Industry Resource - Jul 2018

Companies Are Struggling With Security Automation Study

According to a recent Ponemon Institute report entitled The Challenge of Building the Right Security Automation Architecture, the growing threat cybersecurity landscape and security skills gap will require organizations to implement automation to create more effective security posture. Survey respondents agreed that security automation will improve productivity, better handle the growing volume of threats and decrease the number of false positives. The top two reported benefits of security automation are increased productivity of security personnel and automated correlation of threat behavior to address the volume of threats. Over half of respondents noted that these automation technologies can simplify the process of detecting and responding to cyber threats and vulnerabilities.
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The Top 10 Phishing Lines Luring Employees

According to a recent report from UK-based security software firm Sophos, almost half of all organizations experience daily phishing attacks. Over three quarters experience a phishing attack at least once a month. The report also noted that cybercriminals use social engineering to exploit human weaknesses. Worse, every employee is a target. Along with personnel connected to company finances, cybercriminals also target those who manage business processes and IT controls, putting organizations at risk for ransomware and extortion. In short, anyone who receives emails is at risk. Sophos Phish Threat, a simulation and training tool that teaches staff members how to spot phishing emails ,indicates that individuals are most likely to ...
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Hacking Campaign Targets iPhone Users With Data-Stealing, Location-Tracking Malware

A new mobile malware campaign is targeting iPhones by enticing users to download malware disguised as an open-source mobile device management (MDM) software package. The malware gives attackers complete control of the device and the ability to install fake versions of real apps. Once installed, the hackers can steal sensitive information such as phone number, serial number, location, contact details, user's photos, SMS, and Telegram and WhatsApp chat messages.
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Cisco Patches Critical Vulnerabilities in Policy Suite

Cisco released fixes to set of critical vulnerabilities in Policy Suite. The vulnerabilities enabled attackers to cause havoc in the software's databases. Cisco recently released a security advisory detailing four vulnerabilities which could place enterprise users at risk of information leaks, account compromise and database tampering. Unpatched systems could be subject to unauthorized connections to the Policy Builder database, unauthenticated logins using a root account, unauthorized changes to existing repositories and the creation of new repositories and remote unauthorized direct access to the Open Systems Gateway initiative (OSGi) interface
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Microsoft Releases New Windows 10 Preview with Edge, Fluent, Display, And Registry Editor Improvements

Microsoft recently released a preview of the Windows 10 update. It includes improvements to Edge, Skype, Diagnostic Data Viewer, Task Manager and other features. This represents the Windows 10 update planned for release later this year. In the update Edge received richer learning tools in Reading View, the ability to change the color for parts of speech, and a line focus option to improve focus while reading an article by highlighting sets of one, three, or five lines. There s also a new consent box for saving Autofill data and PDF toolbar improvements.
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Project Fuchsia : Google Is Quietly Working on a Successor to Android

It was recently revealed that a small group of Google engineers has been working on software that will eventually replace Android. The project, known as Fuchsia, was created from scratch to improve the performance Android as more connected devices come online. The goal is to better accommodate voice interactions and frequent security updates and to look the same across a range of connected devices. Google started quietly posting code online in 2016, has allowed some third party app developers tinker with bits of the open-source code. Google has also begun to experiment with applications for the system, including interactive screen displays and voice commands for YouTube.
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Study Warns Of Rising Hacker Threats To SAP, Oracle Business Software

According to a study published by two cyber security firms several companies and government agencies have been targeted and thousands more are exposed to data breaches by hackers exploiting unpatched security flaws in SAP and Oracle software. Systems at two government agencies and companies in the media, energy and finance sectors were attacked after failing to install the recommended patches. In an alert entitled Malicious cyber activity targeting ERP applications , the Homeland Security s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center highlighted signs of increasing hacker focus on ERP applications.
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Why Software Asset Management (SAM) Is So Often Overlooked By CIOs

Software asset management (SAM) is a long-time key IT management practice; it is often regarded as a tedious necessity to complete the to-do list. Instead it should be regarded as an opportunity to add value to the business. The cost of fines for license non-compliance can be enormous, and audits can cost businesses thousands. However, there is more to SAM than avoiding fines. Businesses need to start strategizing ways to benefit from SAM. By changing the prevailing attitude regarding software management, IT teams can reduce budgetary waste and better streamline software use across the entire organization
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Why Automation is Set to Transform Software Asset Management

Software licensing management tasks, such as the gathering, consolidating, and normalizing of software install and usage data, and the cross referencing of that data with software license entitlement, are critical for insuring software license compliance. Organizations with larger IT budgets often procure an automated Software Asset Management (SAM) solution. All too often smaller companies don t deploy a SAM tool. However, regardless of the size of the organization, or its IT budget, it has been discovered that over 70% of SAM Managers spend most of their time on transactional license management tasks. Those tasks could actually be completed in less time, and more accurately, through automation.
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Five Ways CIOs Need To Change To Survive In a Software Driven World

Software has become one of the most invaluable assets for any enterprise and it will continue to change the way most companies operate. It is also true that the software supply chain is complex, making it hard to really understand what s was actually licensed. Consequently too businesses often pay for software they don t need, costing companies worldwide tens of billions of dollars a year. Companies need to have a good understanding of what software they already have and what licenses they own. Only then can they decide what they need, what they don t, and make full use of their resources to save money. It s also critical that CIOs realize that this practice not become a single a point-in-time view. Properly used Software Asset Management allows them to examine company growth, pinpoint any potential stagnation and to act strategically.
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Security 101: 4 Simple Steps to Avoid a Software Attack

According to the Vulnerability Review 2018 Global Trends, in 2017 software vulnerabilities increased nearly 15% per cent as compared to 2016 That constitutes the highest vulnerability level to date and carries with it a huge financial and operational impact. Even if an organization goes without a successful breach, events related to exploitation of known vulnerabilities run into the millions each year. These risks highlight the need for organizations To mitigate these risks and their impact on the organization firms need to adopt processes and tools that provide insight on where to take action. Companies need to have an in depth knowledge of what software it operates and the degree to which that software is up-to-date. Without that basic information, it s impossible to protect the IT systems from attack. However, with the scope of software used in today s organizations, developing inventory can be difficult. Software Asset Management (SAM) tools and technology to automate the process of discovering and creating an inventory of their software (and hardware) assets throughout the organization..
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Will Agencies Tame Their Software, Telecom Inventories Ahead Of 2020?

As the federal government pursues IT modernization, agencies must complete comprehensive inventories of their software licenses and telecommunication assets. A complete inventory is a critical component of the government s goal of modernizing its collective information technology. Without a thorough understanding of what s on their networks, agencies could be open both cybersecurity and mission support vulnerabilities. However, despite a law compelling agencies to document their software licenses, 14 agencies failed the metric on the most recent FITARA scorecard. And a quarterly report on modernization milestones under the President s Management Agenda found last week that software asset management had digressed from its previous report. Development of the software license inventories is also required as part implementation of General Services Administration s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract. The next-generation telecommunications program, scheduled to go live in 2020, requires agencies to identify their current assets before adding new technology to the network.
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A Bluetooth Flaw Could Allow Hackers to Steal Your Data

A research paper entitled Breaking the Bluetooth Pairing Fixed Coordinate Invalid Curve (https://www.cs.technion.ac.il/~biham/BT/bt-fixed-coordinate-invalid-curve-attack.pdf ) reveals a vulnerability in the Bluetooth wireless standard that enables attackers to capture and manipulate data exchanged over a Bluetooth connection. According to the Ars Technica report entitled Decade-Old Bluetooth Flaw Lets Hackers Steal Data Passing Between Devices, accessible information includes virtually all data stored on a device. Hackers access to the data by forcing a device to use a known pairing key. For instance, when pairing a phone with a computer, users may be prompted to enter a five-digit code. Hackers leverage that code to intercept information when you the devices are paired again.
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New Spectre Attack Can Remotely Steal Secrets, Researchers Say

In a recent paper entitled NetSpectre: Read Arbitrary Memory Over Network https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4619513-NetSpectre.html researchers have described a new variant of the Spectre vulnerability which can remotely steal data from vulnerable systems.
Previously, in order to exploit Intel, AMD, and ARM processors an attacker would have to run malicious code on an affected device. With NetSpectre, an attacker can pummel a target device with malicious network traffic without running any code on the system. NetSpectre exploits a weakness in how chips speculatively predict where memory is stored to speed up processing. The attack can be used to leak memory content, which could include proprietary data such as encryption keys or passwords.
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At T-Minus 18 Months, Windows 7 Still Powers 184M Commercial Pcs

According to Microsoft, over 180 million PCs in use at in small and mid-sized businesses, large corporations and in government agencies are still running Windows 7, which will no longer be supported by the year 2020. That number excluded China, but included all other markets. The largest installed base of commercial PCs with Windows 7 is in the U.S. Twenty-five percent, or about 46 million PCs are still running the software. However, using share data Computerworld estimates that there are nearly 400 million PCs still using the older OS. That estimate is more than twice Microsoft's number, raising the question if China has more than 200 million Windows 7 PCs.
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Industry Resource - Jun 2018

Employees Are Ill-Prepared For Phishing Emails: Study

According to a new study from Barracuda, many companies that have been successfully phished haven t trained their employees on how to combat phishing attacks. Of the firms surveyed, over three quarters have anti=phishing training programs in place. But nearly a quarter do not. The report notes that nearly 85% believe that the biggest security concern is poor employee behavior, including carelessness, use of personal emails and devices and disregarding policies. Less than 20% cite inadequate tools that are not adequate for fighting email threats, false positives and team distractions. There s no question that email phishing attacks are dangerous and can have significant serious fiscal consequences:
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Experts Warn Massive Malware Network Linked To Russia Is More Widespread

Cybersecurity experts at Cisco s threat intelligence arm Talos are warning that a sophisticated Russia-linked hacking campaign has infected more devices than previously reported. Their findings show that the dangerous malware, labeled VPNFilter, has not only compromised more routers in small or home offices, but it also has more capabilities than they had initially discovered. according to a Wednesday Talos blog post "We have seen that VPNFilter is targeting more makes/models of devices than initially thought, and has additional capabilities, including the ability to deliver exploits to endpoints." The hackers are also targeting home network vendors like ASUS, D-Link, Huawei, Ubiquiti, UPVEL and ZTE.
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The Threat Is Real: Protecting Your Systems from Cyberattacks

While physical safety is still important, in automated manufacturing environments, industrial risk now must also include concerns about protecting industrial control systems (ICS) from cyber threats. One of the most significant threats to industrial systems in is encryption ransomware attacks. The global Wanna Cry and ExPetr ransomware attacks taught both security experts and cybercriminals that operational technology systems are more vulnerable to attack than information technology systems.
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Cisco Fixes Critical Bug That Exposed Networks To Hackers

A "critical"-rated bug found in Cisco's Secure Access Control System (ACS) could have allowed hackers to remotely break into corporate networks. The bug was found in the code that system administrators use to authenticate users across a network. The vulnerability had a 9.8 out of 10 score on the common vulnerability severity rating. Security researchers at Positive Technologies, which reported the bug to Cisco, noted that bug could have allowed an attacker to gain near-unfettered access to a corporate network. According to Positive technology, an attacker on the network could collect or modify the credentials of users on network devices and use it to execute man-in-the-middle attacks. If a device was accessible to the internet, titwould be at far greater risk of remote attacks.
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6 Reasons To Leverage Cloud Technology

Organizations have historically relied on on-premises data-systems to run applications or store data. Currently, many organizations are considering cloud-computing for deployment of data workloads. With its usage- based model with unlimited scalability and no hardware investment costs, cloud computing provides new levels of business agility for IT, developers, and data scientists. As cloud adoption grows, hybrid cloud solutions are gaining traction. Following are some of the top reasons to leverage cloud technology for your complex processing jobs: 1) scale computing needs without additional hardware, 2) reduce cost of innovation, 3) only pay for what you need, 4) use the right configuration for the job, 5) draw insights from data as it resides in the cloud and 6) simplify IT operations.
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Good IT Asset Management Can Answer Far More Than Just IT Problems

As IT Asset Management (ITAM) is an integral part of IT, and virtually every part of an organization is impacted by IT, using ITAM as a nosiness tool will make a business more effective overall. The ubiquity of IT can become overwhelming, however breaking the management of IT Assets down into smaller chunks can make the overall process easier to deal with. One study suggests that an ideal ITAM program has weigh-in from several stakeholders. And when these departments communicate the business can become more efficient. By recognizing the intrinsic value of an enterprise s assets the company will handle the assets differently and more effectively.
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Vendors Are Shipping Android Devices with Diagnostic Port Exposed

Android devices with open port setups that leave many products open to attack are being shipped worldwide. The port in question is a key component of the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) feature), which allows developers to remotely communicate with devices to and execute commands. It is used for diagnostic and debugging purposes. Unsecured, , ADB provides a path for cyberattacks. Vendors are supposed to secure the port; however, many companies do not. Security researchers discovered a worm, labeled ADB.Miner, that was exploiting the ADB interface to spread malware and hijack the victims devices.
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IT Asset Management: Are You Taking Painkillers or Vitamins?

