‘Tis the season to make use of those rearview mirrors and dust of the crystal balls. As we transition from 2023 to 2024, many are taking the time to reflect back on all that has happened over the course of the past 12 months while also looking ahead to set goals, anticipate potential successes, and plan for unknown challenges.
A CSO Online post, penned by industry analyst Jon Olstik, predicted that 2024 will be the year of the CISO while the Cyber Express noted the top 25 cybersecurity CEOs to keep an eye on as the coming months unfold.
Security teams should expect to see an increase of zero-day vulnerabilities in extortion attacks, according to TechTarget, yet TechRepublic opined that ransomware as a service will enable cybercriminals to launch sophisticated attacks that will plague organizations across all sectors in 2024.
While predictions are fun to think about, it’s also comforting to know what will be versus what could happen. Regardless of what transpires as we ring in the new year, we know that the world will come together to talk security at RSA Conference 2024. Register now to join us and explore our Library of educational content designed to help practitioners navigate the challenges they face every day.
Wishing you all health, happiness, and good cheer. Now let’s take a look at what else made cybersecurity headlines this week.
Dec. 22: Bloomberg reported that the recent Iranian-backed attacks on US water revealed that the “nation’s water systems are poorly protected from cyberthreats.”
Dec. 21: Actions taken in the effort to thwart SIM fraud in Namibia has raised concerns for privacy advocates who fear telcos collecting biometrics on customers might be a bridge too far.
Dec. 21: According to National Mortgage Professional industry news, “First American Financial Corporation was hit by a cyberattack on Wednesday, the company confirmed Thursday, forcing the company to take certain systems offline.”
Dec. 21: MDM solution provider, Ivanti Avalanche, issued an update to fix multiple vulnerabilities.
Dec. 20: The Hacker News reported, “The Chinese-speaking threat actors behind Smishing Triad have been observed masquerading as the United Arab Emirates Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship to send malicious SMS messages with the ultimate goal of gathering sensitive information from residents and foreigners in the country.”
Dec. 19: Krebs on Security reported, “The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) disclosed today that it infiltrated the world’s second most prolific ransomware gang, a Russia-based criminal group known as ALPHV and BlackCat.”
Dec. 19: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) banned Rite Aid from using facial recognition, saying the company’s, “reckless use of facial surveillance systems left its customers facing humiliation and other harms, and its order violations put consumers’ sensitive information at risk."
Dec. 18: Challenged with developing a plan to authenticate global users for a client, ABM Industries, a major facility management services provider, turned to QR codes and facial recognition.
Dec. 18: Anti-vaxxers have reportedly been the target of a Telegram scam with fraudsters posing as doctors willing to sell fake proof of vaccination records.