Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Kroll Cyber Threat Intelligence analysts have identified a new strain of ransomware, named CACTUS, targeting large commercial entities since March 2023. The name “CACTUS” is derived from the filename provided within the ransom note, cAcTuS.readme.txt, and the self-declared name within the ransom note itself. Encrypted files are appended with.cts1, although Kroll notes the number at the end of the extension has been observed to vary across incidents and victims.

Cybersecurity is a critical concern for businesses of all sizes and industries. With the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, it's more important than ever to have a robust security strategy in place. However, many organizations lack the expertise or resources to manage their cybersecurity needs effectively. This is where professional services come in.

We have recently concluded the first quarter of 2023, and there have already been over 250 patches for the many components and flavours of Microsoft’s operating systems, as well as a handful of patches for Adobe, Apple, and Android. If you are a computer professional, you have also had to patch various other enterprise-class hardware and software assets in your environment. With all of the technology we have today, installing software updates has become a near-daily, full-time activity.

At Vanta, we’re on a mission to secure the internet and protect consumer data by transforming the way companies meet their security compliance and establish and deepen trust with their customers, vendors, and partners. Today we’re excited to share several announcements that help us achieve our mission.

Mobile app security is a critical aspect of any digital infrastructure. With our increasing need and reliance on smartphones as both communication and entertainment devices, mobile apps have become magnets for malicious actors. As such, companies like Google and Apple are implementing stringent measures to protect their app stores.

The RSA Conference 2023 addressed several key issues and trends in the cybersecurity industry. Generative AI was a key topic of discussion, with attendees, executives and policymakers seeing its potential in both offense and defense in the cybersecurity arms race.

Insider incidents, whether intentional or unintentional, can harm your organization in the form of financial and reputational losses, compliance violations and fines, and operational disruptions. What can you do to avoid this? How can you protect yourself against insider threats? The solution is simple: fortify your organization’s security processes with a carefully executed insider threat strategy.

The Metropolitan Opera is a well-established opera house that opened its doors in 1883 and has been putting on dozens of operas each year. The Met is an impressive establishment that employs more than 900 individuals, and it stores a substantial amount of customer data during its regular operations. This well-known opera house recently got hit by a data breach that puts its customers in real danger.

When it comes to cyber threats, few are as feared as Advanced Persistent Threats. An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is a sophisticated, highly targeted and often long-term cyberattack orchestrated by well-funded and highly skilled threat actors. In some cases, they’re even backed by governments: North Korea, Russia and China have all been caught orchestrating APT attacks in the past two years. APTs differ from traditional cyber threats, which are more persistent, targeted, and sophisticated.

The digital world is a lot like the Old West: lawless criminals are looking to take advantage of any bug, flaw or vulnerability to exploit. To combat the problems from these flaws, many organizations offer bounties to anyone who can find them before cybercriminals. Because bugs can be challenging to spot, bug bounty programs leverage ethical hackers' expertise to spot corporate software's flaws. Some of the largest corporations in the world, including Google, Microsoft, and the U.S.