Nettitude Blog

Ransomware attacks are on the rise. Whether you’re a small business or a large organisation, you’re at risk and ransomware prevention is always better than recovering after an attack.

What is the Log4Shell Vulnerability?

Log4j is a logging library written in Java and the vulnerability, CVE-2021-44228, also commonly known as Log4Shell, allows a remote actor to send a crafted HTTP packet to servers or other software suite exposed to the internet, running the version below Log4j 2.15.0.

If your organization has been preparing for CMMC certification, the news that the Department of Defense has issued CMMC 2.0 and cast aside the CMMC 1.0 model (and timelines) may have been greeted with a mix of dismay and relief. The dismay is due to all the effort already put in to meeting CMMC requirements. The feeling of relief may be along the lines of “thank goodness we don’t have that to worry about that any longer.” I have separate responses to each of these sentiments.

When specifying cybersecurity testing for your organisation you’ll come across various approaches. Penetration testing and bug bounty programmes are two likely options.

But is this an either-or situation? We highlight the main differences between bug bounty and penetration testing and explain why they actually complement each other, keeping your organisation as safe as possible, 365 days a year.

What is ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware that locks and encrypts your computer or device before demanding a ransom to restore access.

Your files and data are effectively held hostage. They’re inaccessible until you pay the attacker to unlock them, or you remove the ransomware from your system.

Of course, the best scenario is to prevent an attack in the first place. It saves immense stress to your people and lost productivity due to inevitable downtime. Not to mention the financial blow, should you choose to pay.

There have been several notable attacks during 2021. Darkside targeted larger organisations such as Colonial Pipeline in the USA. Meanwhile, Revil and Sodinokibi were blamed for a cyberattack on JBS, the world’s largest meat packer.

But it’s not just a problem for large corporates. Any sized business in any country can suffer a ransomware attack.

There is a common misconception that cybersecurity fundamentally relates to the implementation and management of technical and non-technical control measures - installing firewalls, doing pen tests and implementing security awareness programmes. Whilst all of these are valid activities, much like any business activity cybersecurity is really about understanding the risks your business faces and putting mitigations in place to reduce that level of risk to an acceptable level.

There are exciting times ahead for the PCI DSS as it aims to shift its position and up its game. Historically the PCI DSS has been criticised for being behind the technology curve, but as its latest iteration (version 4.0) is prepared for release by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council, we anticipate changes that will keep the standard in the here and now.

6 PCI DSS v4.0 changes we are anticipating:

Cybersecurity testing takes many forms - each one with different benefits. Bug bounty programs will be new to many organisations. Yet, combined with fixed timeframe testing, they provide greater security assurance on a continual basis – not just at a single point in time.

This article unpacks five key benefits of a Bug Bounty program and the difference it can make to your cybersecurity, week in, week out.

Finding the right TIBER test provider for your organisation is crucial. You’ll want a secure test, but there’s huge value in knowing how to act on the results to protect your operations. An obvious question exists: should you opt for a local provider in your country or choose a larger, global tester?

We consider both options to help you make an informed choice.

Cybersecurity testing is more crucial than ever. Whilst you’re probably familiar with our penetration testing services, you might not know about our bug bounty platform. And yet, it’s incredibly valuable to maximise your security.