The 2024 Breach Barometer reports 171 million health data records breached in the U.S. in 2023.
And that’s just the ones they could find numbers for! Request your free copy of the full report at Protenus.com.
A hacker just called your office. Do your front-line personnel know what to say or do?
Regardless of whether you work for a big corporation or a small- or medium-sized business, you need to have a plan as to how you will respond in the event of a data security incident. Many plans begin with what to do once you discover a breach, but do not neglect to ensure you have […]
If you’re thinking of paying a ransom demand, think again.
For years now, law enforcement has been urging victims of ransomware attacks not to pay ransom. Their explanations are simple: (1) criminals do not keep their word to delete any data they have stolen from you, (2) criminals will not keep their word not to attack you again, and (3) paying criminals encourages them to […]
Ransomware criminals lie to us. Can we lie to them?
Some ransomware gangs demand millions of dollars in ransom or even tens of millions of dollars. Even smaller businesses, non-profit organizations, and public school districts have increasingly become victims of cyberattacks because they are easy targets with poor defenses against attackers. Do you want your system unlocked? Do you want your data back or deleted […]
Do you know what your cyber policy covers? (Southwest Airlines v. Liberty Insurance Underwriters)
An article by attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg LLP discusses a court case that serves as a useful reminder of how provisions of cyber policies may be interpreted when it comes to coverage of cyber-related incidents — even when those incidents are not data breaches. In 2016, Southwest Airlines suffered a computer system failure that […]
New Ransomware Reporting Requirements Kick in as Victims Increasingly Avoid Paying
As 2023 drew to a close, a report by Emsisoft made the bold recommendation to impose a flat-out ban on ransom payments in the event of cyberattacks. Their suggestion has spawned a good deal of discussion, including a new report by incident response firm Coveware, who disagrees strongly with the recommendation. The following is just […]
University of Twente Maps Decision-Making Process for Ransomware Victims
From the university’s press release about their research into factors related to whether ransomware victims decide to pay ransom or not — and how much they pay if they do decide to pay: The UT investigated the decision-making process of victims who had to pay ransoms during ransomware attacks. UT researcher Tom Meurs and his […]
SEC Confirms Cyberattack on X Account via SIM-Swapping
The Cyber Express reports: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially confirmed a cyberattack on its X account, revealing that the breach was a result of a SIM-swapping attack on the cell phone number associated with the account. The incident of the SEC X account hacked, which occurred on January 9, 2024, initially involved […]
Four-in-ten employees sacked over email security breaches as firms tackle “truly staggering” increase in attacks
ITPro reports: Nearly half of workers responsible for email security breaches over the last year have been sacked, according to new search, as cyber leaders begin taking a tougher stance amid a surge in attacks. Research from cyber security firm Egress found that 94% of organizations globally have experienced a serious email security incident in […]
AI Poses a Threat to Financial Sector, and Cyberattackers are ‘Outpacing’ Defenses – Treasury
Law.com reports that the U.S. Treasury Department warned the financial services sector this week that artificial intelligence (AI) will become a powerful weapon for fraudsters and cyberattackers, who will outgun the sector’s defensive efforts in the foreseeable future. The report was based on interviews with representatives from 42 financial services and technology companies about the […]