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In 2023, the global average cost of a data breach reached  $4.45 million . Beyond the immediate financial loss, there are long-term consequences like diminished customer trust, weakened brand value, and derailed business operations. In a world where the frequency and cost of data breaches are skyrocketing, organizations are coming face-to-face with a harsh reality: traditional cybersecurity measures might not be cutting it anymore.  Against this backdrop, businesses must find ways to strengthen their measures to safeguard precious data and critical assets. At the heart of this shift lies a key strategy: continuous monitoring. Understanding Continuous Security Monitoring in Cybersecurity Continuous monitoring is a dynamic approach that encompasses several techniques to fulfil a multi-layered defense strategy. These techniques can include:  Risk-Based Vulnerability Management (RBVM): Continuous vulnerability assessments across your network with remediation prioritization based on

Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) is a web server software package designed for Windows Server. Organizations commonly use Microsoft IIS servers to host websites, files, and other content on the web. Threat actors increasingly target these Internet-facing resources as low-hanging fruit for finding and exploiting vulnerabilities that facilitate access to IT environments.  Recently, a slew of activity by the advanced persistent threat (APT) group Lazarus has focused on finding vulnerable Microsoft IIS servers and infecting them with malware or using them to distribute malicious code. This article describes the details of the malware attacks and offers actionable suggestions for protecting Microsoft IIS servers against them.  An Overview on Microsoft IIS Servers IIS was first introduced with Windows NT 3.51 as an optional package back in 1995. Since then, it has seen several iterations, improvements, and features added to align with the evolving Internet, including support

As work ebbs with the typical end-of-year slowdown, now is a good time to review user roles and privileges and remove anyone who shouldn't have access as well as trim unnecessary permissions. In addition to saving some unnecessary license fees, a clean user inventory significantly enhances the security of your SaaS applications. From reducing risk to protecting against data leakage, here is how you can start the new year with a clean user list.  How Offboarded Users  Still  Have Access to Your Apps When employees leave a company, they trigger a series of changes to backend systems in their wake. First, they are removed from the company's identity provider (IdP), which kicks off an automated workflow that deactivates their email and removes access to all internal systems. When enterprises use an SSO (single sign-on), these former employees lose access to any online properties – including SaaS applications – that require SSO for login.  However, that doesn't mean that former employee

The frequency and complexity of cyber threats are constantly evolving. At the same time, organizations are now collecting sensitive data that, if compromised, could result in severe financial and reputational damage.  According to Cybersecurity Ventures , the cost of cybercrime is predicted to hit $8 trillion in 2023 and will grow to $10.5 trillion by 2025. There is also increasing public and regulatory scrutiny over data protection. Compliance regulations (such as PCI DSS and ISO 27001), as well as the need for a better understanding of your cybersecurity risks, are driving the need to conduct regular penetration tests.  Pen testing helps to identify security flaws in your IT infrastructure before threat actors can detect and exploit them. This gives you visibility into the risks posed by potential attacks and enables you to take swift corrective action to address them. Here, we outline key factors to consider before, during, and post the penetration testing process. Pre-Penetrati

As technology advances and organizations become more reliant on data, the risks associated with data breaches and cyber-attacks also increase. The introduction of data privacy laws, such as the GDPR, has made it mandatory for organizations to disclose breaches of personal data to those affected. As such, it has become essential for businesses to protect themselves from the financial and reputational costs of cyber incidents. One solution to help organizations protect themselves is cyber insurance, despite the rising costs of cyber insurance, where the average  price in the U.S. rose 79%  in the second quarter of 2022. Also, with strict eligibility requirements that have emerged in response to risk and sharp spikes in successful breaches during and post-COVID-19, cyber insurance remains essential for organizations to protect sensitive customer information and their own data from falling into the wrong hands. While cyber insurance is not a one-size-fits-all solution and may not cover

The stakes could not be higher for cyber defenders. With the vast amounts of sensitive information, intellectual property, and financial data at risk, the consequences of a data breach can be devastating. According to a report released by  Ponemon institute , the cost of data breaches has reached an all-time high, averaging $4.35 million in 2022. Vulnerabilities in web applications are often the primary gateway for attackers. According to  a World Economic Forum report , just one week after discovering a critical security flaw in a widely used software library (Log4j), more than 100 attempts at exploiting the vulnerability were detected every minute. This illustrates how quickly malicious actors can take advantage of vulnerabilities, highlighting the urgency of regularly assessing and monitoring your system for any vulnerabilities or weak points. The complexity of addressing security challenges in today's digital world is further compounded by the rising use of open-source compo

Phishing, the theft of users' credentials or sensitive data using social engineering, has been a significant threat since the early days of the internet – and continues to plague organizations today,  accounting for more than 30% of all known breaches . And with the mass migration to remote working during the pandemic, hackers have ramped up their efforts to steal login credentials as they take advantage of the chaos and lack of in-person user verification.  This has led to the revival of the old-school technique of vishing, which, like phishing online, involves using social engineering over the phone to steal sensitive information. Vishing attacks have  been on the rise  as a result, with 69% of companies experiencing them in 2021, up from 54% in 2020. These attacks often take the form of job or tech support scams and can be incredibly convincing. In August 2020, the  FBI along with the CISA  issued a warning regarding remote users being targeted by attackers spoofing organizati

Any organization that handles sensitive data must be diligent in its security efforts, which include regular pen testing. Even a small data breach can result in significant damage to an organization's reputation and bottom line. There are two main reasons why regular pen testing is necessary for secure web application development: Security:  Web applications are constantly evolving, and new vulnerabilities are being discovered all the time. Pen testing helps identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers and allows you to fix them before they can do any damage. Compliance:  Depending on your industry and the type of data you handle, you may be required to comply with certain security standards (e.g., PCI DSS, NIST, HIPAA). Regular pen testing can help you verify that your web applications meet these standards and avoid penalties for non-compliance. How Often Should You Pentest? Many organizations, big and small,  have once a year pen testing cycle . But what