Being proactive in IT asset management (ITAM) requires a company to know what IT assets it has, who is using them and how they are used. This proactive approach enables IT pros to avoid crisis situations, often involving software license renewals, critical software upgrades and end-of-life decisions for hardware. This article provides suggestions that will create a healthier, more cost efficient and more powerful ITAM platform in any organization:
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Unlicensed Software a Security Risk: BSA Research

According to recent research by BSA, unlicensed software increases the risk of cyberattacks. As CIOs reported and as information the BSA survey confirms, use of unlicensed software, exposes organizations to often-crippling security threats. BSA released the 2018 Global Software Survey: Software Management: Security Imperative, Business Opportunity to provide IT pros with a better understanding of the implications of using unlicensed software. Victoria Espinel, President and CEO of BSA noted that Organizations around the world are missing out on the economic and security benefits that well-managed software provides. Businesses should establish software asset management (SAM) programs to evaluate and manage the software on their networks. This, in turn, helps organizations reduce the risk of debilitating cyberattacks and helps grow their revenues.
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APAC Computer Users Most Vulnerable To Cyberattacks Due to High Percentage Of Unlicensed Software Use

According to a recent BSA report the Asia Pacific region has the world s highest percentage rate of unlicensed software use and greatest amount of financial losses. Computer users in the region remain highly vulnerable to the risks of cyberattacks linked with the use of unlicensed software. The survey found that in the Asia Pacific region, nearly 60% of software installed on computers in 2017 was unlicensed. The commercial value of unlicensed software in the region remains the highest in the world. Worldwide, nearly 40% of software installed on computers in 2017 is not properly licensed, with losses of nearly US$50 billion.
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This 30-Second Change To Your Computer Settings Is The Easiest Way To Stop Hackers

According to Juniper Research, cybercrime is projected to become a $2 trillion a year business by 2019. Many cybercrimes start with a phishing attack. However, change the Domain Name System (DNS) that a computer uses is an easy way to block these attacks. Most computers connect to the DNS that s set by their internet service providers, however there are safer alternatives. Mukul Kumar, chief information security officer at Cavirin, recommends changing theDNS service to one of a handful of alternative options from either Google, security company Cloudflare, or Quad9. All of these services are free.
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Apple to Undercut Popular Law-Enforcement Tool for Cracking iPhones

Apple recently announced that it is working to protect all customers, especially in countries where phones are readily obtained by police or by criminals with extensive resources. Apple will change default settings in the iOS to prevent communication through the USB port when the phone has not been unlocked in the past hour. The USB port is how machines made by forensic companies connect and work around the security provisions that limit how many password guesses can be made before the device freezes them out or erases data. The new code will make it impossible to run code on the devices after the hour is up.
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This New Android Malware Delivers Banking Trojan, Keylogger and Ransomware

A new form of Android malware, still under development, delivers a banking trojan, a keylogger and ransomware to those unfortunate to fall victim to it. It was discovered the security company ThreatFabric. Initially the malware was believed to be an updated version of Lokibot. However it contains enough new features for researchers to consider it as a new form of malware called MysteryBot. The new malware is also potent, with the trojan able to control the functionality of the infected devices, including the ability to read messages and collect contact information.
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Microsoft Adds Resiliency, Redundancy, Security to Windows Server 2019

Microsoft will add resiliency and redundancy enhancements to the Shielded Virtual Machines security controls included in Windows Server 2019. Shielded VM enhancements in Window Server 2019 will provide real-time failback configurations and host- and policy-based security improvements. Host key attestation has also been added to Windows Server 2019, which provides a certificate-based solution allowing organizations to store keys using standard certificate-storage mechanisms.
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The State of Data Center Management As A Service In 2018

Commissioned by Intel, s new report entitled, The State of Data Center Management as a Service in 2018 shows that organizations must allocate additional money and resources to upgrade data center management infrastructure to achieve operational efficiency as the use of data center management solutions mature. Alternatively the organization must change the paradigm completely and leverage cloud enabled services. An on-premise solution offers consistent and secure data collection, reporting and alerting. In contrast Data Center Management as a Service (DMaaS) is an easy-to-use, low- cost cloud-based solution providing IT professionals the ability to monitor their data center infrastructure incrementally, receive real-time insights, and prevent potential failures.
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Do Remote Workers Increase Your Chance Of A Data Breach? 86% of CXOs Say Yes

According to Shred-it's State of the Industry Report most C-Suite executives and small business owners bele9ive that cyber security risks increase with the number of remote workers employed by the company. Nearly half of CXOs and small business owners cited accidental loss or employee negligence as the top reason for data breaches. Shred-it vice president Monu Kalsi noted that "The study's findings clearly show that seemingly small habits can pose great security risk and add up to large financial, reputational and legal risks."
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WannaCrypt Ransomware Scam Demands Payment In Advance!

There is a new approach to ransomware. Instead of encrypting files and demanding a ransom for their return, scammers are promising not to do so it f they are paid in advance. This
WannaCrypt threat email is very widespread, however the good news is that these cybercriminals don t actually have any malware to back up their threat. Their claim that antivirus software will not be able to detect [the] program is accurate simply because there is no program to detect.
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Automation s Helping Hand in Software Asset Management

With the help of automated software asset management (SAM) tools, IT pros spend less time on tedious, repetitive administrative tasks and more time on the business-critical work that directly benefits the organization. Human input is still required to ensure quality output, but SAM tools speed up these processes and standardize the way in which they are executed.
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Manage Software Assets to Manage Cyber Threats

Software comprises a significant percentage of and organization s IT budget However; too often software licenses are improperly managed and tracked. Consequently, organizations do not realize the optimum benefits from these software licenses. Asa result software asset management (SAM) practices have been included within the broader scope of IT asset management (ITAM) to integrate the policies, processes, technology, and people for managing software assets. Along with minimizing legal and contractual risks from the use of unlicensed software, companies who have implemented SAM also reap benefits in the areas of cost control and IT security.
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How the Emerging IoT Will Prompt Asset Management Issues

Gartner forecasts that by the beginning to the next decade IoT technology will be enabled in nearly all of electronics for new product designs. In addition, many company s digital transformation plans are dependent upon IoT. Bain predicts business-to-business IoT segments will generate more than $300 billion annually by 2020. Consumer applications, including smart homes and self-driving vehicles are expected generate $150 billion in that same timeframe. But, what impact does this have on software asset management (SAM)? Can IoT devices be managed in the same way as traditional computers, laptops, mobile devices, and software? Should the SAM function even get involved in IoT initiatives? SAM must be included in all IoT decisions because IoT devices will bring with them the issues of security, data privacy, and service sustainability. By planning ahead and ensuring SAM-related IoT issues are addressed early, companies will be able to manage potentially damaging situations as they proceed with any digital transformation efforts.
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A Good Software License Policy Is the Best Defense against the Threat Of Audits

Maintaining compliance with software licenses can be a daunting task. Due to the availability of file-sharing services, end users have become used to copying software, as it is easy and convenient to do. Historically, in response to the practice the software industry has tried to raise awareness about the illegality of copying software. The burden of compliance rests with the company and in cases where the firm ignores its responsibility for software licensing; it faces the cost of complying with a software audit. An effective software asset management (SAM) tool can prevent, or reduce, the cost and inconvenience of such an audit.
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Printer Asset Management Managing Printers & their Vendors

Printers are a component of nearly every IT asset base or network. Consequently they need to be managed according to a firm s established asset management standards and objectives.
Many organizations work to streamline printer support of printers through helpdesk integration services and improved integration/configuration management. They also work to reduce the cost printers and output devices through governance and better vendor management. One method of printer cost management is a routine verification of vendor invoices using device utilization reporting, a core ITAM practice. Printer-relates cost savings can also be achieved by improving end-user habits through the development and use of a Print Policy, combined with the standardization of hardware and print drivers.
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New Windows 10 Vulnerability Bypasses OS Defenses, Says Security Researcher

According to new security research Windows 10 users are vulnerable to hackers who can exploit a file format in order to bypass key defenses in the software. Security firm Specter Ops security discovered that the SettingContent-ms file type can be used to run arbitrary, and potentially dangerous code. The malicious code could be run on a target computer by convincing a user to open a Word document that contains an embedded .SettingContent-ms file. This embedded file would include a link to the arbitrary code. Neither the OLE protections nor the Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) defenses offered by Windows 10 with Windows Defender stopped the code being executed.
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Thanatos Ransomware: Free Decryption Tool Released For Destructive File-Locking Malware

Thanatos ransomware started attacking Windows systems in February of 2018. Since then multiple versions of it have been released, with all remaining an active threat. Thanatos is delivered to victims in the form of an email attachment. However attackers have also distributed the ransomware by the voice and text chat application Discord. Like other ransomware Thanatos demands a payment in cryptocurrency. However, unlike other ransomware even if the victim does give into the ransom demand, problems with the Thanatos encryption process prevent the data being returned to the victim. To combat the destruction caused by lost files researchers at Cisco Talos have built and released ThanatosDecryptor, a free tool for decrypting the files. The tool is available to download and works on all current versions of the ransomware. In order decrypt files across a network as quickly as possible, Cisco Talos researchers recommend that ThanatosDecryptor be run on the originally infected machine.
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Report: Bot Attacks Going Mobile

According to new report from Distil Networks, malicious bot attacks are increasing and malicious bot networks are running on six of the major US mobile ISPs. Cybercriminals are using mobile devices, which may not be recognized by website defense systems, to commit fraud, steal data, and run DDoS attacks. In addition, as a re34sult of the large number of cellular gateway requests, malicious bot traffic can be difficult to identify and then block. The report notes that about 8% of malicious bot traffic is now coming from mobile devices. Just over 40% of mobile ISP gateways have been used in malicious bot attacks. On average, about 15 malicious bot devices are making requests on each cellular gateway IP each day.
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Industry Resource - May 2018

A Remote Hack Hijacks Android Phones Via Electric Leaks in Their Memory

Hackers have recently discovered a way to use Rowhammer against Android phones over the internet. Rowhammer is a hacking technique that manipulates the physical electric charge in memory chips to corrupt data in unexpected ways. In a recent paper, researchers in the VUSec research group at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam detail a new form of the Rowhammer attack they call "GLitch." GLitch uses Rowhammer's method of inducing electric leaks in memory to create "bit flips." changing ones to zeros and vice versa in the stored data. The new technique enables a hacker to run malicious code on some Android phones when the victim simply visits a carefully crafted web page. GLitch is the first ever remote, smartphone-targeted implementation of a Rowhammer attack, breaking practically every computer security model.
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Securing Legacy Plant Equipment

Newer manufacturing plant equipment is designed to be networked and is equipped with cyber protection technology. However, legacy plant equipment is not. Protecting decades-old equipment is critical as the expected life of of industrial equipment is measured in decades.
Security companies are developing methods to enable cybersecurity on networks that include older plant equipment. Strategies include bringing everything on the plant network up to enterprise security standards. Gabe Authier, senior product manager for industrial cyber security at Tripwire noted that We re not just looking at the network layer. We re looking into level one and level two, including the devices directly in line with the production equipment in manufacturing facilities. One approach is to use the IEC 62243 standard to make adjustments on the floor, including adjustments to the firmware of devices because they re so old. Then you start looking at upgrading hardware on the plant floor to adhere to shop floor policies.
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Seven Strategies to Keep Your Company Data Safe When an Employee Leaves

In an environment where high-profile cyberattacks are a daily threat, most firms are focused on preventing external hackers from breaking into their systems and stealing their data. While hackers clearly present a threat, an even bigger threat is found inside the company; its own employees. One study reported that over 30% of U.S. and U.K. office workers still have access to their former company's data and systems after leaving the company. Consequently, malicious individuals can use their access to break into their ex-employer s network However, there are seven steps that an HR professional can take to keep the company protected from departing employees. These include: 1) practice good onboarding when hiring, 2) creating clear company policies and offering compliance training, 3) creating a corporate culture of security, 4) proactively managing employee access points using an off-boarding checklist, 5) ensuring remote access to all employee devices, 6) providing a great day-to-day employee experience and 7) becoming an organized, communicative conductor of the exit process.
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Thousands of Companies Are Still Downloading the Vulnerability That Wrecked Equifax

In the year following the great Equifax data breach, thousands of companies have continued to introduce the same security vulnerabilities that impacted Equifax into their computer networks. According to data from Sonatype, a Goldman Sachs-backed cybersecurity startup that tracks code pulled by software developers, over 10,00 organizations, including more than half of the Fortune Global 100, have downloaded known-to-be-vulnerable versions of Apache Struts. Apache Struts is the popular, open source software package that attackers targeted to loot data from Equifax s servers.
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Here's What Those New Full-Page Warnings in Chrome Mean

Google Chrome will display a full-page warning whenever a user accesses a website without an SSL certificate that is registered with a public certificate log. SSL is the main cryptographic standard by which HTTPS connections are secured. An SSL certificate ensures that data transmitted between web servers and users remains unmolested. This action provides additional protection from websites using SSL certificates that may have been maliciously acquired. Hackers have manipulated the system to spoof legitimate websites, launch man-in-the-middle attacks, and in some cases, install spyware on the devices of unsuspecting users.
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Maximize Campus Software Licenses with Asset Management Programs

Organizations too often approach software license management with a surprisingly laissez-faire attitude. IT managers who actively manage their software assets will save money and minimize the risks associated with unauthorized or unlicensed software. Maintaining a complete picture of a firm s software assets requires a software asset management (SAM) tool, however the benefits can be enormous. A SAM program program provides IT managers the information they need to quickly take advantage of changes in product offerings and when contracts or licenses are due for renewal.
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How to Survive a Nasty Software Vendor Audit

