IT Hardware, Software & Vulnerability Audit: Not just for Christmas This blog explores the concept of IT hardware, software and vulnerability audit. It highlights their crucial role in an organisation's IT security strategy, compliance with regulations, cyber security framework accreditation, and business insurance policies related to cyber security coverage. It emphasises the benefits and outcomes of such audits and argues for adopting real-time, always-on audits as a standard practice for IT teams. Introduction In today's digital landscape, businesses rely heavily [...]

The Critical Role of Vulnerability Management in Network Security Strategy   In today's digital landscape, a robust network security is paramount for organisations to protect their sensitive data and maintain customer trust. An effective network security strategy requires a proactive approach that addresses vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. This is where vulnerability management comes into play. In this blog post, we will delve into the importance of vulnerability management in network security and its crucial role in achieving [...]

Vulnerability management is one of the most important cyber security tasks. But it is also tricky and complex, giving rise to dangerous misconceptions which can lead to misguided practices and ineffective security. When it comes to communicating vulnerabilities, risks and threats to senior management, misconceptions can greatly harm communication and have a knock-on effect to your security strategy. Don't let the myths stand in your way, get the facts and sharpen your security. Myth 1. Vulnerability management and patch management [...]

Researchers uncover a new strain of malware with unusual features Check Point Research (CPR) uncovered a mysterious, new strain of ransomware. What stands out most, is that it's completely unbranded, very unusual for the ransomware ecosystem where reputation is everything. It also boasts faster encryption speeds than any other strain before and has rare, unusual features compared to others. What do you see in the inkblots? This new strain of ransomware is unusually customisable, allowing users to deploy it how [...]

The checklist mentality According to the WEF (World Economic Forum) Global Cyber Security Outlook 2023, attitudes have shifted, with many now seeing cyber security frameworks as an effective tool for improving cyber security accross the private sector. Following a cyber security framework such as Cyber Essentials or ISO 27001 has been shown to reduce the chances of a data breach by up to 86%. But it's a double edged sword. Now, many people think of cyber security and security standard [...]

Why 2023 is the year to go agentless We are in the age of digital transformation projects, migrations to the cloud, remote working and IoT (Internet of Things). It's a crisis of complexity. Network growth is accelerating and security is struggling to stay on top. Attackers always have the advantage - just one gap in your defences is enough for them to get in. The more complex your IT becomes, the more gaps attackers can find and the easier you [...]