Cybersecurity

Mikko Hypponen, F-Secure’s Chief Research Officer, has a rule when it comes to electronic devices: “If it’s smart, it’s vulnerable.” Hypponen made this assertion over two years ago, and in that time it has become known as “Hypponen’s Law.” This law is becoming more applicable by the day, given the proliferation of smart technologies, which are increasingly present in both home and office environments, as well as in industrial settings.

Malicious threat actors commonly use legitimate IT network based tools against us – tools like Metasploit, PowerShell, PsExec, Nessus, and Shodan, that were originally developed to help defend and manage our networks. Following ongoing WaterISAC reporting, the NCCIC released an analysis report today illustrating the continued use of IT tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to gain footholds into our organizations.

Ping Identity conducted a survey of more than 3,000 people across the U.S., the U.K., France, and Germany to understand consumer sentiments and behaviors toward brands impacted by data breaches. They survey found that 78% of respondents would stop engaging with a brand online and 36% would stop engaging altogether if the brand had experienced a breach. Additionally, nearly half (49%) would not sign up and use an online service or application that recently experienced a data breach.

According to cyber threat detection and hunting firm Vectra’s Spotlight Report on Energy and Utilities, utility companies are more likely to have hackers target their IT systems than attack critical infrastructure. It noted there is a difference between attacks that probe IT networks for information and access about critical infrastructure versus attacks against ICS. "The two are interconnected, but the targeted assets are different," the report’s authors said. "Cyber-criminals have been testing and mapping-out attacks against energy and utilities networks for years.