According to Gartner, over 60% of businesses receive at least one software audit request per year. Some organizations have been audited by four different vendors in the same 12-month period. Software companies conduct audits to ensure that businesses aren t pirating software, exploiting single-user software, or infringing on copyrights. However, vague contract language and soft interpretations of licensing often make it easy for vendors to nail customers for non-compliance. In fact, three quarters of enterprises are found to be out of compliance with their software contracts. Twenty percent of those end up paying a $1 million or more in license true-ups. Companies can take simple steps to prepare for, and survive a software audit, including performing their own audits, looking for errors and driving settlement negotiations.
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Organizations Slow To Address System Vulnerabilities

According to current research from IT consulting firm Protiviti, many companies do not patch vulnerable systems in a timely manner. Consequently they are operating systems that are no longer supported and/or are easily exploited. Protiviti conducted in-depth analysis of vulnerability scans and IT systems and infrastructure tests at oer 500 organizations over a nine-year period that began in 2009. In its analysis, Protiviti found that easily patched application and OS vulnerabilities are not being fixed in a timely manner. The firm also found that organizations continue to operate a large number of unsupported systems, significantly increasing the risk for data breaches.
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7 Ways to Embrace Shadow IT and Win

For years, CIOs and IT managers have attempted to reliably ferret out and squash shadow technologies It was well known that the illicit tools create dangerous security, compliance and workflow vulnerabilities. However a small number of IT leaders are starting to look at shadow IT in a way. By studying the covert practice they can gather clues and insights into end-user needs and preferences. This knowledge leads to the development and deployment of authorized software and services that can improve employee performance and satisfaction. There are several ways to recognize and manage shadow IT, including: 1) gain and understanding of why the shadow IT tool is being used, 2) understand how employees use the shadow IT tool, 3) determine if the shadow technology poses any security threat, 4) determine if the shadow IT has potential value as an enterprise productivity tool, 5) engage with the shadow IT s vendor to develop an enterprise-level version, 6) preserve the shadow IT s original benefits in any official deployment and 7) remain vigilant for new instances if shadow IT.
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Critical Windows Bug Fixed Today Is Actively Being Exploited To Hack Users

Microsoft recently patched two Windows vulnerabilities actively used by hackers to install malicious apps on computers. One vulnerability resides in the VBScript Engine that is included in all currently supported versions of Windows. An use-after-free flaw allows attackers to execute code that runs with the same system privileges as the logged-in user. When users are logged in with administrative rights, attackers can take complete control of the system. If users are logged in with more limited rights, attackers can escalate privileges by exploiting a separate vulnerability. The second vulnerability is a privilege-escalation flaw in the Win32k component of Windows. Microsoft officials noted that "An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights."
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Microsoft Windows, Apple MacOs, Linux, BSD: All Hit By Same 'Serious' Security Flaw

Windows, MacOS, major Linux versions, FreeBSD, VMware, and Xen running on x86 AMD and Intel CPUs are all impacted by a serious security flaw. The flaw is a result of operating system developers misinterpreting debug documentation for the two chip platforms. The patches fix for the common flaw can enable an authenticated attacker to access and manipulate sensitive data stored in memory or gain control over low-level operating system functions. Patches are available from Apple, DragonFly BSD, FreeBSD, Microsoft, Red Hat, SUSE Linux, Ubuntu, VMware, and Xen. Links to all available updates are available in the CERT advisory.
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Two-Factor Authentication Hackable

Two-factor authentication may not be a foolproof method of securing access to online account. KnowBe4's chief hacking officer, Kevin Mitnick, has discovered how the popular security measure can be spoofed. Mitnick found that if a phishing email containing a bit of code that can steal login information is placed into a login box, it can be used to totally compromise a user s account, eliminating the effectiveness of two-factor authentication. Mitnick notes that the email looks legitimate, but upon closer examination, the return address is not correct. If the target of the hack clicks the interested button the malware is downloaded onto the victim's computer. At this point, the person is taken to the real site where login information is required to complete the connection process. That process includes having the site send an access code to the account holder's phone. However, working in the background, the malware has grabbed the email and password associated with the account, along with the session cookie.
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Google Will Force Android Phone Makers To Issue Regular Security Updates

Google has always been quick to issue security patches to Android, but it takes longer for phone manufacturers to promulgate them to users, causing major lapses in security. To remedy this situation, Google announced that OEMs will now be contractually obligated to issue regular security patches. David Kleidermacher, head of Android platform security noted that
"We've also worked on building security patching into our OEM agreements. Now this will really lead to a massive increase in the number of devices and users receiving regular security patches."
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Critical PGP and S/MIME Bugs Can Reveal Encrypted Emails Uninstall Now [Updated]

Sebastian Schinzel, a professor of computer security at M nster University of Applied Sciences discovered that the two most widely used methods for email encryption, PGP and S/MIME are vulnerable to hacks that can reveal the plaintext of encrypted messages. He warned that there are no reliable fixes and advised entities that use those techniques to avoid using either encryption standard for sensitive communications. He also suggested that IP groups to remove PGP and S/MIME immediately from email clients. He said that The flaws might reveal the plaintext of encrypted emails, including encrypted emails you sent in the past. There are currently no reliable fixes for the vulnerability. If you use PGP/GPG or S/MIME for very sensitive communication, you should disable it in your email client for now.
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New Strain of 'Hide and Seek' IoT Malware Adds Persistence To Threat

BitDefender discovered a new version of the 'Hide and Seek' IoT malware, which targets numerous generic devices. This new strain has the ability to remain operable despite a reboot. Equipment owners could remove the previous version of the IoT malware by resetting their smart devices, router and modems. Hide and Seek uses a proprietary peer-to-peer network for both C&C and new infection communication. The persistence feature makes the botnet a more pressing concern for owners of the nearly 100,000 IoT devices already infected and other vulnerable and unprotected equipment.
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Managing Things : The New Competitive Imperative for Enterprises

Enterprises are trying to understand how to take full advantage of and manage the explosion of Internet of Things (IoT) assets, or things, inside and outside of their organizations. IoT technology promises to save time and money. IoT will enable firms to provide better value to customers, employees, and other stakeholders. These assets are invaluable to any business. However these devices hold information that cannot be replaced, and can open businesses and entire industries to vulnerabilities if they are not properly protected. IoT introduces another vital layer onto the need for ITAM, and the need for IoT asset management is massive. The importance of ITAM will never go away.
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A Bug in Cell Phone Tracking Firm's Website Leaked Millions of Americans' Real-Time Locations

LocationSmart collects the real-time location data on virtually every cell phone customer in North America. Recently a bug in its website was discovered, that enabled anyone to see where a person is located without obtaining the target s consent. The company has "direct connections" to all major US wireless carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint as well as Canadian cell networks. LocationSmart, is a data aggregator and works with cell carriers to obtain locations from nearby cell towers. Initially the company s site had a "try-before-you-buy" page that let users verify the accuracy of its data. The site sent a one-time text message to the user to obtain consent to access the location information. The software can track a phone s location to a city block of his actual location. However, the website had a bug that allowed anyone to track someone's location silently without any consent.
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Americans Say, 'Bring On the Data Privacy Regulations!'

A majority of Americans who were polled would like to see GDPR-style laws enacted in the US. Janrain, an identity management company, surveyed US internet users asking the following question "The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will give European Union citizens greater control over how businesses can use their personal data. Would you like to see similar laws enacted in the US?" Over 65 percent of respondents indicated they would welcome such a law. The survey suggests that consumers are wary of how digital companies use their personal information. Over half 50% of the respondents indicated that they were "very concerned" about the security and privacy of their data, and over 40% were somewhat concerned.
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Google and Microsoft Disclose New CPU Flaw, and the Fix Can Slow Machines Down

Microsoft and Google jointly announced the discovery of a new CPU security vulnerability that is similar to the previously revealed Meltdown and Spectre flaws. Labelled Speculative Store Bypass (variant 4), this vulnerability exploits speculative execution that modern CPUs use. The Safari, Edge, and Chrome browsers were all patched for Meltdown earlier this year. Intel announced that these mitigations are also applicable to variant 4 and available for consumers to use today. Patches to combat this new vulnerability include firmware updates for CPUs that could affect performance. Intel has distributed microcode updates for Speculative Store Bypass in beta form to OEMs. The firmware updates will set the Speculative Store Bypass protection to off-by-default to avoid negative performance impacts.
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Why Software Asset Management (SAM) Is So Often Overlooked By CIOs

Even though software asset management (SAM) has been a long standing IT management practice, many CIOs do not prioritize it. SAM can be complex and is often considered a tedious necessity rather than an opportunity to add value to the business. Fines for non-compliance with software license agreements can be enormous, and audits can cost thousands of dollars. However, there is more to SAM than surviving software audits. Businesses need to stop going through the motions and start considering the many ways they can benefit from effective SAM practices. By changing their mindset, IT teams can create savings and streamline software use across the entire organization.
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How a New ISO Standard Helps You Take Control of Your IT Assets

The updated ISO standard 19770-1:2017 promises to help companies gain control over their software and hardware assets. ISO 19770-1:2017 is an update from ISO 19770-1:2012, however it feels more like an overhaul in that it now meets the requirements of a real management systems standard. The standard helps to address some significant problems when it comes to reducing risk and creating a best practice for managing a firm s IT assets.
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Make Software Audits Unprofitable By Fortifying Your Software Audit Castle

Staying compliant with the terms of software licenses is a major challenge for any organization. Software rules and metrics are constantly changing, and when combined with virtualization and cloud computing the license and usage mix becomes difficult to control and virtually impossible to manage. The best way for a company to protect itself from software vendor audits is to make them as unprofitable as possible for the software publishers. The only effective defense is to establish a professional Software Asset Management (SAM) practice including audit prevention and defense capabilities.
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Growing Number of Shadow Devices Leaves Many Networks Vulnerable

According to a report from security company Infoblox, corporate networks across the United States and the European Union have thousands of shadow personal devices connecting to their networks. Infoblox surveyed 1,000 IT directors and 1,000 employees in the U.S. and E.U. Over one third of the surveyed organizations reported more than 5,000 personal devices connecting to their networks daily and reported that they have more than 1,000 shadow IoT devices connected to their networks on a typical day. Such practices make organizations vulnerable to social engineering hacks, phishing attacks and malware injection.
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Industry Resource - Apr 2018

The Overlooked Problem of 'N-Day' Vulnerabilities

Zero-day attacks are often the focus of news about cybersecurity threats, however the known vulnerability or "N-day" vulnerabilities that create a more significant problem for many companies. Zero-day vulnerabilities are unknown to a software developer or hardware manufacturer, whereas an N-day is a flaw that is known but for which there may be, or not be, a security patch. There are thousands of known vulnerabilities in existence; organizations have significant exposure to them within their IT infrastructure.
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The Cloud Is Rising To the Cybersecurity Challenge

Cybersecurity was the focus of the last Google Next cloud conference. The company recently made a series of cybersecurity-related announcements, emphasizing just how much of a growth area cloud-based cyber-security has become. Some of these new tools are designed to survey a company s entire cloud footprint, and to identify potential vulnerabilities or forgotten access points. The most common causes of data breaches in the cloud are misconfigured access restrictions on storage resources and forgotten or improperly secured systems. Unlike the VPN defenses, whereby companies monitored their assets, but trusted anyone that got inside, cloud vendors are pushing businesses towards their own trust nothing model.
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First Spectre, Now BranchScope Another Vulnerability In Intel Processors

Researchers recently discovered a new vulnerability in Intel s processors which they labeled BranchScope. The flaw is found in the method the CPU uses to predict where its current computational task will end. The BranchScope exploit gives attackers the ability to take control of this think ahead decision-making component and steer the upcoming path in a different direction. The intruders can then steal sensitive data stored in memory not typically accessible by users and applications.
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3 Steps to Asset Management and Software Auditing

Today, computing and I/O endpoints are the largest group of devices inside a network. Endpoint disruption can significantly negatively impact any firm s day to day operations. There are four key components to building an endpoint security program: asset management, software auditing, vulnerability management and managing incidents. These points are detailed in a new guide, 4 Essential Strategies to Endpoint Security Protection. Of those four points, IT asset is the single most critical control component of security today. To manage all of a company s IT assets, IT managers can follow these three foundational steps: 1) establish a baseline, 2) refine and maintain your inventory and 3) introduce automation, integration and alerting.
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A Third of SA Firms Admit To Lack Software Asset Management Savvy

According to ITWeb's Software Asset Management Survey, over 75 percent of respondents have a defined IT strategy in place. However, more than a third admitted to lacking software asset management tools in their organization. In addition, nearly 30% were concerned about software non-compliance. It was generally recognized that effectively managing IT assets is a key component of achieving production targets, controlling costs, and meeting corporate and organizational goals.
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There s more to Software Asset Management than Managing Licenses

When establishing a SAM function, many companies start by implementing an IT asset management (ITAM) and software asset management (SAM) solution. Combined, the ITAM and SAM solutions will provide better visibility of any potential compliance risks and establish a central database of related that can be useful throughout the organization. By compiling information on license purchases a SAM professional can calculate the firm s actual license entitlement, as well as actual license demand or usage. These two numbers can be compared to create an effective license position, highlighting areas of over- or under-licensing.
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Get Visibility on Potential GDPR Blind Spots

