There’s a term to describe what happens to something that gets sucked into a black hole: “spaghettification.” The gravitational pull of a black hole is so forceful, that it is believed to stretch and compress objects into long thin shapes resembling spaghetti. SOC analysts spend their days trying to avoid being sucked into the black hole of overwhelming security events and alerts. They’re fighting to not be spaghettified.

‍This blog is part of a series about how to use Vanta and AWS to simplify your organization’s cloud security. To learn more about how to use Vanta and AWS, watch our Coffee and Compliance on-demand webinar. ‍‍ Amazon Web Services, or AWS, is one of the most popular cloud providers for organizations today — providing one of the most flexible and secure cloud environments available.

Kubernetes Service Account tokens are exploited in many attack chain scenarios. Learn how to mitigate these risks and secure your Kubernetes clusters effectively.

Part of being a part of the cybersecurity industry means looking ahead to the future and anticipating what’s to come. For most of us, we should expect a 2024 that is largely dominated by AI discussion. With the cybersecurity industry growing rapidly, AI is at the forefront of every organization’s cyber plans and plays an integral role in all technological advances.

In the underground cybercrime circles of the Dark Web, ransomware attacks are a particularly lucrative enterprise. These attacks are on the rise. And they’re disrupting the stalwart IT industry. The average cost of a ransom attack in 2023 was $1.54 million, almost double the previous year’s average. And research we gathered for The CISO Report show that 83% of organizations hit by a ransomware attack paid their attackers. Curious which industry is most likely to pay the ransom? Retail.

One study found that 65% of SaaS applications in use are unsanctioned. And 59% of IT professionals find SaaS sprawl challenging to manage. In other words, shadow IT risks are growing—but that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to hidden risks across today’s expanding attack surface. Missed software patches, outdated certificates, and stealth malware are some examples. Many security teams still struggle to keep their networks safe from ever-growing digital supply chains.

Welcome to 2024! A new year brings new change, so why not start 2024 with a rapid IT and security hygiene check? Read through the following list, keep a tally, and score your organization out of 10 on these mandatory items. If you don’t know the answer, it’s worth following up to find out.

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the network of physical objects – “things” – that connect and share data with the internet, other IoT devices and the cloud. IoT devices are often embedded with sensors, software and other technologies to exchange data with other devices and systems when connected to the internet. IoT devices include smart home devices like doorbell cameras and light bulbs.

With personal data or business communications, our vast digital footprint is vulnerable to malefactors. Consequently, safeguarding sensitive information has become a pressing concern for companies of all sizes. The cost of cybercrime was $8 trillion globally in 2023 and is projected to hit $10.5 trillion by 2025. This alarming statistic emphasizes the escalating threat and the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures.