Penetration Testing | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

With the growing reliance on web applications and digital platforms, the use of application programming interfaces (APIs) has become increasingly popular. If you aren't familiar with the term, APIs allow applications to communicate with each other and they play a vital role in modern software development. However, the rise of API use has also led to an increase in the number of API breaches. These breaches occur when unauthorized individuals or systems gain access to an API and the data it contains. And as victims can attest, breaches can have devastating consequences for both businesses and individuals. One of the primary concerns with API breaches is the exposure of sensitive data. APIs often contain or provide access to personal or financial information, and if this data falls into the wrong hands, it can be used for fraudulent activities or identity theft. API breaches can also lead to severe reputational damage for businesses. Customers and stakeholders expect their informatio

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

Changes in the way we work have had significant implications for cybersecurity, not least in network monitoring. Workers no longer sit safely side-by-side on a corporate network, dev teams constantly spin up and tear down systems, exposing services to the internet. Keeping track of these users, changes and services is difficult – internet-facing attack surfaces rarely stay the same for long. But a secure working network is the backbone of every modern business, and with so many different attack vectors and entry points, relying on firewalls and point-in-time scanning is no longer enough. You need to understand how your firewalls are being changed in real-time, with real-world validation of how they're configured. You need continuous network monitoring. What needs protecting in your network? There is so much sprawl in today's corporate networks with remote working, cloud computing and third-party integrations, that it's no longer just the devices or systems that you have in your off

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

CISOs, security leaders, and SOC teams often struggle with limited visibility into all connections made to their company-owned assets and networks. They are hindered by a lack of open-source intelligence and powerful technology required for proactive, continuous, and effective discovery and protection of their systems, data, and assets. As advanced threat actors constantly search for easily exploitable vulnerabilities around the clock, CISOs are in pursuit of improved methods to reduce threat exposures and safeguard their assets, users, and data from relentless cyber-attacks and the severe consequences of breaches. In response to this need, an emerging solution addressing the most critical priorities at the initial stage of the attack chain has provided security leaders with a new tool to manage their most pressing threat exposures at their origin. Leading analyst firm Gartner Research describes the solution: "By 2026, organizations prioritizing their security investments based

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

Malicious actors are constantly adapting their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to adapt to political, technological, and regulatory changes quickly. A few emerging threats that organizations of all sizes should be aware of include the following: Increased use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning : Malicious actors are increasingly leveraging AI and machine learning to automate their attacks, allowing them to scale their operations faster than ever before. The exploitation of cloud-based technologies:  Cloud-based services are increasingly being targeted by malicious actors due to the lack of visibility and control over these platforms. Increased use of ransomware:  Ransomware is becoming a more popular method of attack, allowing malicious actors to monetize their operations quickly. According to  CompTIA , ransomware attacks grew by 41% in 2022, while identification and remediation for a breach took 49 days longer than average. Phishing attacks  also increas

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

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

Web applications, often in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS), are now the cornerstone for businesses all over the world. SaaS solutions have revolutionized the way they operate and deliver services, and are essential tools in nearly every industry, from finance and banking to healthcare and education.  Most startup CTOs have an excellent understanding of how to build highly functional SaaS businesses but (as they are not cyber security professionals) need to gain more knowledge of how to secure the web application that underpins it.  Why test your web applications?  If you are a CTO at a SaaS startup, you are probably already aware that just because you are small doesn't mean you're not on the firing line. The size of a startup does not exempt it from cyber-attacks – that's because hackers constantly scan the internet looking for flaws that they can exploit. Additionally, it takes only one weakness, and your customer data could end up on the internet. It takes ma

A nascent and legitimate penetration testing framework known as Nighthawk is likely to gain threat actors' attention for its Cobalt Strike-like capabilities. Enterprise security firm Proofpoint said it detected the use of the software in mid-September 2022 by a red team with a number of test emails sent using generic subject lines such as "Just checking in" and "Hope this works2." However, there are no indications that a leaked or cracked version of Nighthawk is being weaponized by threat actors in the wild, Proofpoint researcher Alexander Rausch  said  in a write-up. Nighthawk, launched in December 2021 by a company called MDSec, is analogous to its counterparts  Cobalt Strike ,  Sliver , and  Brute Ratel , offering a red team toolset for adversary threat simulation. It's licensed for £7,500 (or $10,000) per user for a year. "Nighthawk is the most advanced and evasive command-and-control framework available on the market," MDSec  notes . &qu