Today, no company is immune to a data breach. However, a data breach is the most likely cause for a company to ways to get assessed GDPR s top fine of the greater of 20 million or 4% of revenue. Regulators are expected to fully investigate a breach and it s causes they investigate. EU regulators will want to see that a breached did everything reasonably possible to prevent the incursion and protect personal data, including proactively managing all of its IT assets. They ll focus on your cybersecurity processes, governance and how the firm tracked and enforced execution of these processes. As a means of protections a company must
update its processes and governance and be ready to show that it took exhaustive measures to protect personal data.
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How Android Phones Hide Missed Security Updates From You

Google struggles with how to have Android smartphone manufacturers regularly push out security-focused software updates to their customers. But when one German security firm Security Research Labs examined hundreds of Android phones, it found that many Android phone vendors fail to make patches available to their users. They may delay a security release for months or even claim that the firmware is fully patched, when they have skipped the patch altogether. SRL tested the firmware of over 1,000 phones, from multiple phone manufacturers, looking for every Android patch released in 2017. Their probe discovered that, except for Google's own phones like the Pixel and Pixel 2, even top-tier phone vendors claimed to have patches installed that were non-existent on the device..
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SAP Unveils First-of-Its-Kind Pricing Model

SAP recently announced a new model for its Digital Access licensing policies commonly known as Indirect Access. The new model makes it easier for customers to use, understand and pay for SAP software licenses. It differentiates between Direct/Human (per user license) and Indirect/Digital Access (automated access), while clarifying the terms for licensing, usage and compliance. Historically, customers primarily had the option to pay for the SAP ERP application based on the number of individual users. However, as more automated systems accessed SAP software systems, customers asked for an alternative pricing approach. Going forward, SAP will differentiate between direct/human access which will be charged for by number of human users and indirect/digital access via third party, IoT devices, bots and/or other digital access that will be licensed based on transactions/documents processed by the system itself
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GDPR Compliance: For Many Companies, It Might Be Time To Panic

Even though the May 25th deadline for complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is rapidly approaching many companies still are not prepared to comply with its requirements. GDPR is a set of rules developed by the European Union (EU) governing bodies designed to ensure data protection for individuals within the European Union EU. Any company that handles data for individuals within the coverage area is impacted, and will face stiff penalties for non-compliance. In most organizations, IT and information security teams have the main responsibility for meeting GDPR compliance. A majority of them reported to survey firm Crowd Research Partners that developing an inventory of user data, and mapping the data to protected GDPR categories, is a priority in their GDPR compliance efforts. This is followed by evaluating, developing, integrating and inventorying systems that support or are impacted by GDPR compliance.
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Why Human Vulnerabilities Are More Dangerous To Your Business than Software Flaws

A recent report from Proofpoint, noted that most cyberattacks are designed to take advantage of human error, despite the current focus on software and network vulnerabilities. The report stated that "Email remains the top attack vector...Attackers are adept at exploiting our natural curiosity, desire to be helpful, love of a good bargain, and even our time constraints to persuade us to click." Half of all clicks on malicious emails occurred within an hour of it showing up in the victim's inbox, with nearly a third being accessed within 10 minutes of receiving the email. Hackers, attempted to take advantage of human trust in most cases. The report stated that "Many of these attacks rely on social engineering. Others simply take advantage of inclinations for immediate gratification, improved status, or even the reward of 'getting something for nothing.'"
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Software Asset Management: A New Defense Against Cybersecurity Threats

Today, companies are spending millions for malware protection, firewall solutions, and security consulting. However, most firms remain unaware of their greatest vulnerabilities. Companies cannot protect what they cannot manage or do not know that they own. Organizations need to have a complete picture of their infrastructure what devices and software is installed, how it s being used, who s using it, and if it s current with regard to patches and fixes. A robust software asset management (SAM)tool can provide this information. Comprehensive asset management is a critical component for effective IT infrastructure, service, and cybersecurity management. SAM provides critical information about the number of devices and applications deployed, and their location and warranty status. SAM also identifies discrepancies between software licenses owned and the number of software copies deployed and ensures companies are in compliance or are not paying for licenses not in use.
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A Corporate Guide to Addressing IoT Security Concerns

IoT security ranks as a major concern for many companies. Research firm 451 Research recently found that over half of survey respondents rated IoT security as a high priority. The report notes that the nature of IoT makes it particularly difficult to protect against attacks, If a company does not know which devices are connected to its network, ensuring security of these endpoints is difficult if not impossible. Ruggero Contu, research director at Gartner Inc stated that This is a critical area. One key concern for enterprises is to gain full visibility of smart connected devices. This is a requirement to do with both operational and security aspects. Robert Westervelt, research director of the Data Security Practice at IDC added that
this discovery and identification is about asset management and less about security.
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The 6 Pillars of a SAM Guru

Software asset management is a challenging job, and can become even more difficult without support from management. A true SAM guru who employs best practices, must master six conceptual pillars, including ownership, usage, plans, contracts, controls and versions. If any of these pillars are missing from a firm s SAM strategy, it may experience problems with license coverage and compliance, or software licensing over-spending. This article describes these pillars and why they are critical to a successful SAM program.
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An Elaborate Hack Shows How Much Damage IoT Bugs Can Do

Increasingly, hackers are attacking corporations through the Internet of Things (IoT). Vulnerabilities linked to IoT devices are well-documented. The most common attacks generally involve turning thousands of vulnerable devices into botnets, or penetration a network through a weak IoT device. Researchers from the IoT security firm Senrio have proven that a company's publicly exposed IoT devices can create an unsupervised backroad access point into networks. Attackers can move among all the vulnerable IoT devices, totally bypassing mainstream devices like PCs and servers, and creating an exploit that is much harder to detect.
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Industry Resource - Mar 2018

Memcached DDoS: The Biggest, Baddest Denial of Service Attacker Yet

Memcrashed, a new DDoS attack method can overwhelm a website with over a terabyte of traffic. The malware works by exploiting the memcached program, an open-source, high-performance, distributed, object-caching system that is widely used to cache web-server-session data. However, system administrators have exposed memcached-enabled servers to the internet, not knowing that the software was never intended be available over the public internet. Having no authentication it is easy to abuse. When hackers discover memcached on the internet they can use it to power a DDoS UDP-based reflection attack vector.
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Feds Move To Secure Mobile Devices with Machine Learning, Biometrics

With the use of mobile devices for work by federal employees constantly growing, U.S. government agencies are using biometrics and other means to secure computers, smartphones and tablets. According to a recent report, over 90% of federal agency IT said their organizations provide secure mobile access for work-issued devices. However, fewer than 20% support access to agency systems from employee s personal devices. The report noted that over 30% of federal workers rely on personal laptops, almost half use personal smartphones and nearly three quarters rely on personal tablets for work, despite the lack of support for those devices.
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AMD Has a Spectre / Meltdown-Like Security Flaw of Its Own

CTS-Labs researchers have discovered critical security flaws in AMD chips. The vulnerability could be exploited by attackers to access sensitive data from highly guarded processors in use in millions of devices. Of particular concern is the fact that the flaws reside in the secure part of the processors where the devices store sensitive data including passwords and encryption keys. It's also the location where the processor checks that nothing malicious is running when the system is started up. The research indicates that there are 13 vulnerabilities in AMD's Ryzen and EPYC processors. IT security staff should refer to their IT asset management reports to identify affected systems.
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Your Smartphones Are Getting More Valuable For Hackers

Security researchers are reporting that attacks on smartphones are increasing at an alarming rate. Researchers from Lookout, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, presented their findings about a global malware campaign called Dark Caracal that targets mobile devices and has infected thousands of users worldwide. The massive attack used nearly identical versions of real apps that were installed thousands of victims. Once installed phones, the attackers had access to everything on the users devices. Attacks on mobile devices are g yield a bigger
reward and people are using smartphones much more than they use their computers
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For Those Suffering From GDPR Panic: Start with SAM

The new GDPR rules will become effective on May 25th of this year. GDPR will impact every industry that collects, retains, or processes personal data on EU individuals, without regard to its physical business location. Noncompliance can result in a fine of the greater of 4% of a company s annual revenue, or 20 million euros. Much of the GDPR focus is related to infrastructure but ignores vital issues surrounding IT asset management (ITAM)and discovery.
If a company is found to be noncompliant with GDPR, there will be questions from the GDPR auditors about the causes of the breach. The CIO, will be held accountable, and will need to be able to provide details on the number of devices in use, who has access to those devices, the software and apps deployed throughout the company and if those devices were encrypted. A fully functional ,ITAM solution will be the key to providing that information.
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Researchers Find Security Flaws In Popular Smart Cameras

Researchers at security company Kaspersky Lab uncovered a series of security vulnerabilities in some smart cameras that makes them vulnerable to hackers. The flaws enable cyber-criminals to conduct surveillance and compromise the network to which the device is connected. The vulnerabilities in cameras manufactured by Hanwha Techwin enable attackers to access live video and audio feeds, and remotely get root access to the camera. That root access could allow access to the rest of the network.
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A Raft of Flaws in AMD Chips Makes Bad Hacks Much, Much Worse

Secure subsystems are intended to be impenetrable to hackers and to handle tasks too sensitive for the main CPUs in the device. AMD's version of that type of co-processor has a multitude of critical flaws that can be exploited by hackers. Attackers can leverage those flaws to run malware that's nearly impossible to detect and has direct access to a systems most sensitive information. The chips also contain "backdoors" that hackers can exploit to gain administrative access.
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SDN Its Time Has Come

With the rapid adoption of new technologies, it seems that network managers are constantly working to meet new demands: They need to be flexible and agile, while minimizing risk, to meet the challenge of giving employees the proper tools to do their jobs. As reliance on their network infrastructure increases, IT pros are investigating new tools to increase efficiency and meet organizational demands on time and on budget. Many businesses are considering
software-defined networks (SDN, to usher in the next generation of infrastructure. SDN eliminates the expensive, time consuming, labor intensive, hard wired, physical appliances and complex network architectures operations and uses software to set up and implement the network instead. According to Nemertes Research, currently, nearly 10% of organizations surveyed are currently using SDN, but more than 40% are evaluating the technology.
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Android Malware Found Inside Apps Downloaded 500,000 Times

Cybercriminals have installed malware to at least a half million Android users. The malicious code is by hidden inside a number of apparently harmless apps found on the Google Play store.
The malware was disguised as six QR readers and one compass app and passed security checks by hiding its true intent through coding tricks and by delaying its initial barrage of malicious activity. Following the download, the malware waits for six hours before start flooding the user with full screen ads, opening ads on webpages, and sending various notifications containing ad-related links. All of this activity generates click-based revenue for the attackers even when the app itself isn't actively running. This malware once again illustrates the need for good mobile device management programs for devices used in the workplace.
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Industry Resource - Feb 2018

ISU Professor Warns Of the Threat Of Data Breach Fatigue

Companies need to work to keep their employees from becoming complacent about cybersecurity. An Iowa State University professor has written that people are not overly concerned with cybersecurity, which he believes is growing and could put individuals, and by extension their employers, at further risk of hackers. The trend is known as data breach fatigue, which results in indiv9iduals not changing their passwords or taking basic cybersecurity actions. He noted that We need more attention from all different parties, consumers, industry, government, law enforcement. We need a lot of joint efforts from different stakeholders to combat this data breach fatigue.
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Cybercriminals: The Other Professionals Viewing Your LinkedIn Profile

When viewed through the eyes of a cybercriminal, it is easy to see how LinkedIn s features, and an individual s personal information, could be used for malicious purposes. From corporate reconnaissance to the execution of a cyberattack, LinkedIn can be a dangerous weapon in the hands of a hacker. To a hacker, a feature like 'see all employees' provides a catalog of potential targets. The feature can be used to develop a script to loop over LinkedIn to generate a comprehensive target list for phishing. With this information of the corporate structure, an attacker pose as an individual s superior or colleague and trick him/her into sharing confidential information or clicking a malicious link.
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Over 12,000 Business Websites Leveraged for Cybercrime

In 2017, over 12,000 business websites were used to launch cyberattacks or deliver malware. According to Menlo Security's State of the Web 2017, more than 40% of the top 100,000 websites ranked by Alexa are considered "risky." A website's risk was based on three criteria: presence of vulnerable software, past distribution of malware or being the launch pad attacks, and a security breach within the 12 previous months. A site was classified as risky if it met any one of these criteria. The riskiest sites included news and media sites, entertainment and arts sites, travel sites personal sites and blogs, society sites and business and economy sites.
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Software Asset Management Is a Key Enabler In GDPR Compliance

The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will take effect on 25 May of this year. GDPR guidelines state that companies must provide a reasonable level of protection for personal data. However it does not explicitly define what constitutes reasonable. With digital transformation technologies and trends increasing, the definition of the traditional IT environment and network infrastructure has become increasingly blurred. If companies do not know exactly what software they are using or have deployed, they risk falling short of the full protection required under the GDPR. In addition, ignorance of their full IT I infrastructure leaves vulnerable to data breaches and security threats. SAM, or Software Asset Management, is designed to help firms uncover and better understand their IT network.
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Understanding Software as a Service

