Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Penetration testing, or pen testing for short, is a critical way to protect IT systems and sensitive data from malicious activity proactively. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how this technique works, business benefits, its types, methodologies, costs, and everything in between.

WDigest Authentication is a method used in Windows operating systems for verifying user credentials during authentication. It’s a way for computers to prove their identity to servers by storing a copy of the user’s plaintext password in memory. It uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) along with Simple Authentication Security Layer (SASL) exchanges for authentication purposes. The name “WDigest” comes from its function and purpose within the Windows operating system.

This is the final installment of our Microsoft Copilot for Security blog series. Over the past eight weeks, our weekly blog helped various cyber security groups see possible use cases for Microsoft Copilot for Security. This final blog explores how AI and Microsoft Copilot for Security can assist external auditors and consultants in interacting with Microsoft Purview. Azure Policy and Microsoft Purview work together to ensure the proper governance and compliance of data assets.

On Friday, April 12, 2024, Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS was found to have an OS command injection vulnerability (CVE-2024-3400). Due to its severity, CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog. Shortly after disclosure, a PoC was published.

31% of executives cite improper risk identification as their organizations’ top cybersecurity challenge. Reacting only to attacks leads to an average 118-day breach detection time, which can significantly impact business. Staying informed about cybersecurity risks is crucial. OWASP offers a list of common threats for testers, but some find them insufficient due to its crowdsourced nature.

Insider risk management targets threats from the very heart of an organization—its people. Whether intentional or accidental, actions by insiders like employees, contractors, or partners can lead to severe financial and reputational damage. And as high-profile incidents of corporate sabotage and intellectual property theft by insiders continue to make headlines, businesses can no longer afford to be complacent.

The Windows event log serves as a comprehensive and time-sequenced documentation of system, security, and application notifications. It’s maintained by the Windows operating system and utilized by network administrators for troubleshooting system issues and anticipating future challenges. This systematic recording of various system and application activities in event logs provide a chronological record of events that occur on the system, offering invaluable insights into its operation and health.

Security teams spend an average of 130 hours per week monitoring and tracking threats. 43% of cyber attacks are aimed at small businesses, while only 14% are prepared to defend themselves. Companies with more than 10,000 employees have the most critical-severity vulnerabilities. A vulnerability is an exploitable gap in your application's security. As your threat landscape increases, the attack surface and the number of vulnerabilities might also increase.