Michelle is a freelance technology writer. She has created technical content for a range of brands and publications such as: IBM Security, GE Digital, HP Enterprise, TechTarget, & Business Insider.
The 13 Costliest Cyberattacks of 2022: Looking Back
2022 has shaped up to be a pricey year for victims of cyberattacks.
Cyberattacks continue to target critical infrastructures such as health systems, small government agencies and educational institutions. Ransomware remains a popular attack method for large and small targets alike. While organizations may choose not to disclose the costs associated with a cyberattack, the loss of consumer trust will always be a risk after any significant attack.
Don’t Wait To Embrace CISA’s Vulnerability Management Rules
Vulnerability management is the time-consuming process of finding and patching a seemingly unlimited number of potential risks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reports more than 23,000 new vulnerabilities for 2022, where more than 17,000 are classified as critical. For many organizations, simply prioritizing vulnerabilities becomes a monumental task on its own. The resulting backlog makes an attractive target for threat actors who strike before fixes roll out.
Emotional Blowback: Dealing With Post-Incident Stress
Cyberattacks are on the rise as adversaries find new ways of creating chaos and increasing profits. Attacks evolve constantly and often involve real-world consequences. The growing criminal Software-as-a-Service enterprise puts ready-made tools in the hands of threat actors who can use them against the software supply chain and other critical systems. And then there’s the threat of nation-state attacks, with major incidents reported every month and no sign of them slowing.
Amidst these growin...
Business continuity: Shifting from passive planning to active risk mitigation and ensuring resilience
This white paper discusses business continuity planning (BCP) ― a practice that guarantees continued business activities during a major disruption. In BCP, the first step is identifying assets, followed by formulating a clear plan to protect them. BCP also includes specific instructions, policies, and procedures for maintaining systems and operations
Securing home WiFi for older adults
Managing a home WiFi network can become a job on its own, especially when people aren't aware of today's cyber-security risks. This is often the case for older adults who are still mastering the use of digital devices. A recent study found that elderly people tend to be more trusting and less confident with technology, making them more vulnerable to malware and online fraud. They also often lack the basic technical knowledge required for things like connect...
What is wireless home automation?
What's it like to live in a fully automated home? Your lights switch on or off automatically depending on the time of day or number of occupants in a room. You can close your garage door remotely from an app on your smartphone and set your refrigerator to automatically order groceries when you're running low. You can even manage your home security system remotely when you’re not at home—and since these features are part of a larger network, you can control them all from one central location.
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10 Signs You're Computer Illiterate
We all like to think we are pretty savvy when it comes to computer technology. Bookmark this article and share with the computer illiterate in your life as necessary!
Computing and the web are changing at a rapid pace. The vast expanse of the digital world can be tough to tackle when there’s so much material to know. Chances are good you might be computer illiterate if you’re not quite familiar with these 10 concepts. Consider this a shortcut to help you on your way!
1. Multifactor authentica...
The Best Practices for Managing Cloud Applications
Moving services to the cloud might mean adopting a new way of thinking, in terms of managing them.
Multi-cloud application management is a key feature of application management today. Moving applications to the cloud has long been a matter of "when", rather than "if" as more options have become available over time.
Back in 2018, a reported 86% of large enterprise technology decision-makers said they were using a multi-cloud strategy. Multi-cloud adoption continued to increase year over year u...
What Is Customer Identity Access Management (CIAM)?
Customer identity access management (CIAM) solutions enable companies to manage more than just customer information. CIAM makes it possible to manage data-sharing consent, self-service customer registration, account management, single sign-on and multi-factor authentication (MFA) across channels (mobile, web, apps, etc.). So, what exactly is it? And how does it work?
CIAM is a method of securely managing customer information and access across systems and business units. For the business, it c...
Cybersecurity 101
Staying up-to-date on cybersecurity fundamentals is important year-round. Brush up on cyber hygiene basics with these “101” articles.
What Is the True Cost of a Health Care Data Breach?
The health care industry has remained the top data breach target for eleven years in a row. Highly sensitive and personally identifiable information (PII) held by health care systems is an attractive target. After all, it contains all the information used for identity theft. In addition, that data may be stored on less secure networks than systems in other highly regulated industries. Data protection becomes more complex in a health care environment where a large number of computers, devices ...
What Is Data Protection and Why Does it Matter?
Data is at the center of business. For many organizations, digital adoption drives strategy. Data is essential to meeting customer needs, responding to sudden market shifts and unforeseen events. That’s why data protection should be on your mind.
Enterprises generate large amounts of data from multiple sources. The sheer volume and detail of enterprise data created in the course of doing business requires ongoing attention to how you protect and maintain it. After all, your data is more than ...
Fix Shadow IT In Your Organization
Shadow IT can be potentially harmful to a company’s security protection, because it exists outside a company’s typical software and service approval and audit workflows. Shadow IT refers to information technology projects, applications and software used and managed outside of—and without the knowledge of—an IT department.
Employees unfamiliar with the way software works can easily end up giving a platform access to far more data than intended. These same users will not necessarily delve deepe...
What Is a Botnet Attack? A Guide for Security Professionals
What is a botnet attack, and how do you stop one? A botnet (derived from ‘robot network’) is a large group of malware-infected internet-connected devices and computers controlled by a single operator. Attackers use these compromised devices to launch large-scale attacks to disrupt services, steal credentials and gain unauthorized access to critical systems. The botnet command and control model allows the attacker(s) to take over operations of these devices in order to control them remotely. A...
How to Avoid Smishing Attacks Targeting Subscription Service Users
If you’re anything like me, you used delivery more during the pandemic than before. Both getting food brought to my door and meal kit boxes mean people don’t have to mask up and go out to the grocery store. But threat actors know that, too. Recent scams take advantage of people signing up for more services, disguising their data theft as company giveaways or delivery alerts. Phishing and its SMS cousin, smishing, continue to be popular ways of gaining access to digital systems, including busi...