Cybersecurity Chronicles | July 14 2023

HEADLINES OF THE WEEK

HEALTHCARE?- Hackers Stole Data on 11 M Patients?

HCA Healthcare, Nashville, experienced a data breach where the information, including names, contact details, and appointment information, of approximately 11 million patients was stolen.?

SERVICES - Australian Infrastructure Company Hit with Cyberattack

Australian infrastructure services provider Ventia is currently dealing with a cyberattack, taking key systems offline to contain the incident. While an investigation is ongoing, no further details were provided.?

GOVERNMENT - A Caribbean Gem Loses Luster After Cyberattack?

The Ministry of Digital Transformation in Trinidad and Tobago was hit by a cyberattack, leading to disruptions in operations and the loss of court documents served electronically since June 30.?

MANUFACTURING - Supplier to Auto Industry Hit by Ransomware?

Denver-based manufacturer of transmission belts and fluid power products, Gates Corporation revealed suffering a ransomware attack in February. It exposed HR documents containing sensitive data of more than 11,000 individuals.?

Insights & Expert Analysis

DDOS ATTACKS - Simple Attack Now More Destructive & Common

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks occur with greater frequency across all organizations. While large organizations often make headlines, it is important to recognize that even smaller organizations can fall victim to DDoS attacks.?

INSIGHT: Microsoft advises organizations to evaluate resilience against DDoS attacks and specifically recommends RedWolf, a user-friendly testing system.

However, you can DIY Prep by configuring your firewalls or routers to discard incoming ICMP packets and blocking external DNS responses (by obstructing UDP port 53).

You can enhance your defenses against certain DNS and ping-based volumetric attacks.?

• Validate if DDoS Protection can protect your resources from DDoS attacks.?
• Optimize your incident response process while under DDoS attack.
• Document DDoS compliance.?
• Train your network IT teams.

NATIONAL SECURITY - WH Publishes National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan

Meant to ensure transparency and coordination, the National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan (NCSIP) details over 65 initiatives for combating ransomware and other cybercrime, building a skilled cyber workforce, and bolstering cooperation between governmental agencies.

INSIGHT: We must acknowledge two major concerns surrounding the WH National Cybersecurity Strategy: funding and utilization.?

The Administration's cybersecurity strategy demonstrates a commendable commitment to safeguarding the nation's digital infrastructure.?

However, the concern lies in whether the allocated funding will be adequate to meet the challenges posed by rapidly evolving IT demands and the growth of cyber threats.?

While the Administration has requested an increase in cybersecurity funding for FY24, (+23% over FY23), is there sufficiency??

And it’s not only the amount of funding but how effectively it will be utilized.

Continuous evaluation of the funding's adequacy and collaboration between the government and the private sector remains vital to the success of any strategy let alone one that protects our national security.

ZERO DAYS - MS Confirms 6 New Zero-Day Exploits

Microsoft just dropped an announcement of 132 security vulnerabilities. But wait, it gets juicier! Among these vulnerabilities, there are six that are actively being exploited as zero-day attacks. The urgency is real. If you're a Windows user, buckle up and update your system ASAP.

INSIGHT: The rise of cloud migration, allows a single zero-day attack to expose more connected organizations, making the stakes higher than ever before.

And while the volume of vulns and that there are 6 in one announcement seems (and is) significant, it is less a hair-on-fire concern than it had been.

Why? 4 reasons...

1. Security measures have improved overall, leading to better detection of zero-day exploits. The growing volume of reported incidents does not necessarily mean an actual increase in zero-day attacks.
2. Security teams have become better at spotting zero-day exploits, thanks to improved threat detection tools and increased budgets for cybersecurity.
3. Data-driven insights and analysis, these play a crucial role in identifying complex attacks and unusual network activities, enabling enterprises to detect and trace the entry points of zero-day attacks.
4. Cyber defenses have gotten stronger, and hackers face better defenses but are very good at overcoming them with time.

But all those positives rely upon you having made the right decision about your organization’s cyber resilience.

Elevate Your Cyber Risk Cognizance

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Our fully automated Security And Risk Assessment (SARA) performs as an auditor to provide an unbiased audit of your technical and risk controls.

1. Identify Gaps
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