Articles of interest from the week of July 19, 2021

A Risk Management Cybersecurity Imperative For State, Local & Tribal Governments

The cyber-attack using the SolarWinds vulnerability raised alarms throughout the federal government as many agency networks data were presumably compromised. The extent of the damage from Solar Winds (and other recent breaches) are still being investigated and mitigated. The cyber breach not only impacted federal systems, but also state, local, and Tribal governments (SLTG) and databases. The Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), posted on its website that, the SolarWinds hacking campaign was “impacting enterprise networks across federal, SLTG governments, as well as critical infrastructure entities and other private sector organizations.”. (By Chuck Brooks, Forbes) Ingalls: There is today an over-reliance on, and a false sense of security derived from, software technology that promises to do everything, to fix everything, and to replace people and process, and other critical components of proper risk management. Cybersecurity is only as successful as the skilled people responsible for using a mature, functioning process to manage risk and the use of technology (including software) as one part of that risk management process. Contact us today to let us help you understand your cybersecurity risk so it can be properly managed.

Law Firm for Ford, Pfizer, Exxon Discloses Ransomware Attack

Campbell Conroy & O'Neill, a law firm that represents hundreds of major organizations, has confirmed a data privacy incident related to a ransomware attack detected earlier this year. (By Dark Reading)  Ingalls: Remember, whether you’re facing a data exposure incident, a business email compromise, or a dreaded ransomware attack, there are steps that you can take to help your organization respond and, hopefully, recover from this incident. For more information please read our blog post, How To Respond When You’ve Been Breached.

Kaseya Hacked via Authentication Bypass

The Kaseya ransomware attack is believed to have been down to an authentication bypass. Yes, ransomware needs to be on your radar -- but good authentication practices are also imperative. (By Don Tait, Dark Reading) Ingalls: The most effective way to avoid having your account information can be stolen, which can lead to a breach, is by enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (or MFA) and avoid reusing passwords. Here's some more information on why you need to deploy advanced user account protections like MFA.

Phishing, Ransomware Driving Wave of Data Breaches

Data compromises have increased every month this year except May.

If that trend continues, or even if there is only an average of 141 new compromises per month for the next six months, the total will still exceed the previous high of 1,632 breaches set in 2017. (By Nathan Eddy, Security Boulevard) Ingalls: Our Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service is designed for advanced detection, threat hunting, anomaly detection, and response guidance utilizing a defense-in-depth approach that monitors and correlates network activity with endpoints, logs, and everything in between. Unlike a traditional Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), our service is geared toward proactive prevention. We do this by utilizing the very latest in cloud, big data analytics technology, and machine learning along with the cybersecurity industry’s leading incident response team, to identify threats to your environment.

Ransomware Fallout Is Devastating and Could Often Be Avoided, Study Finds

Ransomware victims face tightened budgets, lost productivity, and other problems. In most cases, new post-attack security measures could have prevented the ransomware attack if implemented beforehand. (By Brandon Vigliarolo, Tech Republic) Ingalls: The traditional strategy of firewalls, antivirus software and applying security patches is no longer enough to protect your organization against today’s threats. Ingalls Information Security understands the Ransomware threat. Since 2010, we’ve been in war rooms and boardrooms, investigating computer networks targeted and attacked by criminals and nation-state sponsored hackers. This experience gives us a powerful edge in preventing and responding to cyberattacks. Are you prepared to defend against ransomware?