Selling to the Department of Defence or dealing with Export Controlled material? Discover how to manage the information security and compliance of ITAR and other regulated data.

Organizations that develop mobile apps need to be aware of the potential cyber security threats. These threats can lead to the loss of users' private data, which can have serious repercussions for industries like fintech, healthcare, ecommerce, etc. In order to prevent these malicious practices, Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), a security testing tool, has been introduced. It helps to weed out specific vulnerabilities in web applications whenever they run in the production phase.

Before we dive into the details of this vulnerability, we want to make it clear that there’s no need for panic. Many systems permit the use of various types of code in configuration files, and there are legitimate use cases to include string and variable interpolation in the configuration of applications and systems. This is not Log4Shell all over again. This is simple configuration manipulation.

Most developers don’t learn about secure coding in the college IT programs. And once they join the workforce, they often don’t have the time to learn about secure coding. The responsibility of training developers in secure coding best practices usually falls on security practitioners. Security practitioners are notoriously overworked, often lacking the bandwidth to train developers. Organizations are thus turning to AppSec learning experiences built specifically for development teams.

In January 2022, Microsoft announced that Excel 4.0 macros would be restricted by default, to protect users from malicious macros. In February 2022, Microsoft announced that VBA macros would also be blocked for files downloaded from the internet. Cybersecurity professionals and enthusiasts rejoiced at the news! Malicious Office documents were running rampant. Attackers abused Microsoft Office macros to deliver BazarLoader and Trickbot, and remote access trojans like AveMaria and AgentTesla.

The uptick in recent years in cyber attacks by rival state actors, primarily Russia and China but not only, as well as criminal groups, have pushed the US government to step up its effort to defend against these malicious actors. While much of the focus has been on external actors, there has also been an ongoing effort to secure government organizations from internal threat actors. Insiders present a serious risk because they have authorized access to be inside the organization.

A Readiness Assessment in general is an evaluation process that suggests whether or not an organization is compliant with a specific standard/regulation. The assessment helps determine gaps in security controls and demonstrates the effectiveness of controls to achieve compliance. The assessment works as a guide to identify and address the potential gaps in controls. The readiness assessment basically works as a test run for organizations looking to achieve compliance.