BetaNews Staff

Paying ransomware is financing crime -- how organizations can break the cycle

Ransomware Criminal

Ransomware attacks have dominated the headlines over the last two years and will continue to control the cybersecurity agenda going into 2023. While ransomware gangs continue to be successful in extorting money from businesses, those that do pay demands are financing the ransomware industry and further crime.

With increasing attacks on areas like critical infrastructure and healthcare, it’s now become more than just a business issue. So how did we get here, what are the implications beyond the business world, and what do organizations need to do to break the cycle?  

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Modern Auth's impact on Exchange Online migrations and what steps to take

Microsoft has turned off Basic Authentication (Basic Auth) for specific protocols in Exchange Online as the company implements Modern Authentication (Modern Auth) for increased protection and user security.

However, the transition to Modern Auth brings several changes, including its impact on Exchange Online migrations. From which migration tools to use to the best migration practices, there are a number of questions IT professionals should consider to execute efficient Exchange Online migrations during this transitional period.

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How our outlook on cybersecurity will change in 2023

looking ahead

It’s fair to say over the last year cybersecurity has become one of the hottest topics to discuss. We have seen the issue affect every possible area of life from healthcare and energy to multinational corporations, and even conflicts such as the Russia/Ukraine War.

As a result, cybersecurity (in some shape or form) is in the minds of nearly all major stakeholders, board members and leadership teams across the world. Research by IDC highlighted that European IT security spending will surpass $66 billion in 2026.

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How software engineering teams can prepare for 2023

Developer team

Amidst a fast-moving labor market and fast-growing IT industry inducing constant change, one thing is certain -- software application development teams are under pressure to deliver higher quality user-focused products, securely -- and at pace.

Meanwhile, other challenges have surfaced affecting software development. These include high end-user expectations for easy-to-use, affordable and reliable digital services. This is combined with the increasing complexity and diversity of technologies associated with scale and workload -- and not forgetting drastic skills shortages in software engineering and associated niche tech expertise. IDC predicts the global shortage of full-time developers will increase from 1.4 million in 2021 to 4 million in 2025.

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Refurbished vs remanufactured: What's the difference and why does it matter?

Second-hand products have seen a surge in popularity of late as businesses and consumers alike look to save money and live more sustainably. The technology industry hasn’t been without its own mini revolution, seeing refurbished goods flood the market as online marketplaces and new business models disrupt the industry. And this trend is only set to continue with ongoing supply chain issues, the cost-of-living crisis rumbling on and the ever-growing pressures to become more sustainable.

Due to these tensions, finding cost-effective tech that does not drain the planet’s resources can lead you down two paths: Refurbishing or Remanufacturing.

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Why IAM alone is no longer sufficient to defend against today's evolving threat landscape

It’s a fact -- today’s businesses are using multiple, fragmented identity management tools to control access; and most are even paying for identity tools that they’re not even using. A recent survey found that 52 percent of organizations manage over 10,000 digital identities and 96 percent of those organizations have multiple identity management tools in place. More doesn’t always mean better protection, as 89 percent of organizations surveyed were still hit by an identity-based cyberattack in the last year.

Identity sprawl is a real thing and it’s an obstacle that is making many organizations more susceptible and more vulnerable to attacks.

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No more either/or: How a layered, data-centric approach to security removes outdated restrictions 

security meter

Viewing security as a modern data challenge is something different from simply recognizing the crucial role of data. IT security has always been about gathering, analyzing and acting on data. But modern cloud data challenges are about handling ever increasing amounts of disparate, differently-structured and unstructured data, from a changing mix of dynamic sources. 

The challenge is not about battling to handle data overload. But rather, rethinking the underlying data technologies you use at the core of your security platform, so that as more data floods in, it makes your security tighter and more effective. 

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Increasing eCommerce sales place onus on retailers protecting customers from downtime and data breaches

eCommerce

With the annual Christmas/New Year shopping season in full swing, high network traffic is expected to accompany the sales throughout December and into 2023. During this time, retailers will expect to see a higher-than-average number of visitors to both their stores and their online websites.

