Technology Infrastructure
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Recent Ransomware Surge:
In an era defined by digital connectivity, the increase of ransomware attacks has cast a glaring spotlight on the relentless and ever-evolving nature of cyber threats. As these attacks continue to target entities across industries, comprehending the underlying reasons for their surge is paramount as is their potential to disrupt operations and extract ransoms underscores the critical need for fortified cybersecurity measures.
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Microsoft 365 Security: Is Your Organization’s Data Safe?
Authored by David Sun
Microsoft 365 came of age just as organizations quickly adopted remote work during the pandemic. In their urgency to migrate, many IT departments did not have the time to fully research the new platform and all its security features, opting to use the default settings. Once migration was complete and systems running reliably, organizations — fearing disruption — may not have gone back to change the settings.
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Cybersecurity Education Series for Nonprofits – Security Basics
Please check out the post below written by Javier Young where he highlights how to protect your hard drives, hardware and software decommissioning, and device configuration. Cybersecurity Education Series for Nonprofits – Security Basics
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Discord Users Beware of Server Hijacks
Users of the popular messaging platform Discord have been targeted recently with threat actors hijacking servers and stealing assets. This has been particularly problematic in the Non-Fungible Token (NFT) space where CLA’s incident response team has recently responded to a rash of NFT’s being compromised resulting in tremendous losses. These compromises have allowed threat actors to use legitimate accounts to announce fake drops or links, where participating victims end up losing assets in fake transactions. To evade detection, sometimes these announcements are made via direct message (DM) so others cannot see what is happening.
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Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Malware Alert (AA22 054A)
“Sandworm”, a Russian state-backed hacker group within the GRU (Russian military intelligence organization) has released new malware called ‘Cyclops Blink’….’Cyclops Blink’ can lead to a complete network compromise, by allowing attackers to gain access to the external perimeter firewall.
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How the Events in Ukraine Could Impact U.S. Businesses
As we watch history unfold in the Ukraine, it’s important to think about how these events can impact you and your business. One way in which you could be impacted is by a cyber-attack. The Russian government has used cyber as a key component of their force projection over the last decade. The last week has seen an unprecedented level of disruptive activity including activation of the new “HermeticWiper” malware attack discovered on February 23. While these attacks are currently focused outside the US, it is generally believed that sanctions imposing on Russia by Ukraine’s western allies, including the United States may cause retaliatory cyber-attacks here in our homeland.
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Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) Final Ruling Presentation
What is included in the final GLBA rule published on October 2021? How might this impact you? When does the rule take effect? We will be presenting on the updated rule at the Higher Education virtual conference on 2/22/22. Here is the link if you are interested. 2022 Higher Education Virtual Conference : 2022 : […]
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Cybersecurity in Higher Education – People, Process, and Associated Risks
Authored by Jacob Paullus
Information Technology and Information Security are some of the most important yet most complicated ecosystems to construct in a Higher Education environment. Between students, staff, and faculty, many of these institutions have a larger technological footprint than some of the largest companies in the world.
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Preventing a Password Compromise
Authored by Zoran Jovic
Password compromise is one of the most serious threats organizations face today. Attackers are attempting to gain access to your credentials 24/7, and tailor many, if not most attacks with the main goal of gaining access to credentials. Once the attacker has a username and a password, they become an authenticated user with access to systems and applications! While it may be hard to expect you to never make a mistake, a combination of user awareness training and effective security controls can help minimize the risk of a compromise. Whether you already have implemented mitigating controls, or are just starting on your journey, CLA can help verify and enhance your security posture.
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Ransomware? – Tips to Mitigate Against Ransomware
I presume that you are also aware of the most recent attack on one of the nation’s largest pipelines that carries gas from Texas to New York. This was also as a result of ransomware. On May 13, 2021 the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released some tips and tricks for dealing with ransomware.