In a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, a firm pays an annual subscription fee that grants it access to cloud-hosted software on the publishing company s computers. The SaaS subscription model ensures that the company s users always have access to the latest possible version of the software without having to pay for a software upgrade or install a new version. In addition users access the software from multiple devices with a single login and access it from just about anywhere without having to manually sync files across multiple devices. SaaS won t cause legacy issues for systems that have been adapted to work with them. Users with a computer or device that can access the internet can have access to the latest upgraded and patched version of the software along with all of the most recent versions of their files.
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Five Ways To Check If Your Router Is Configured Securely

In a modern IT environment where threats and new vulnerabilities are identified daily, it is necessary to use the most current security tools. Whether in a corporate, school or home environment, security must encompass and protect all network elements that could become gateways for possible attacks. Some security-related actions users should consider include: 1) conducting router connectivity and authentication tests, 2) performing router vulnerability tests, 3) verifying devices connected to the network, 4) updating all devices on the network and 5) enabling security options.
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Fewer CIOs Running ROI Calculations For Cloud: Survey

A by ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) poll of CIOs found that nearly a third of the companies considering cloud initiatives do not calculate an ROI. In 2014 a similar survey run by Information Week showed that be a fifth of CIOs surveyed conducted an ROI analysis on cloud initiatives. The majority of CIOs not calculating cloud ROI based their investment solely on business objectives and shifting funding from capital expenses to operating expenses. However, twenty per cent of those that didn t calculate a cloud ROI did develop a business case that included financial outcomes that resulted from making the transition.
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Updating a DCS for Optimized Operations

Manufacturers designing digital control systems twenty or thirty years ago could not anticipate the security issues industries face today. Companies that currently operate legacy systems cannot operate within a security-conscious environment necessary to protect against new and frequent threats. Legacy systems do not account for newer technologies such as wireless networks, intelligent devices, and the internet. In many cases, it is impossible to properly secure older systems. If a company attempts respond to a cyberattack without the proper infrastructure and tools, expenses and the probable downtime will be much greater. In addition, the firm would be forced into upgrading to address the security breach in a reactive action mode, as opposed to being proactive. A full knowledge to the IT and DCS infrastructure is necessary to avoid cyber-security threats.
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Skype Can't Fix A Nasty Security Bug Without A Massive Code Rewrite

A security flaw in Skype's updater process can permit a hacker to gain system-level privileges to a vulnerable computer. The bug can grant an unprivileged user with access to every part of the operating system. However, Microsoft (which owns Skype) immediately fix the code because the repair would require too much coding. Security researcher Stefan Kanthak discovered that Skype s update installer can be exploited with a DLL hijacking technique. It allows an attacker to trick an application into accessing malicious code in place of the correct library. Once installed, Skype uses a built-in updater to maintain the software. When that updater runs, it uses another executable file to run the update, which is vulnerable to the hijacking.
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How Your Company Can Prevent A Data Breach And What To Do If One Occurs

Based on the number of successful cyberattacks, the security practices for vulnerable businesses are far from adequate. Many small organizations that will face a data breach need cost-effective, tools that will work within the company s operating environment. One method successful businesses employ is to maintain a thorough inventory and assessment of all networked devices and deployed software. Too often businesses fail to take this critical first step. Ignorance of the network components can allow weaknesses and loopholes to go unpatched. A comprehensive IT asset management program can continually monitor for vulnerable dev ices and software, and may be a company s first and best defense to deal with an ever-widening threat landscape.
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Why Colleges Should Start Expecting the Unexpected

In 2016 hacking contests revealed nearly 50 vulnerabilities in more than IoT 20 devices from over 20 manufacturers. The hacked devices included smart door locks, padlocks, thermostats, refrigerators, wheelchairs and even solar panel array. Having so many connected devices attached to the network makes it difficult for IT personnel to know when one is vulnerable. One IT security expert noted that the first time there is an Internet of Things based attack it ll probably involve a device that the IT group didn t even know was on the network.
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Mobile App Management Is Being Driven By Unmanaged Devices

According to a recent report published by The Gartner Group, the need for companies to manage applications on unmanaged devices owned by employees or contractors is pushing the use of mobile app management (MAM) tools. In Gartner's Market Guide for Mobile Application Management the firm noted that, by early in the next decade over half of mobile apps used in the enterprise will rely on at least one app-level management solution. The use of stand-alone MAM licensing offers lower per-user cost and can be useful for companies only requiring app management.
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7 Steps Security Chiefs Can Take To Deal with Spectre and Meltdown

According to Gartner, CSOs and CIOs must take a risk-based approach to the ongoing threats posed by Spectre and "Meltdown, an underlying exploitable design implementation inside most computer chips manufactured over the last two decades. Nearly every modern IT system will be affected to some extent. Nearly every type of system is impacted, including desktops, mobile devices, servers, virtual machines, network and storage appliances, OT and IoT devices. The starting point for any remediation effort must be an inventory of affected systems which will constitute a roadmap for all planned actions. For each system, a detailed database needed to track the device or workload, the version of its microprocessor, firmware version and OS. A robust IT asset management solution will be a required tool in repairing vulnerabilities caused by Spectre and "Meltdown.
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Sophisticated Android Malware Spies on Smartphones Users and Runs Up Their Phone Bill Too

A new Android malware program called RedDrop stealthily steals sensitive data from infected devices, including full audio recordings of phone calls and stores it in the cloud. The spyware collects a wide spectrum of information from the device as well as information about saved Wi-Fi networks and nearby hotspots. It has also been designed to ensure that users are completely unaware that their phone is infected. The infection comes to light when the user receives an unusually high phone bill, as the malware secretly sends SMS messages to a premium rate service in addition to its spyware activities. More than 50 apps are used to distribute the malware, using lures to look like a range of tools including calculators, image editors and language learning aids.
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Industry Resource - Jan 2018

Amazon, Salesforce Shifting Business Away From Oracle: Report

Two of Oracle s biggest customers, Amazon and Salesforce are planning to replace Oracle software running on crucial business systems. Both companies plan to use lower cost open-source database software. The companies have made significant progress toward replacing Oracle all together. Although Oracle s database is considered by many to be the most advanced, it s also expensive and comes with complex licensing terms. Amazon has switched over two internal databases that run its e-commerce operation to open-source NoSQL. Salesforce, has also been developing a database replacement, code-named Sayonara ( Japanese for goodbye ) and is now ready to deploy it internally.
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Un-clear and Present Danger

Fileless Malware, also known as Advanced Volatile Threat, is malware that can launch without being stored on a systems hard drive. Traditional forms of malware saved their payload to a drive, either as an executable file or script. It was then and then executed it or scheduled to run at a late time or dater. Anti-virus software exploits this design by intercepting accesses to the file store. AV software can then detect the creation of a file and interrogate it for signatures of known malware. When detected the malware id deleted or quarantined before it can run. Consequently, if malware doesn t write any code to disk, the AV software never sees it. Even if the malware s signatures are known, the code will never be discovered.
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Cisco Releases Security Connector App For iOS Devices

Cisco recently announced the availability of Cisco Security Connector on the App Store The offering is a security app that will give enterprises the deepest visibility and control over network activity on iOS devices. The primary benefits of the Cisco security connector app are enhanced visibility into incident investigations involving enterprise-owned iOS devices and better control over iPhone and iPad users who may connect to malicious sites.
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Windows Patches: Microsoft Kills Off Word's Under-Attack Equation Editor, Fixes 56 Bugs

In its first security update for 2018, Microsoft fixed 56 flaws and included a fix for a new Office vulnerability caused by Word's built-in Equation Editor that is currently being exploited by hackers. The update follows Microsoft's emergency patches for the Meltdown and Spectre CPU attacks. Of the 56 fixes 56 in this update, Microsoft addressed the Equation Editor flaw in Office it patched in 2017. A cybercriminal group started to exploit that flaw soon after Microsoft released the patch.
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Trust Is Not a Strategy for Cybersecurity

Cyberattacks are ongoing activities, not discrete events. To compound matters digitalization and connectivity are heightening companies cyber risk. A breach of a single connected operational technology system puts every device on the network at risk. Low-security, unpatched and small networks provide easy access for cybercriminals. Human error and negligence also are major cyber risks. To establish and sustain cybersecurity, greater awareness of threats and a detailed knowledge of the components on the network are critical. In addition to mastering basic security measures, companies need to proactively detect and respond to attacks.
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Half a Million Users Affected By Malicious Chrome Extensions

US-based IT security company, ICEBRG recently discovered four Chrome extensions containing malicious code that were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store.
The company revealed that these extensions were primarily used to conduct click fraud and/or SEO manipulation. However, they could also provide cyber criminals with a way to access a corporate network, and a means to steal proprietary information. ICEBRG said the investigation was prompted by an anomalous spike in outbound network traffic from one of its customer's workstations. The investigation resulted in the discovery of the four malicious extensions: Change HTTP Request Header, Nyoogle - Custom Logo for Google, Lite Bookmarks, and Stickies - Chrome's Post-it Notes.
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How to Choose the Right Asset Management Software

Selecting best IT asset management software for your business requires time and effort. With all options available, one-size-fits-all does not apply. A solution that works for one company might not be a good fit for another. Evaluating options can be a time-consuming task especially if IT management does not have clear idea of the needed functionality. There are six important aspects that must be considered in selecting an IT asset management software solution. They include: Accessibility, Mobility, Features, Scalability, Pricing and Support.
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How IT Can Improve Asset Management

IT asset management challenges are numerous. They range from locating an old decommissioned server in the closet of a remote field service office, to discovering software that has become shelf-ware, to reallocating IT assets that are only being utilized to about. All are assets that are used at 20% of capacity. The organization continues to pay maintenance and licensing costs on these under used assets, draining the IT budget. There are IT asset management best practices that can be applied to address these problems. Four IT asset management cornerstones that comprise some of the best practices include: 1) implementing a asset management software solution, 2)assigning a person or group to be responsible for managing corporate IT assets, 3) making asset management an integral part of IT budget planning and execution and 4) periodically performing a manual inventory of the physical, software and and cloud-based assets.
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How to Manage Your Software and Hardware Assets

Hardware, software, and network management programs can result tangible benefits to any company. Firms having and maintaining an in-depth understanding of what devices comprise the network can make deliberate decisions when procuring additional assets. They avoid unnecessary purchases, negotiate better contracts, and maximize the benefits of the IT budget spend. Good visibility of the company s IT assets enables IT management to insure license compliance and implement improved security initiatives. In addition, productivity improves as service desk agents armed with detailed asset descriptions are better equipped to troubleshoot and resolve end-user issues.
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Mobile Devices and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

When attempting to secure general purpose and industrial IoT (IIoT) devices, IT pros consider limiting access to networks, especially those that don t use encryption; ensuring devices have current firmware and strong passwords; and using caution with regard to devices with cloud services. However, with so many BYOD and corporate owned devices on enterprise networks, the attack surface is much larger than traditional networks. End-user devices may be unpatched because no patch is available from the carrier or manufacturer, or which may have vulnerable or otherwise risky apps, or may have apps that send sensitive data to questionable sites on the Internet. Consequently, the proliferation of mobile devices has significantly added to the overall vulnerability of the network.
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The Future of AI and Endpoint Security

In the past it was sufficient to install antivirus software across a network to maintain a reasonable level of endpoint protection. Unfortunately this is no longer the case. With the growth of bring your own device (BYOD) policies and the number of smart devices available on the market there are more endpoints than ever. Consequently, endpoint security has never been more under threat. A number of studies have indicated that between 70% and 95% of the of security breaches originate at endpoints.
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High Mobile Device Adoption In Workplace Adds To Network Security Woes

The proliferation of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs is exposing corporate networks to complex cybersecurity threats. Security company Fortinet warns that vulnerabilities include shadow IT and data leakage. Employees expect to use their mobile devices at all times, and firms are allowing staff to access the corporate network from their personal devices, with minimal control over application use.
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The Benefits of a Subscription Service

Software has typically been acquired with a perpetual license, whereby firms pay for the number of licenses required for their workforces. However, recently software vendors are moving to subscription services. In fact, subscription services benefit both software publishers and their customers delivering a new level of flexibility and agility. Subscription services changes the ways that software expenses are accounted for. With a perpetual license, software is typically treated as a capital expenditure (CAPEX); subscription services are treated as an operating expense (OPEX). The difference in accounting gives the corporations more flexibility and an easy means of using the most current version of the software.
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Increase in Audits Makes Software Asset Management a Solid Investment

It is virtually guaranteed that any company that uses software will be targeted for a software audit at some point. According to some experts, it s not a question of if, but when a firm will be required to provide evidence of compliance with the terms of its software license agreements with the software vendor. For many firms, software asset management (SAM) tools are a key part of doing business and are critical tools in limiting the impact of vendor audits. The need to track hardware and software assets throughout their entire lifecycle is more important than ever as enterprises migrate to the cloud and invest in virtualization services. According to research by Transparency Market research, the IT asset management software market is projected to have a CAGR of nearly 7% over the next six years.
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How to Respond to a VMware Audit

Businesses facing VMWare audits must be prepared to take a number of steps to ensure compliance and avoid worsening any potential copyright infringement claims. These steps include: 1) identifying the source of the audit, 2) preserving the network to prevent spoliation of evidence claims, 3) conducting a comprehensive audit of the network, 4) reviewing the terms of the license agreement for each use case, 5) collecting all entitlements and license agreements and 6) negotiating a resolution of the audit.
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Should I Fear the Reaper?

