84 percent of attacks now use legitimate tools
New research from Bitdefender shows that 84 percent of high severity attacks are using Living off the Land (LOTL) techniques, exploiting legitimate tools used by administrators.
One of the findings is that the netsh.exe tool -- used for network configuration -- management is the most frequently abused tool, appearing in a third of major attacks. While checking firewall configurations is a logical initial step for attackers, this clearly demonstrates how data analysis can spotlight trends that human operators might instinctively disregard.
Lack of 'digital dexterity' set to harm public sector AI investment
We reported a few weeks ago on the challenges businesses face in getting workers to adapt to new generative AI technology.
The latest report from digital experience specialist Nexthink, based on a survey of 220 public sector IT decision makers, shows that this is a particular problem in the public sector, with 96 percent of IT leaders believing this new era of digital transformation will increase digital friction.
Shadow AI a major concern for enterprise IT
A new report reveals that nearly 80 percent of IT leaders say their organization has experienced negative outcomes from employee use of generative AI, including false or inaccurate results from queries (46 percent) and leaking of sensitive data into AI (44 percent).
Notably the survey of 200 US IT directors and executives from Komprise shows that 13 percent say that these poor outcomes have also resulted in financial, customer or reputational damage.
Vendor email compromise attacks get more effective in large enterprises
A new report from Abnormal AI shows that employees in large enterprises engage with malicious vendor messages 72 percent of the time.
Drawing on behavioral data from over 1,400 organizations worldwide, the report reveals the extent to which employees are actively engaging with advanced text-based threats like vendor email compromise (VEC) and explores the blind spots attackers are exploiting with highly targeted, socially engineered attacks.
Meeting the challenges of running a modern service desk [Q&A]
In today's interconnected world, the IT service desk often serves as the invisible backbone of any successful organization, from troubleshooting minor glitches to resolving critical system outages.
But beneath this seemingly straightforward function lies a complex web of challenges that can significantly impact efficiency, user satisfaction, and ultimately, an organization's bottom line.
New AI analytics platform is designed for enterprise frameworks
As data demands across organizations intensify they need to scale productivity and enable business users to explore data independently.
Cube is launching an agentic AI analytics platform built on a universal semantic layer which allows it to operate autonomously within enterprise frameworks, automating work while preserving trust, governance, and transparency.
65 percent of IT professionals have too many security tools
New research from Barracuda Networks finds 65 percent of IT and security professionals say their organizations are juggling too many security tools.
What's more, over half (53 percent) of respondents also say their security tools cannot be integrated -- creating fragmented environments that are difficult to manage and secure.
The practical approach to building a data mesh [Q&A]
As businesses continue to generate and rely on vast amounts of data, the traditional approach to managing that data is no longer sufficient.
Enter the concept of a data mesh -- a decentralized, domain-driven approach to data architecture that promises to transform how organizations handle and leverage their data. But the question remains: should a business create a data mesh? What value does it add, and what challenges does it help solve?
UK tech leaders want the government to stop buying US cloud
New research reveals a surge in interest in data sovereignty among UK IT leaders since the implementation of the United States government's historic raft of tariffs in April.
The study from Civo, of over 1,000 UK-based IT leaders, shows more than 60 percent now feel that the UK government’s use of US cloud services exposes the country's digital economy to significant risks, damages its domestic industry, and threatens data security.
The top priorities and biggest worries for cyber leaders [Q&A]
The technology world is a fast moving one and keeping up with the latest trends can be difficult. Yet it's also essential if you're not to lose competitive edge or get caught out by new risks.
We spoke to Myke Lyons, CISO of data infrastructure company Cribl, to discuss what the priorities for cyber leaders should be and what things are likely to keep them awake at night.
The rise of the million dollar CISO
While the average total compensation for CISOs at large enterprises is $700K, those at $20B+ firms average $1.1M, with top earners exceeding $1.3M. These people are often managing $100M+ security budgets and teams of over 200 staff.
A new report from IANS Research along with Artico Search looks at data from more than 860 CISOs, including 406 at enterprises with $1B+ in annual revenue.
Less than eight percent of top domains implement the toughest DMARC protection
New research from EasyDMARC reveals that just 7.7 percent of the world's top 1.8 million email domains are fully protected against phishing and spoofing, having implemented the most stringent DMARC policy.
While this configuration, known as 'p=reject', actively blocks malicious emails from reaching inboxes, many businesses have only adopted the passive monitoring setting known as 'p=none', which passively monitors inboxes for threats without intercepting them. This means it doesn't block fraudulent emails or provide full visibility into authentication failures.
Confidence in software supply chain security at odds with actual readiness
New research finds that 32 percent of security professionals think they can deliver zero-vulnerability software despite rising threats and compliance regulations. 68 percent are more realistic, noting they feel uncertain about achieving this near-impossible outcome.
The study from Lineaje, carried out among RSA attendees, also shows that while software bill of material (SBOM) regulations and guidelines continue to increase, organizations vary in their level of adoption.
How safe are your browser extensions? New free database helps you find out
Not all browser extensions are created equal, and just because one is available in a high-profile store doesn't mean it's safe. Stores may do simple verifications to check for obvious red flags, but it's not part of their workflow to investigate deeper indicators of suspicious or malicious behavior.
ExtensionPedia, a new database developed by LayerX, changes that by providing individuals and businesses with detailed risk analyses on over 200,000 extensions to distinguish between safe, risky and malicious tools.
New platform offers secure development for the AI era
According to recent projections from Gartner, by 2028 90 percent of enterprise software engineers will use AI code assistants, up from less than 14 percent in early 2024. But relying on AI in development roles also introduces risks.
Snyk is launching a new AI-native agentic platform specifically built to secure and govern software development in the AI Era.
Ian's Bio
Ian spent almost 20 years working with computers before he discovered that writing about them was easier than fixing them. Since then he's written for a number of computer magazines and is a former editor of PC Utilities. Follow him on Mastodon
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