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Cyber attacks on e-commerce applications are a common trend in 2023 as e-commerce businesses become more omnichannel, they build and deploy increasingly more API interfaces, with threat actors constantly exploring more ways to exploit vulnerabilities. This is why regular testing and ongoing monitoring are necessary to fully protect web applications, identifying weaknesses so they can be mitigated quickly. In this article, we will discuss the recent Honda e-commerce platform attack, how it happened, and its impact on the business and its clients. In addition, to the importance of application security testing, we will also discuss the different areas of vulnerability testing and its various phases. Finally, we will provide details on how a long-term preventative solution such as  PTaaS  can protect e-commerce businesses and the differences between continuous testing (PTaaS) and standard pen testing. The 2023 Honda E-commerce Platform Attack Honda's power equipment, lawn, garden, and

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 a vCISO, you are responsible for your client's cybersecurity strategy and risk governance. This incorporates multiple disciplines, from research to execution to reporting. Recently, we published a comprehensive playbook for vCISOs, "Your First 100 Days as a vCISO – 5 Steps to Success" , which covers all the phases entailed in launching a successful vCISO engagement, along with recommended actions to take, and step-by-step examples.  Following the success of the playbook and the requests that have come in from the MSP/MSSP community, we decided to drill down into specific parts of vCISO reporting and provide more color and examples. In this article, we focus on how to create compelling narratives within a report, which has a significant impact on the overall MSP/MSSP value proposition.  This article brings the highlights of a recent guided workshop we held, covering what makes a successful report and how it can be used to enhance engagement with your cyber security clients.

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

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

The global cybersecurity market is flourishing. Experts at Gartner predict that the end-user spending for the information security and risk management market will grow from $172.5 billion in 2022 to $267.3 billion in 2026.  One big area of spending includes the art of putting cybersecurity defenses under pressure, commonly known as security testing. MarketsandMarkets forecasts the global penetration testing (pentesting) market size is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.7% from 2022 to 2027. However, the costs and limitations involved in carrying out a penetration test are already hindering the market growth, and consequently, many cybersecurity professionals are making moves to find an alternative solution. Pentests aren't solving cybersecurity pain points Pentesting can serve specific and important purposes for businesses. For example, prospective customers may ask for the results of one as proof of compliance. However, for certain challenges, this

SOC 2 may be a voluntary standard, but for today's security-conscious business, it's a minimal requirement when considering a SaaS provider. Compliance can be a long and complicated process, but a scanner like  Intruder  makes it easy to tick the vulnerability management box. Security is critical for all organisations, including those that outsource key business operations to third parties like SaaS vendors and cloud providers. Rightfully so, since mishandled data – especially by application and network security providers – can leave organisations vulnerable to attacks, such as data theft, extortion and malware. But how secure are the third parties you've entrusted with your data? SOC 2 is a framework that ensures these service providers securely manage data to protect their customers and clients. For security-conscious businesses – and security should be a priority for every business today – SOC 2 is now a minimal requirement when considering a SaaS provider. What SOC

Pentesting and vulnerability scanning are often confused for the same service. The problem is, business owners often use one when they really need the other. Let's dive in and explain the differences. People frequently confuse penetration testing and vulnerability scanning, and it's easy to see why. Both look for weaknesses in your IT infrastructure by exploring your systems in the same way an actual hacker would. However, there is a very important distinction between the two - and when each is the better option. Manual or automated? Penetration testing is a  manual  security assessment where cyber security professional attempts to find a way to break into your systems. It's a hands-on, in-depth test to evaluate security controls across a variety of systems, including web application, network and cloud environments. This kind of testing could take several weeks to complete, and due to its complexity and cost, is commonly carried out once a year. Vulnerability scanning,

With global cybercrime costs expected to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, according to Cybersecurity Ventures, it comes as little surprise that the risk of attack is companies' biggest concern globally. To help businesses uncover and fix the vulnerabilities and misconfigurations affecting their systems, there is an (over)abundance of solutions available.  But beware, they may not give you a full and continuous view of your weaknesses if used in isolation. With huge financial gains to be had from each successful breach, hackers do not rest in their hunt for flaws and use a wide range of tools and scanners to help them in their search. Beating these criminals means staying one step ahead and using the most comprehensive and responsive vulnerability detection support you can.  We'll go through each solution and explain how you can maintain your vigilance. Of course, vulnerability management is just one step businesses must take to prevent a breach; there's also proper

For years, the two most popular methods for internal scanning: agent-based and network-based were considered to be about equal in value, each bringing its own strengths to bear. However, with remote working now the norm in most if not all workplaces, it feels a lot more like agent-based scanning is a must, while network-based scanning is an optional extra. This article will go in-depth on the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, but let's wind it back a second for those who aren't sure why they should even do internal scanning in the first place. Why should you perform internal vulnerability scanning? While  external vulnerability scanning  can give a great overview of what you look like to a hacker, the information that can be gleaned without access to your systems can be limited. Some serious vulnerabilities can be discovered at this stage, so it's a must for many organizations, but that's not where hackers stop.  Techniques like phishing, targeted malware,

Unpatched software is a computer code containing known security weaknesses. Unpatched vulnerabilities refer to weaknesses that allow attackers to leverage a known security bug that has not been patched by running malicious code. Software vendors write additions to the codes, known as "patches," when they come to know about these application vulnerabilities to secure these weaknesses. Adversaries often probe into your software, looking for unpatched systems and attacking them directly or indirectly. It is risky to run unpatched software. This is because attackers get the time to become aware of the  software's unpatched vulnerabilities  before a patch emerges. A  report  found that unpatched vulnerabilities are the most consistent and primary ransomware attack vectors. It was recorded that in 2021,  65  new vulnerabilities arose that were connected to ransomware. This was observed to be a twenty-nine percent growth compared to the number of vulnerabilities in 2020.  Gr