Reaper was first identified spotted by an Israeli security firm in October 2017. Typically it lies dormant, seeking out Internet of Things (IoT) devices as a means to access other computer systems. It then recruits those devices to a network called a botnet to steal data, distribute spam, and perform other destructive actions. The best way IT can protect the network is to maintain a proactive strategy. Use an IT asset management and anti-virus solution tool to determine if all available specific security patches are installed, along with other known vulnerabilities and the location of various Reaper control networks.
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Cisco: This VPN Bug Has A 10 Out Of 10 Severity Rating, So Patch It Now

Cisco is advising customers of its Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) software to patch a dangerous VPN bug. Cisco's ASA operating system has a severe double-free vulnerability in the Secure Sockets Layer VPN feature. The company is warning customers that it "could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a reload of the affected system or to remotely execute code". According to Cisco a successful attack would allow an attacker to take "full control of the system. As a result of to the ease of exploitation and the impact, the has been assigned a Common Vulnerability Score System (CVSS) score of 10 out of a possible 10.
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More Than 2,000 WordPress Websites Are Infected With a Keylogger

Researchers recently warned that over 2,000 websites running the open source WordPress content management system are infected with malware. That a specific malware logs passwords along with anything else an administrator or user enters. The keylogger is a component of a malware package that installs an in-browser cryptocurrency miner. The miner runs undetected on the systems of anyone visiting the infected sites.
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Industry Resource - Dec 2017

Three Ways That Software Asset Management Can Help Minimize Security Risks

An effective software asset management (SAM) program can do far more than protect companies from the impact of unfavorable software compliance audits. According to Gartner, SAM can reduce software expenditure by 30%, as well as minimizing security risks. With cybersecurity a high priority with CIOs, IDC predicts that global spending on security technology to exceed $80 billion USD in 2017. Despite the focus on cybersecurity, many companies often neglect the basics when it comes to protecting their IT assets. One of those basic functions is deploying a robust SAM program. Businesses can use SAM to bolster their cybersecurity, reduce software expenditure, and protect their company from the costs of an unfavorable audit.
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How to Conduct a Software Audit

Too many companies lack a mature or even early-stage software asset management (SAM) practice. Consequently, when they are audited for software compliance they may consider themselves to be at the mercy of the auditors when asked for licensing information. This situation can be financially disastrous. Companies that cannot track what software they are using cannot effectively manage their software portfolio. Lack of such information typically results in over-deployment and over-usage of software, creating an environment ripe for an expensive audit. Furthermore, blind cooperation with all information requests received from software auditors can result in the disclosure of more information than necessary to confirm their licensing obligations, which then can result in inflated compliance demands.
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Android Security Alert: Google's Latest Bulletin Warns Of 47 Bugs, 10 Critical

Google recently warned Android users and partners about 47 bugs in the operating system.
Ten of the vulnerabilities are rated 'critical' for their potential security impact, while the other 37 are rated as 'high' priority. The company noted that "Android partners are encouraged to fix all issues in this bulletin and use the latest security patch level" and that they should bundle all the fixes in a single update. Among the most severe of these flaws is a critical security vulnerability that could enable a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code within the context of a privileged process. A subset of the group of vulnerabilities includes a flaw which could enable a malicious application to bypass user interaction requirements to gain access to additional permissions.
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Security Bug That Let Hackers Steal Banking Passwords Put 10 Million App Users at Risk

A critical security bug, that could enable hackers to steal customer usernames and passwords, was recently discovered in major banking apps. Researchers from the University of Birmingham and the UK's National Cyber Security Centre worked to identify and fix the vulnerabilities and push the fix to users. The team used a tool called "Spinner", which performs "semi-automated security testing" of mobile apps. The identified apps had a combined user base of tens of millions of users.
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New Spider Ransomware Threatens To Delete Your Files If You Don't Pay Within 96 Hours

A new form of ransomware has been discovered by researchers at Netskope. It is distributed through malicious Office documents, which when opened infect victims with file-encrypting malware. The infected Microsoft Office attachment contains obfuscated macro code which, assuming macros are enabled, permits a PowerShell to download the first stage of the ransomware. The PowerShell script then performs operations to execute the ransomware payload. An encryptor is then launched, encrypting the user's files, adding a '.spider' extension to them and then displaying a ransom note.
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Ai.Type Data Leak: 31 Million Users' Personal Data Exposed Due To Mongodb Cloud Configuration Error

Cybersecurity firm Kromtech Security Center discovered that the virtual keyboard app Ai.Type exposed the personal information of over 31 million users on an unsecured online database. Researchers, found that Ai,Type users are required to allow "Full Access" to all of their data stored on their iPhone, including past and present keyboard data. Kromtech wrote in a blog post
"Based on the leaked database they appear to collect everything from contacts to keystrokes. This is a shocking amount of information on their users who assume they are getting a simple keyboard application. This also exposed just how much data they access and how they obtain a treasure trove of data that average users do not expect to be extracted or data mined from their phone or tablet.
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How to Spot Fake Apps, What To Delete If You Download One

Cyber criminals create and distribute fake apps to take control of users devices to steal information, spy on users and/or bombard users with unwanted ads. Fake apps aren t always suspicious looking and can often resemble popular apps like WhatsApp and Pok mon Go.
While fake apps could resemble popular apps like WhatsApp and Messenger, the counterfeit versions often have red flags. Users should be wary of apps with improper grammar and spelling, unusually low download numbers and excessive permissions. Detected fake apps should be immediately removed by going to the installed apps page and looking for blank spaces where it may be hiding. Lacking any other option, the safest option is to wipe the device s memory and start over again.
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Securing Industrial Control Systems Becomes Critical As Manufacturers Add IoT In 2018

As machine-to-machine connectivity expands in the industrial market, security risks are also increasing. New malware threats will continue to attack critical infrastructure systems. For example, according to FireEye a new type of malware called Triton has shut down the operations of a critical infrastructure organization. The malware specifically targets the Triconex device, which is a safety instrumented system for industrial plants. Security will remain a critical issue for all companies in the new year. A survey recently published by LNS Research found that les than 60 percent of industrial companies use firewalls, and only a quarter plan to implement industrial network monitoring over the next year.
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Hackers Can Guess Security PIN Using Your Smartphone s Sensor Data: Here s How

According to a recent study, many sensors that are standard components of smartphones can create a potential security vulnerability. Using information collected from six different smartphone sensors found in smartphones, researchers succeeded in unlocking Android smartphones with nearly 100 percent accuracy within only three tries. The research highlights a significant flaw in smartphone security, as using the sensors within the phones require no permissions to be given by the phone user and are accessible by all apps. The researchers classification algorithm gave different weightings of importance to each of the sensors, depending on how sensitive each was to different numbers being pressed, eliminating factors judged to be less relevant. Although individuals input the PIN on their phones differently, the research showed that as more data was fed to the algorithm over time, the accuracy of the PIN pre4dictions improved..
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Can IoT Help Make The Enterprise More Secure?

Enterprise Internet of things (EIoT) may be an ideal solution to help companies mitigate internal security risks. EIoT provides companies the ability to mitigate security threats before they happen. The technology offers a low-friction way of monitoring and tracking who is in what system when. It can even send alerts if activity from unauthorized personnel is detected or a settings change in a highly confidential system. EIoT is also a much better approach than traditional passwords, which must be constantly updated and are easily leaked or stolen.
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Industry Resource - Nov 2017

Is More IoT Driving More Cyber Attacks?

The Internet of Things (IoT) has virtually torn down the barrier between the Internet and devices. Consequently, and attack on one of these two will inevitably involve the other. With IoT technology, we can remotely control numerous connected devices. However, remote use of those devices also requires the users to be vigilant in terms of security. Utilizing weak passwords or unencrypted connections enable criminals to easily access and control the IoT devices by large scale scanning.
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Watch Out For This Password-Stealing Facebook Hack That's Hitting iOS And Android Users

Security experts have warned that a phishing campaign has is spreading across Europe using Facebook Messenger. An F-Secure researcher reported that a redirection technique was being used by criminals to send users to a malicious phishing page, with the intent to steal the passwords of iOS and Android users. The malware sends links posing as YouTube videos, but hackers used URL shorteners to disguise the actual malware locations. Based on forensic analysis of the link data over a two-week period, the scheme has impacted 200,000 users in just a two week period.
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Google Says Hackers Steal Almost 250,000 Web Logins Each Week

Examining cybercriminal black markets and public forums, Google discovered millions of usernames and passwords stolen directly through hacking, and billions usernames and passwords indirectly exposed through third-party data breaches. Google researchers, working over a period of 12 months, investigated the different methods hackers use to steal personal information and commandeer Google (GOOG) accounts. The researchers created an automated system to scan public websites and criminal forums for stolen credentials and investigated over 25,000 criminal hacking tools.
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Mobile-App Errors Expose Data On 180 Million Phones: Security Firm

Cyber-security firm Appthority reported that a coding error in over 680 apps enabled hackers to intercept calls and text messages from millions of smartphones. The firm said that developers mistakenly coded credentials for accessing text messaging, calling and other services provided by Twilio Inc. By reviewing the code in the apps, Hackers could access those credentials and then gain access to data sent over those services. Affected apps include the AT&T Navigator app and more than a dozen GPS navigation apps published by Telenav Inc. These apps have been installed nearly 200 million times on Android phones and an unknown number of times on Apple s iOS-based devices.
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Android vs iOS vs Windows: Which Suffers Most Infections? Nokia Reveals All

Nokia's 2017 Threat Intelligence Report found that nearly 70 percent of all devices infected in the past year were running Android, with nearly 30 percent running Windows. Less than 5 percent were running iOS. The figures are based on data collected from Nokia's NetGuard, software.
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Microsoft Just Fixed a Security Flaw in Office That's 17 Years Old

Microsoft recently addressed a vulnerability in Office that has go ne unpatched for a very long time. This particular flaw has been present in Office since 2000. The vulnerable component is the equation editor, which allows users to insert complex mathematical expressions into Office documents. According to security researchers the equation editor flaw is very dangerous as they come. A well-executed attack could allow a hacker to launch malicious code on any vulnerable machine.
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Massive Botnet Quietly Harvesting 2 Million Vulnerable IoT Devices, Report Says

Cybersecurity research teams have discovered a powerful IoT attack malware dubbed Reaper that is being disseminated through flaws in IoT software and hardware. To date the malware has infected 2 million IoT devices. Reaper is much more powerful than the Mirai botnet that brought down Twitter, Spotify, Netflix and other major websites last year. Unlike Mirai, which scans for open telnet ports and attempts access with a preset list of weak credentials, Reaper forcibly takes over unpatched devices and adds it to its command and control center.
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Mobile Malware Incidents Hit 100% of Businesses

According to a recent Check Point report, worldwide 100% of those businesses with BYOD and corporate mobile device users has been exposed to mobile malware. The document reported an average of 54 attempts per company across a 12-month period. The study was based on data collected from Check Point SandBlast Mobile deployments at nearly 900 organizations. Michael Shaulov, head of Check Point's product management for mobile and cloud security, noted that "100% of businesses [being attacked] was not surprising because the statistics from a year or two ago started to show it was going this way," says. "But the average of 54 [attacks] was surprising. I was expecting two, three, or four." The report also notes that nearly all security professionals anticipate actual mobile malware attacks to continue to increase. Over half doubt they can prevent them.
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Intel Chip Flaws Leave Millions of Devices Exposed

Intel s remote administration feature, the Management Engine has been thought to be tempting target for cyber-criminals. By compromising the Management Engine an attacker could gain full control of a computer. Recently Intel has confirmed that those worst-case scenarios may be possible. The chipmaker released a security advisory that lists new vulnerabilities in ME, the Server Platform Services tool, and Intel s Trusted Execution Engine. The company also published a Detection Tool to help systems administrators to check their systems to determine if they are exposed.
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How ROI Analysis Supports a Smooth Cloud Migration

According to a recent Unisys report, most organizations conduct a formal ROI assessment before migrating to the cloud. The "2017 Unisys State of Cloud Transformation Survey" report indicates that take this step is crucial for companies to attain the cost savings they expect from moving to the cloud. Many firms want to to address issues related to disaster recovery and business continuity, capital costs and the need to respond to business requirements through an ROI analysis. Organizations that plan their cloud migration are often best positioned to realize operational, financial and competitive success from a cloud migration.
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Why Federal CIOs Are Receiving 'Failing Grades' For Software Licensing

Federal CIOs came under the fire during on Capitol Hill when the House Oversight and Government Reform IT Subcommittee reviewed the most recent Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) scorecard. Of the 24 agencies reporting, only three agencies saw grade improvements while 15 remained unchanged and six declined.
Software licensing was added to the scorecard, and 17 of the 24 graded agencies received a failing grade. The extensive number of failures indicates that agencies do not know what software is running on their networks.
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Ransomware Attacks On Android, Linux And MacOs Systems Rise In 2017: SophosLabs

According to the SophosLabs 2018 Malware Forecast, ransomware ravaged Windows, and attacks on Android, Linux and MacOS systems increased in 2017. Two strains of ransomware (WannaCry and Cerber) were responsible for nearly 90% of all attacks. The SophosLabs report recaps ransomware and other cybersecurity trends based on data collected from Sophos customer computers worldwide. The findings were also used to predict what might happen in 2018.
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The Average Company Suffers 5 IT Incidents A Month: Study