But with soaring inflation and energy price rises causing economic uncertainty, predicting the level of sales traffic that eCommerce sites can expect isn’t an easy task. Therefore, adapting their strategies to ensure they are ready for any level of network traffic must be a priority.

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The case for a security program

Red and blue security padlock

Modern corporations are fully dependent on their IT infrastructure for their daily operations. Securing an IT infrastructure can be a daunting task. Fortunately, there are common best practices that have found success for some of the biggest companies in the world. These best practices share common traits that can be duplicated to match almost any environment.

 Before we begin, let’s examine the past failures of many security professionals. As security managers, we must understand that the most secure environments, regardless of the sophistication of your tools or the talent of your staff, will eventually be compromised by the weakest link in your controls. So how do we manage these weak links? Let’s start by identifying them.

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The road to faster EV charging

Electric car charging

Electric vehicles (EVs) are more popular than ever. As prices drop and options increase, these once-rare cars are becoming an increasingly viable option for more drivers. However, their limited range and long charging times are holding buyers back.

The average EV can travel just 217 miles before charging, which is fine for daily commutes but not ideal for longer road trips. Of course, gas and diesel cars must also stop to refuel on long drives, but they can fill up in minutes. By contrast, EV charging is often slow. That has to change for these vehicles to become standard, so here’s a glimpse at the future of fast EV charging.

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Why Data Quality is critical for business

Data Stream

Since the explosion of technology in the last few decades, data has been increasingly positioned as a silver bullet that can fix all the trials and tribulations of the modern world. For those giant tech companies who amassed mass amounts of (mostly) third-party data, data was the new oil -- sold in barrels to any company wanting to find and scale an audience. But KPIs on data effectiveness became increasingly viable, businesses began to question the amount of data they’d bought.  

Parallel to this, governments and consumer rights groups became aware of the increasing volume of unwanted noise being thrown at potential clients and customers. Businesses, both B2B and B2C, became liable for data missteps -- case in point with Meta being fined 17m euro for what amounted to bad data housekeeping.

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Navigating the global technology skills gap with AI-moderated upskilling

Work trends have rapidly changed across the world, post-pandemic. How and where people choose to work now or in the future is and will be radically different from how it used to be a few years ago. Labor markets across all sectors have undergone drastic shifts in terms of talent requirements and demands, as businesses across the board increasingly accelerate the adoption of automation and emerging technologies.

This has resulted in a growing skills scarcity across the globe. As more technical and digital skills are required by workers in order to master emerging technologies, many organizations risk being left behind due to an undereducated and underprepared workforce. Businesses need to take the required steps now towards ensuring that their workforce, both present and future, has the training and digital skills needed to thrive in the working environment set to emerge over the next decade.

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Securing the API hunting ground

Intelligent APIs

Most of us are familiar with the old proverb "for want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost; for want of a horse, the battle was lost…" and so on. The object lesson is that small and sometimes apparently unimportant objects or actions can have outsized impacts if they are not properly attended to.

So, it is with Application Programming Interfaces or APIs. They are the 'horseshoe nails' at the heart of modern business.

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Threat modelling with Santa

Threat modelling with Santa

If there is one person who, like no other, knows that there is a lot to protect to keep people happy, then it’s Santa and his factory filled with elves, toys and sugary goodness. Not only are there plenty of things to protect, but there are also a lot of things to consider that might play out in unexpected ways, and jeopardize Christmas.

This is why Santa not only knows what to protect, but he also knows the limitations of the resources he needs to be able to keep children happy and make sure the process of making and delivery toys and candy stays operational.

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Business Communication Compromise (BCC) predictions for 2023

In 2022, cybersecurity further became a top priority for businesses around the world following critical attacks on both the public and private sectors and of course, the use of cyber warfare as a Russian tactic in its invasion of Ukraine.

This year, organizations have spent significant time and resources attempting to mitigate the risks associated with Business Communication Compromise, including phishing attacks and Personally-Identifiable Information leakages. In 2023 we will see malicious actors increase the frequency of and escalate tactics and techniques around communication. Below are my top 5 predictions for Business Communication Compromise in 2023.

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