Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

A customer walks into a bank, asks a question at the information desk, and then leaves. Later that day an operations manager notices an unmarked USB device left on the counter. He doesn’t remember who might have left it, so he plugs it into his computer to see if he can potentially spot the owner. As the USB loads, the malware shuts down the entire system, while the hackers get the bank’s customers’ account details.

What do data protection and the perfect vodka martini have in common? Quite a bit. For one thing, they’re both comforting to have around when things go wrong. More importantly, they're both made up of multiple ingredients and need premium products to work well together. It doesn’t matter how much flair you bring to serving that cocktail – without high-quality products and the right technique, you’re essentially serving a few ounces of vodka and vermouth.

NIST’s timely new release of Special Publication (SP) 800-172 (formerly referred to in draft form as 800-171B) provides exactly what its title says, Enhanced Security Requirements for Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information: A Supplement to NIST SP 800-171. Yet it goes a step further to protect controlled unclassified information (CUI) specifically from APTs.

Hot on the heels of 'Dearcry'[1], yet another ransomware threat has been observed as targeting Microsoft Exchange servers vulnerable to recently reported critical vulnerabilities[2]. Dubbed 'Black KingDom', this ransomware threat has reportedly been deployed through a web-shell that is installed on vulnerable Microsoft Exchange servers following the exploitation of the vulnerability chain that results in both remote code execution (RCE) and elevated privileges.

SD-WAN and MPLS are two technologies that are often perceived as either-or solutions. For many organizations, however, SD-WAN and MPLS can complement each other. This article will define and compare the technologies, explaining how, in many cases, they work together. We’ll also explore SD-WAN’s popularity and its role in enabling modern security architectures like SASE.

SMB stands for Server Message Block, once known as Common Internet File System, is a communication protocol for providing shared access between systems on a network. At a high level, it is a set of rules adopted to share files, printers in a network. SMB is a file sharing protocol that involves computers communicating with each other in a local network. This local network could be a small business within the same office or a multi-national company with offices around the globe connected to each other.

SQL injection is one of the most dangerous vulnerabilities for online applications. It occurs when a user adds untrusted data to a database query. For instance, when filling in a web form. If SQL injection is possible, smart attackers can create user input to steal valuable data, bypass authentication, or corrupt the records in your database. There are different types of SQL injection attacks, but in general, they all have a similar cause.

A selection of this week’s more interesting vulnerability disclosures and cyber security news. For a daily selection see our twitter feed at #ionCube24. Wow, pretty much everything out in the clear. Oh boy.