According to a recent report entitled Damage Control The Impact of Critical IT Incidents conducted by analyst firm Quocirca, on average organizations suffer five critical IT incidents a month. Each incident costs the IT department, on average, in excess if $35,000 USD. The rest of the organization can suffer additional costs in excess of$100,000 per incident.
Bob Tarzey, an analyst at Quocirca noteds that It s clear that organizations are finding it challenging to maintain end-to-end visibility with the growing volume of data being generated by their IT systems and infrastructure. He added that Organizations need to be able to collect and analyze data across all their IT infrastructure more effectively to reduce the time spent in damage control mode and increase time spent on pro-active digital innovation.
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Industry Resource - Oct 2017

5 IT Practices That Put Enterprises at Risk

Cybersecurity threats are increasing in size and complexity on a daily basis. However, too many IT organizations continue to make their enterprises vulnerable to attacks by overlooking a number of simple tasks that could make them more secure. No single solution can keep organizations completely protected, there are some things to avoid that will allow IT teams to improve their security. These include; 1) stop using old printers, 2) paying attention to alerts, 3) stop sharing admin rights, 4) stop allowing the use of employee apps and 5) being prepared for device loss or theft.
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Report: 61% of IT Leaders Rely Only On Employees To Enforce Strong Passwords

Too many enterprise IT groups depend on their users to monitor password protection. According to a new report from LastPass and Ovum, this lack of policy enforcement can put the company at risk. According to a survey of over 350 IT executives and nearly 600 corporate employees, over sixty percent of IT executives rely exclusively on employee education to enforce strong passwords. The survey found that approximately 75% of employees noted that they regularly have problems with password usage or management.
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SAM Stops Inflated SaaS Subscription Costs

Too many IT groups believe that migrating to the cloud will simplify their software license management processes. However, SaaS licensing can become complicated and expensive. In the absence of an effective software asset management (SAM) solution, assigning licenses to named users creates the risk of inappropriate, unnecessary or unjustified software expenses. Moreover, SaaS subscription models can replicate these expenses with every renewal if the license is used or not. A SAM process enables the IT department to fully understand SaaS software licensing bundles and requirements, helping IT pros to identify, deactivate or reassign unused licenses.
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Software Asset Management Market to See Incredible Growth During 2017 2025

The demand for software asset management SAM) software is growing quickly because of companies focus on enhanced risk management and cost control. SAM enables IT pros to track software licenses consumption and control the cost of installed software. A SAM solution provides benefits including managing software assets, immediate and long-term financial benefits, guards against unintentional licenser overuse of licenses, software licensing compliance and enhanced security from the use of unauthorized software.
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Rules for Auditor Assessment of Cybersecurity Under Consideration

Auditor s may be given the responsibility to assess a company s cybersecurity defenses and use of software audit tools. Glenn Tempro, associate director of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, noted at a recent conference that software audit tools can enable auditors to better identify risks.According to Tempro, the auditor should evaluate whether the information technology tool (software) is meeting the objective for which it is being used. Cybersecurity is also the auditor s concern as cyber-attacks may affect the reliability of the information that auditors evaluate. Cyber-risks include unauthorized access to data resulting in unauthorized or malicious deletion or changes to information, such as reporting unauthorized or nonexistent transactions.
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How to protect your company from an unlicensed-software crackdown

Using unlicensed software is copyright infringement and can result in costly penalties under U.S. law. Damages in an audit-settlement can be as much $150,000 for each copyrighted product infringed, plus the cost of the audit. There are some key steps that a company can take to protect itself from becoming subject of an audit, and to facilitate an audit once it is underway. Some of these measures include: 1) use a software asset management tool to conduct a software self-audit, 2) if an under-licensed condition is discovered, immediately purchase all license shortfalls, 3) implement and enforce a hardware and software use policy, 4) train all employees about software license use and 5) use an automated tool to track all license purchases and hardware dispositions.
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Software License Reuse, An Opportunity For Savings In Europe

In July of 2017 the European Court of Justice legalized software license reselling. He ruling has created a massive secondary market for software reuse in Europe, potentially creating significant saving opportunities for European companies. The eligibility rules for software reuse are simple: 1) the license must be perpetual, 2) fully paid, 3) originally marketed in the EU with vendor s consent, 4) the previous owner renders his copy unusable and 5) the new user recipient must adhere to with the terms of the original license. Using an IT asset management system, licensees can identify and re-license unused copies of software, and neew users can achieve significant savings on needed software licenses.
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Which Devices Are Most Vulnerable To Cyberattack?

ReportLinker found that just over half of consumers still feel safe using the internet, and that just over 80% of survey respondents have increased concerns about cyberattacks. Nearly 60% of people consider their PCs to be their most vulnerable devices, while a quarter considered their smartphone as the weakest link. Less than 10% thought that their smart devices were a security risk. However, it is those smart or Internet of Things that are at the top of the list for security experts. To protect smart devices from attack, users need to able to recognize and inventory them, and then take measures to prevent them from being accessed by hackers.
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Cybersecurity Experts Warn of Impending Botnet Hurricane

Cybersecurity researchers at Check Point Software recently uncovered a massive botnet that has expanded to infect an estimated million organizations. The company believes the botnet and could bring vast parts of the internet to a complete halt. Other independent cybersecurity researchers confirmed Check Point s discovery, saying the botnet could potentially dwarf the Mirai botnet that took down major websites, crippling a part of the internet s backbone and slowing traffic to a crawl.
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Data Breaches Rose By 164% in First Half Of 2017

According to a study by Gemalto, a European digital security firm based, there were nearly 920 data breaches during the first half of 2017. Almost 2 billion data records were exposed as a result. A large percentage of the compromised records resulted from the 22 largest data breaches. Nearly three quarters of all breaches came from malicious outsiders. Malicious insider attacks comprised fewer than 10% of all breaches, with 20 million records being compromised as a result.
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How Your Business Can Get the Most Out of Software Asset Management Tools

According to Gartner, nearly 70 percent of enterprises receive at least one software audit request each year. A failed audit can result in penalties and licensing fees ranging from $100,000 to more than $1 million. To compound matters, Unfortunately, audit risks aren t likely to diminish anytime soon. IT trends including virtualization, bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs and cloud services add new complexities to software asset management (SAM) plans an operations. Some auditors believe that Where there s mystery, there s margin Today s mix of virtual and physical environments, plus the shift to cloud computing, create a lot of mystery.
However, SAM tools provide IT managers with the tools to help them avoid and respond to audits, as well as optimizing their software spending.
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Your Agency Needs to Comply with the MEGABYTE Act Here's How

U.S. government agencies are still failing to manage their software license inventories more than a year after the MEGABYTE Act was passed into law. The act, which was signed into law in July 2016, requires agency CIOs to develop a comprehensive software licensing policy. Agency CIOs must also submit a report to the Office of Management and Budget on the financial savings or avoidance of spending that resulted from improved software license management. However, according to the latest Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act report card, 21 of 24 CFO Act agencies do not comply with the MEGABYTE Act. Agencies need to use software asset management (SAM) and license optimization tools and other IT tools to better manage and inventory the vast number of software licenses currently installed on agency devices..
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Software Licensing: Unloved and Undervalued, but Critical to Digital Transformation

As organizations look to transform their operations to a digital workplace, software license management has never been more important. From the cloud, to mobile devices, to the Internet of Things, digitalization creates another layer of complexity for enterprise IT managers.
When looking at software licensing, this complexity is two-fold. Organizations need to develop and deliver services that meet the needs of employees and customers, most of which will involve some form of software. Further difficulty results from the need to comply with complicated governance and compliance requirements. Against this backdrop, too many organizations are often unsure about their licensing position. Implementing a robust software asset management program is one way IT pros can better manage all the software in their enterprise.
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U.S. Warns of 'Bad Rabbit' Ransomware That Hit Computers in Europe

Cybersecurity experts in the U.S. issued a warning about a new malware attack called Bad Rabbit. The malware originated in Russia and is spreading worldwide. The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, which is under the Department of Homeland Security, "received multiple reports" from many countries around the world about ransomware infections called Bad Rabbit. The malware infects computers by posing as an Adobe Flash installer on compromised media websites and then restricts user access until a ransom is paid to unlock it.
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Industry Resource - Sep 2017

Internet Providers Could Easily Snoop On Your Smart Home

A recent study published by a team at Princeton s computer science school found that internet providers can monitor a wide range of data from your smart home s IoT metadata. The researchers demonstrated that an ISP, other network observer read that as hacker ) can gather sensitive activities by analyzing internet traffic from smart homes containing commercially available IoT devices, regardless if they are encrypted or not. If reading home IoT information is a reality today, deciphering corporate data cannot be far behind.
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3 Ways to Simplify and Speed Up Security Patches

Cyber-criminals uncover new OS and application vulnerabilities on an ongoing basis. Vendors scramble to address them as soon as they are identified and issue security patches to correct the vulnerability. However, the patches won t protect IT systems until they are applied.
Unfortunately, educational institutions apply less than 20 percent of security patches within 12-weeks following their release. That is markedly lower than the cross-industry average of 61 percent completion during that same time period. The open nature of higher education computing environments means that these unpatched systems are at greater risk of compromise than systems on closed corporate networks. Schools and should focus on three core issues: centralized system management (including a regularly updsated inventory of patched and unpatched systems), application patching and responsibility for BYOD systems.
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Router Flaws Put AT&T Customers at Hacking Risk

Several serious security vulnerabilities in routers used by AT&T U-verse customers allow them to be easily and remotely hacked. Five flaws were discovered in consumer Arris routers used around the world. by Joseph Hutchins described some of the them in a blog post as being as a result of "pure carelessness." Among the vulnerabilities are hardcoded credentials. Attackers can connect to a router and log-in with a publicly-disclosed username and password. Afterwards they have full access to the modem's menu-driven shell, and are able to view and change the Wi-Fi router name and password and make changes to the network's setup
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Researchers Just Discovered A Bug That Has Made Fortune 100 Companies Vulnerable To Simple Hacks Since 2008

Cyber-criminals s can easily hack the websites of over 60% of Fortune 100 companies using nothing more than a web browser and an internet connection. According to a recent security report, hackers simply need to exploit a decade-old vulnerability. The vulnerability resides in Apache Struts, a popular open-source software package used as a programming framework for building web applications in Java. According to researchers at the security firm lgtm, All versions of Struts since 2008 are affected; all web applications using the framework s popular REST plugin are vulnerable.
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Decade-Old Windows Kernel Bug Lets Hackers Bypass Security Protections

Researchers discovered a bug in the Windows kernel that enables hackers to perform malicious actions by manipulating security products that blindly depend on a Windows API. The vulnerability affects a low-level interface, labeled PsSetLoadImageNotifyRoutine that reports when a module has been loaded into the Windows kernel. Using the bug attackers can forge the name of a loaded module, which misleads third-party security products enabling malicious actions without warning. All versions of Windows are affected.
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The Time for IT Asset Management Is Now

The benefits of a comprehensive IT asset management (ITAM) program reports the information required to effectively manage the life cycle of IT assets from acquisition to end of useful life. In addition, companies can use the information generated by and IT asset management program to reduce costs, improve operational efficiency, understand the full cost of existing investments and report accurate cost information. However, an ITASM program can be used to identify and manage risk as well.
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Open Source for Commercial Software Development: Handle With Care

Open source has transformed the manner in which enterprises acquire and deploy software to support their operations. However, users must review their use of open source software (OSS) and determine that they are in compliance with licensing terms. OSS is found in thousands of applications, and provides many advantages for commercial software development That said, introducing third party software into commercial or proprietary applications also introduces risks.
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Bashware Flaw Threatens 400M PCs Globally

Check point recently discovered Bashware, a Windows 10 vulnerability can enable any malware to bypass all security solutions. Bashware is a threat to any of the 400 million computers running Windows 10 PC worldwide. The malware leverages the Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which is a fully supported feature in Windows 10. It makes the bash terminal available for Windows OS users, allowing users users to natively run Linux OS executables on the Windows 10 operating system. However, the security solutions currently in use are not adapted to monitor processes of Linux executables running on Windows OS, providing cybercriminals the ability to run their malware undetected, and to hide from current security products.
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New Report Unveils Top 3 Cybersecurity Threats Facing Business Data

According to a recent study conducted by Infoblox and SANS, the three most significant cyber-threats faced by organizations are ransomware, insider threats, and denial of service. However, these threats were not experienced as stand-alone events. Over 75% of the firms surveyed had experienced multiple threats against their data. In addition, nearly 70% encountered the same threat type two or more times. Despite the proliferation of the threats, almost 60% of the companies in the survey still rely on manual processes to identify their sensitive assets, leaving their networks open to cyber-attacks. The authors of the study concluded that organizations need to develop plans and processes designed to quickly and efficiently identify and secure sensitive assets more
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Why Won't Enterprises Take IoT Security Seriously?

