that can lead to remote-code-execution (RCE).

The rise of the Developer Experience Engineer, and why it matters
In a world that increasingly relies on digital products, software development is becoming the catalyst for value creation and achieving top-line business results. At each level of industry, innovation is driving productivity. This is particularly true for firms on the technological frontier looking to innovate in response to competition. In many cases, this means developing new software at pace.

IT, healthcare and manufacturing top targets for cyberattacks
Avanan announced the release of a report which analyzes today’s threat landscape, phishing vectors, and industry-based attacks, exposing healthcare and manufacturing as two of the top targets for cyberattacks in the first half of the year.

54% of businesses now have a policy in place to deal with ransomware attacks
54% of businesses now have a defined policy in place to deal with ransomware attacks – whether this means paying a ransom, relying on insurance policies or refusing to pay at all, according to Databarracks.

What’s next on the agenda for Chief Compliance Officers?
We sit down with Chris Audet, Senior Director at Gartner, to see what’s next on the agenda for global compliance leaders.

Health insurers facing growing risk of customer data theft
The U.S. health insurance industry is facing growing risks from cybersecurity threats due to the increasingly sophisticated techniques used by cybercriminals amid the expansion of remote healthcare delivery and growing digitization of insurance transactions, clinical records and billing.

How do I select a third-party risk management solution for my business?
To select a suitable third-party risk management solution for your business, you need to think about a variety of factors. We’ve talked to industry professionals to get their insight on the topic.

1 in 5 companies fail PCI compliance assessments of their infrastructure
According to a recent poll by SentryBay, the infrastructure of over 21% of surveyed companies has failed key PCI compliance assessments, designed to assist them to maintain high security standards when processing customer card payments. In addition, a further 29.3% said that they had no confidence in their own company’s compliance when it came to PCI DSS.

79% of organizations identify threat modeling as a top priority in 2021
Security Compass published the results of a report designed to provide a better understanding of the current state of threat modeling in mid-sized, $100M to $999M and large sized, $1B + enterprises, with a specific focus on the challenges organizations face in scaling threat modeling for the applications they build and deploy.

What is the cost of an insider data breach?
As companies emerge from the pandemic, and 40% of employees are planning to switch jobs, corporate data is at risk. Files are being uploaded, shared, synced and emailed by employees as a normal course of everyday business or as they prepare for their next role with different organizations. The very same technologies that enable the free flow of data in an organization are also the ones that make it easy for insiders to exfiltrate data.

It takes more than MFA to beat human hacking
While multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a much-needed addition to an effective cyber defense strategy, it is by no means foolproof. In fact, no single security effort can ever be considered entirely effective when facing off against threat actors that use automation to evade detection and identify an enterprise’s weak points. Instead, organizations must view MFA as another layer of security that helps mitigate against the risk of potential compromise.

Paving the way for women in industrial cybersecurity research
The first step to bringing more women into the field of cybersecurity – and the greatest catalyst to their success in the industry – is female inspiration and mentorship. We are at a turning point within the security industry, where women are stepping into the conversation and taking the lead – all for good reason.

Rebuilding your security culture as employees return to the office
The return to work allows security teams to refocus on areas of their insider risk management program that may have been swept under the rug while working remotely. As employees reunite for the first time in a long time, it’s a good opportunity for companies to rebuild a stronger office security culture between employees and security teams – one that comes from a place of positive intent.

Cybercriminals customizing malware for attacks on virtual infrastructure
Cyber incidents continue to rise, ransomware accounts for nearly two-thirds of all malware attacks, and more cybercriminals are customizing malware for attacks on virtual infrastructure, Positive Technologies finds.

Understanding and stopping 5 popular cybersecurity exploitation techniques
Effectively detecting exploits requires deep system knowledge and constant monitoring of all applications. Advanced, next-generation cyber protection solutions that include exploit prevention capabilities are needed.

Ensuring HIPAA compliance when using the cloud
Failure to adhere to HIPAA rules can be costly for healthcare providers. In fact, each infraction can lead to a fine of up to $50,000. In 2019 alone, the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) collected a massive $15.2 million in fines related to HIPAA violations.

A more dynamic approach is needed to tackle today’s evolving cybersecurity threats
As we slowly but surely emerge from crisis lockdown and everything points to remote working being here to stay, businesses need to reassess how they are approaching cybersecurity and the growing number and type of attacks. A fundamental rethink is needed by organizations to ensure they are set up to continuously adapt and evolve to meet the rapidly changing nature of threats.

The real cost of MSSPs not implementing new tech
Enterprises have plenty to manage as their infrastructures scale with a growing and increasingly complex cloud computing environment. They often bring in expert help to ensure a strong security posture, outsourcing jobs to managed security service providers (MSSPs).

How to strike the balance between privacy and personalization in healthcare and beyond
The trade-off between widespread technology adoption and responsible use often lies on the spectrum of privacy. When it comes to technologies fueled by data, such as artificial intelligence (AI), it’s even harder to strike the balance between equitable access and inherent risk. This is felt heavily in the healthcare industry, as regulations around information sharing are generally more stringent than those for other verticals.

Addressing the cybersecurity skills gap: Where do we go from here?
There are an estimated 3.12 million cybersecurity jobs that need to be filled – more than double the current number of workers in this field. With this drastic gap, it is vital that businesses, students, and the industry make it a priority to work together to protect against cyberattacks.

2020 threat landscape: See what evaded perimeter defenses
Today’s reality is that security breaches are a given. Sophisticated attackers are too numerous and too determined to get caught by perimeter defenses. It’s relatively easy to take advantage of vulnerabilities on the edge of the network or trick a user into granting access to their device.

Product showcase: ESET Cybersecurity Awareness Training
ESET Cybersecurity Awareness Training is specifically designed to educate your workforce—because human error is cited as a major contributing cause in 95% of all breaches (IBM). Nearly a third of all data breaches are related to successful phishing attempts, and the CyberRisk Alliance estimates that a business falls victim to ransomware every 40 seconds.

New infosec products of the week: July 16, 2021
A rundown of infosec products released during the week.