A botnet is a network of infected devices known as bots, which are controlled by a single attacking party known as a bot herder. Botnets are made up of Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as computers, mobile devices, network routers and smart TVs. Botnets are used to carry out time-consuming cyber activities such as managing online chatrooms or tracking internal data. However, cybercriminals can use botnets for malicious purposes such as launching large-scale cyber attacks and stealing sensitive data.

Could you imagine our interstate highway system without roadway bridges? I don’t think anyone would argue that bridges are not an essential part of an effective ground transportation network. So it doesn’t surprise me that when I ask people what makes a highway bridge “good,” I get quick responses with pretty consistent answers: guardrails, proper lighting, clear signage, smooth driving surface, lane markings, load capacity, structural integrity, and so on.

Transforming what we learned in 2023 to new learning in 2024 will be an exciting and fulfilling journey. In 2023, we saw a huge surge in the use of AI, including cyberattacks utilizing AI and machine learning. We are also seeing an increased awareness in the need for application security posture management (ASPM). Snyk has also launched its own ASPM solution — Snyk AppRisk — designed to help AppSec teams implement, manage, and scale their security programs.

Veracode is pleased to announce the availability of a new Integrated Development Environment (IDE) Plugin for VS Code. Our new plugin combines both Veracode Static Analysis (SAST) and Software Composition Analysis (SCA) into a single plugin. This allows developers to quickly scan projects for security weaknesses and risks in both first-party code and third-party libraries.

History taught us that whistleblowers can expose the darkest secrets and wrongdoing of global enterprises, governments and public services; even prime ministers and presidents. Whistleblowers usually have a deep sense of justice and responsibility that drives them to favor the good of the many over their own. Often, their contribution is really appreciated only in hindsight.

For years, the BFSI industry has been a top target for cyberattackers. Yet, despite long-standing awareness of financial cyber risks, the problem is only getting worse as banks, insurance companies, FinTech businesses and other organizations that operate in the finance sector face a growing array of threats and risks. For example, threat actors are increasingly using financial organizations’ customers as a vector for attack.

For your organization to implement robust security policies, it must have clear information on the security risks it is exposed to. An effective IT security plan must take the organization’s unique set of systems and technologies into account. This helps security professionals decide where to deploy limited resources for improving security processes. Cybersecurity risk assessments provide clear, actionable data about the quality and success of the organization’s current security measures.

Update: Meta appears to be coming online again. Breaking news: 3 threat actor groups (Skynet, Godzilla, and Anonymous Sudan) have claimed to attack and shut down Facebook, Threads and Instagram. Users are being automatically logged out of Meta and being shown session expired messages. Then they are unable to log back in. Instagram is showing feed errors.