Cyber-theft and data breaches are becoming easier and identifying the culprit has become next to impossible. With the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT), hackers now can attack millions of devices simultaneously. Yossi Atias, general manager of IoT security at BullGuard, that "IoT devices control physical aspects of our lives, which opens a wide range of possibilities to cause damage. The boundaries are artificial between consumer IoT, industrial IoT, and enterprise IoT they're all connected to the same network, and we've seen combined attacks. In addition, harm caused by IoT devices is permanent. The information that is lost cannot be retrieved. IoT users need to identify and monitor the devices to insure that vulnerabilities are identified and threats are prevented instead of being dealt with after the intrusion occurs
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The Top 3 'Most Wanted' Malware with the Biggest Global Impact

According to a recent Check Point report, ransomware, malvertising, and rootkit attacks were among the most prevalent malware threats in August of this year. Maya Horowitz, a threat intelligence manager at Check Point, noted that the tools and processes available to cyber-criminals is becoming incredibly diverse. She stated that ""Organizations need to be both vigilant and proactive in order to protect their networks." It's vital for organizations to be alert to these shifting threats, to simultaneously keep their defenses up against well-known malware families, new variants and new zero-day threats." One manner in which organizations can protect themselves is to employ an It asset management solution to identify unpatched software applications and to monitor devices attached to the network.
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Top 6 Benefits of Asset Management Software

Asset management software helps to enable businesses to reduce operational IT costs and better manage IT acquisitions and software licensing, enhance the performance of IT operations, improve It asset utilization and manage the IT asset life cycle. Asset management software is a critical resource for any business organizations, but especially for IT the asset intensive organizations. Some key benefits of IT asset management software include: 1) reducing costs while improving productivity, 2) managing work requests and setting priorities, 3) working more efficiently and productively, 5) reducing security risks, and 5) improving service.
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Is SAM for SaaS the Same as SAM for On-Premise?

In a SaaS environment, software asset management (SAM) is less focused on software license compliance audits, and more focused on consumption, spending and license management. SaaS software management is about managing licenses and subscriptions. Track licensing infrastructure components and middleware or hardware changes become less important. Instead of being under-licensed the real risk is having too many user licenses and/or inactive user licenses, which can cause licensing costs to balloon. SAM for SaaS differs from traditional SAM as it focuses on monitoring license consumption and overall cost-management.
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Quality over Quantity: The Art of Software Normalization

Creating an inventory of all the software installed across an enterprise often yields an extensive list of complex and confusing data points. Translating this raw data into meaningful information can be a complex, resource-intensive task. A fully featured software asset management (SAM) tool enables an organization to decipher this data to build a list of licensable software, identifying details such as publisher, product, version, edition, release date, and upgrade/downgrade rights. In addition, software titles are normalized, collecting all of the same software into a single data record, regardless of how the software is labeled in the system. Without the benefit of a SAM tool IT managers face a major challenge in determining exactly what software is running, and licensed, in their environment.
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Report: Negligent Employees Are No. 1 Cause of Cybersecurity Breaches At SMBs

According to a new study released by Keeper Security and the Ponemon Institute careless employees is the primary cause of data breaches at small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Of the 1,000 IT professionals surveyed, over half said negligent workers were the base cause of cybersecurity incidents. The second most prevalent cause of data breaches was poor password policies. Darren Guccione, CEO and cofounder of Keeper Security, Inc. noted that
"The number one greatest cyber threat to a business is their very own employees. Critical data is more accessible via mobile devices in our 24/7-connected, device-filled world." Lack of enforces password policies was also an issue: Less than half of the IT professionals surveyed had a password policy in place. Nearly seventy percent either did not strictly enforce their policy, or were unsure if one existed.
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5 Tips for Enterprises to Ensure Their SMB Partners Don't Cause a Data Breach

Large enterprises should vet SMB business partners to avoid indirect cybersecurity problems. Data breaches at large corporations have shown that enterprises are only as secure as their partners. Some steps an enterprise can take to insure their SMB partners don t pose a risk include insisting that they maintain defined access privileges to network resource, have enforced password policies, use automated patch management software and an IT assert management solution, employee security training and a comprehensive BYOD policy.
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7 Windows 10 Security Features That Could Help Prevent Cyberattacks against Your Business

As the breadth of cybersecurity threats expands, Windows 10 users can leverage several functions included in the OS to help protect their networks and data. There are seven Windows 10 features that IT pros can use to make their environments more secure: 1) Windows Defender Smart Screen, 2) Windows Defender Application Guard, 3) User Account Control, 4) Windows Defender Exploit Guard, 5) Microsoft Bitlocker, 6) Windows Defender Device Guard and 7) Windows Defender Credential Guard. An IT asset management system can pinpoint the systems running Windows 10 and help IT management implement these safeguards.
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Why E-waste Should be at the Forefront of a Company s Cybersecurity Plan

As recently reported by Fortune (http://fortune.com/2017/09/06/electronic-waste-recycling-cybersecurity/), e-waste constitutes not only an environmental crisis, but a cyber-security problem as well. The cyber-security concern is rooted in the potential exposure of corporate or personal information extracted from devices that are not properly destroyed. Any electronic device items with the ability to store data can hold valuable information. If not properly disposed of, the information on those devices can be accessed by unauthorized individuals during the end of life process. Companies can use their IT asset management solution s end-of-life features to mitigate the risk associated with e-waste.
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Industry Resource - Aug 2017

Software Audits Continue to Rise: Understand the Software Vendor s Audit Playbook

Software publishers employ a variety of strategies and tactics to extract revenue from customers through the audit process, well beyond the initial license transaction. Company executives must understand as they create the foundation that software vendors use to create future revenue and legitimize audit findings. As software vendor licensing organizations work to develop their overall business strategies, they will be designed and protected by software contract management and pricing policies designed to preserve the contractual right to generate future revenue opportunities.
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Tackling Audits through Automation

No organization wants to endure a software audit, regardless if the auditor is internal or from a third party. Any audit requires an investment of time and labor and can disrupt both an organization s reputation and its bottom line. Today, using software asset management (SAM) software, organizations can mitigate their audit risk, ensure ongoing compliance and meet audit requirement. A number of SAM tools are available to help enterprises reduce error rates, increase efficiency and help IT organizations become more transparent. The adoption of automation isn t a question of if organizations should automate it s more a question of how and when.
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Critical Software Licensing Pitfalls to Avoid When Moving To the Cloud

Having overcome a number of obstacles, corporate IT managers are now running production workloads in the public cloud. In some cases moving applications from the on premise data center to the public cloud is now a routine process. Security professionals have come to realize that cloud providers are better at security than most organizations. Furthermore, while most IT groups understand how to achieve high application performance levels in a multi-tenant infrastructure, software licensing can be a blind spot. Licensing confusion isn't a new challenge as computing infrastructures have evolved. Vendors from Microsoft to Oracle have adjusted their licensing programs over the years and will continue to do so as cloud-computing evolves.
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With Hundreds Of Choices, How Can You Pick An IoT Platform?

IoT Analytics, a German research company, recently published its Global IoT Platform Companies List. The database includes 450 IoT Platform companies, which constitutes a 25% increase compared to the previous edition. Of the industries analyzed, the majority of the vendors focus on supporting IoT Solutions in Industrial/Manufacturing, Smart Cities and Smart Home verticals. For any prospective IT group examining the platform landscape, differentiating between the current 450 plus platforms on the market can be problematic. IoT Network recently launched, in conjunction with IoT research firm Beecham Research, IoT Pilot. IoT Pilot is a free, completely independent, analyst-driven tool designed to help enterprises navigate and evaluate the IoT platform landscape.
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Apple Warns Cyber Threat Could Wipe Out iPhone, Issues Fix

FOX Business Network reported that Apple identified a potential hack that could come remotely via Wi-Fi and has issued a critical security patch for all iOS devices and for Mac computers. Apple considers the virus to be a potentially serious threat and is urging users to install the updates to protect their devices. The same virus is also a threat to Android device users, and Google has taken action to block the virus.
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Five Ways to Detect a Malicious 'Phishing' Email

In the early days of the internet, phishing emails were very easy to identify. However cybercriminals have become far more sophisticated. They can match the branding, color schemes and logos associated with the companies they are trying to impersonate. Even though phishing emails ate harder to identify today, there are some important steps companies can take to avoid becoming victims. Common phishing email traits include: 1) The message asks for personal information; 2) The offer seems too good to be real; 3) The salutation looks odd; 4) The email has mismatched URLs; and 5) The email gives you a suspicious feeling.
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Study: Shipments of Asset Tracking Devices Could Triple By 2022

According to a market analysis entitled "Asset Tracking IoT Devices 2017," issued by Mobile Experts LLC, annual shipments of asset-tracking IoT devices is forecast to grow from over $20 million to $70 million by 2022. The growth is being driven by technology changes including improved long-range communications, extended battery life, and lower prices for tracking modules. Additional technology upgrades have also improved precision and range for indoor locations. The report evaluates different technologies used for tracking devices. The report notes that various wireless standards have benefits for use in certain market segments, including transportation and logistics, industrial, retail, consumer, agriculture, and healthcare.
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Android App Stores Flooded With 1,000 Spyware Apps

Hackers have filled Android app stores, including the official Google Play store, with over 1,000 spyware apps. Once installed, any of these apps can monitor almost every action on an infected device. Called SonicSpy, the malware silently records calls and audio, takes photos, makes calls, sends text messages to devices specified by the attackers, and monitors calls logs. SonicSpy can perform over 70 different commands. Offered as a messaging application, the malware performs the advertised messaging function to avoid arousing suspicions of the download. Meanwhile it steals data and transfers it to a command and control server. SonicSpy was discovered by researchers at Lookout after they found three versions of it live in the official Google Play app store..
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A Replacement Screen Could Offer Hackers a Key to Your Smartphone

According to a new study by a group of researchers from Israel s Ben Gurion University, titled Shattered trust: When Replacement Smartphone Components Attack, replacement parts could contain chips which can be used to hack a user s smartphone and extract important information: Replacement displays, NFC readers, wireless charging components and other such smartphone parts, often sourced from third-party manufacturers, can be used to hack into a device. The third-party source code can be easily integrated into the vendor s source code. Consequently, the smartphone part will show a regular screen to the user while stealing information in the background. Since the part will be fully integrated into the device, it will also override the smartphone security protocols.
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Is Your Printer Your Weak Security Link?

As printers evolved into connected, Wi-Fi enabled multifunction devices the possible attack vector inside organizations expanded dramatically. Printers may be the most vulnerable devices in the network but get less security attention or protection than other piece of equipment accessing the network. According to Jason Rader, national practice director of security services at Datalink, an Insight company, according to Jason Rader, national practice director of security services at Datalink, an Insight company "Given their storage capabilities, printers also contain enormous (and often sensitive) data, which includes every document that's been printed or sent via that printer. Furthermore, as printers are connected to the corporate email system, a hacker can gain access to the information and email it to a selected mailbox..
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New Faketoken Android Malware Records Calls, Intercepts Texts, and Steals Credit Card Info

A year-old Android malware app has evolved from a low-level nuisance to serious security threat. Labeled Faketoken, the malware records calls, intercepts and redirect text messages, and puts screen overlays on apps to create fake payment information windows. Kaspersky believes that Faketoken spreads through bulk SMS messages that prompt users to download images. Once installed the malware hides its existence, installs itself, and begins to monitor the apps that are being used, received messages and records each phone call. Tt then sends all the information to its command and control server.
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Global Wearables Market To Grow 17% In 2017, 310M Devices Sold, $30.5BN Revenue: Gartner

Gartner expects the sales of wearables, including smartwatches to body-worn cameras and even head-mounted displays, to grow over 16% this year. The analyst firm projects sales of over 310 million wearable devices worldwide in 2017, resulting in excess of $30 billion in revenue. Of that amount, the smartwatch category is expected to account for over $9 billion in sales. The Apple Watch currently leads the smartwatch marketplace, with sales eclipsing those of Samsung s Gear smartwatch. The expanding use of wearables may further complicate the BYOD practices in many companies.
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3 Ways SDN Solves Industrial IOT's Undiscovered Security Problems

Companies need to stop worrying about potential industrial network attacks and start considering what it will take to protect against them. One approach is to look at software-defined networking (SDN) as a technological approach with potential uses beyond its intended application in the telecom business. Repurposing this technological framework may be the solution needed by the enterprise to solve three of its biggest security problems.
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Disturbing Trends Revealed By the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report

Microsoft recently published Volume 22 of the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report. It describes a number of disturbing trends that every organization should take very seriously. Microsoft s report indicates that attacks specifically targeting cloud services are growing quickly. The report specific ally notes that that stolen or compromised account sign-in credentials are the security vulnerability most often exploited by cyber-criminals. As has been reported in the past, people and passwords remain the weak link when it comes to enterprise security.
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Most Employees Willing To Share Sensitive Information, Survey Says

According to an end user security survey released this morning, over 7 pot of ten of employees are willing to share confidential corporate information. The ratio climbs to 8 out of ten in the financial services sector. These numbers are in stark contrast to the fact that 65% of the surveyed population said that it was their responsibility to protect confidential data. Brett Hansen, vice president for endpoint and data security at Dell noted that "There is an acknowledgment by employees that security is important But their actions are not consistent with good data security."
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Five New Threats to Your Mobile Device Security

In the first quarter of 2017 McAfee Labs detected and identified over 1.5 million new incidents of mobile malware. That discovery adds to other known threats for a total of more than 16 million mobile malware incidents. It is clear that mobile devices are coming increasingly under attack, and no platform is immune. Of the companies surveyed, twenty percent said their mobile devices were breached. Twenty five percent of respondents didn t even know if they were attacked. Nearly all of the companies surveyed expect the frequency of mobile attacks to increase, and nearly eighty percent agreed that it s becoming more difficult to secure mobile devices.
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