Security Boulevard

Schools store and manage a range of sensitive data: student identification records, tax records, medical documents, financial statements, and more. Often, schools rely on Google Workspace to handle their data appropriately — including Google Drive.  In the words of Education Week: “Google products dominate in K-12 classrooms.” Their research shows that approximately 70% of K-12 ...

The post How Safe is Google Drive?  appeared first on ManagedMethods Cybersecurity, Safety & Compliance for K-12.

The post How Safe is Google Drive?  appeared first on Security Boulevard.

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, cybersecurity risks are more prevalent and sophisticated than ever before. Organizations of all sizes are increasingly exposed to many threats, from ransomware attacks and phishing schemes to zero-day exploits and insider threats. As these risks continue to grow in complexity, it becomes crucial for organizations to adopt a proactive approach to cybersecurity—one that prioritizes not just identifying potential threats but also the strategic implementation of risk treatment and mitigation strategies.

The post Top Cybersecurity Risk Mitigation Strategies Every Business Should Implement appeared first on Security Boulevard.

If the virtual product uses cloud authentication, it needs to communicate with the cloud authentication center periodically every day to complete the authentication and ensure availability. You can confirm the authorization mode under System Management -> System Tools -> License -> Authorized by. For example, in the image below, the device uses cloud authorization. If […]

The post WAF Cloud Authentication Issue Troubleshooting appeared first on NSFOCUS, Inc., a global network and cyber security leader, protects enterprises and carriers from advanced cyber attacks..

The post WAF Cloud Authentication Issue Troubleshooting appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Do I go to my Cloud Service Provider (CSP) for cloud security tooling or to a third party vendor?

Who will secure my cloud use, a CSP or a focused specialty vendor?

Who is my primary cloud security tools provider?

This question asked in many ways has haunted me since my analyst days, and I’ve been itching for a good, fiery debate on this. So, we did this on our Cloud Security Podcast by Google where the co-hosts divided the positions, researched the arguments in advance of the debate and then just … WENT AT EACH OTHER :-)

The results were so fun and interesting that this blog was born!

The Case for Third-Party Vendor Tooling

These arguments hinge on three primary concerns: trust, consistency, and innovation.

Some observers also highlight the theoretical conflict of interest when a CSP is responsible for both building and securing the cloud (no idea why people say this, as IMHO there is no conflict here). This side also stressed the importance of consistency across multi-cloud environments and argued that dedicated security vendors are more likely to innovate more rapidly. They also may address client needs faster, especially narrow vertical needs.

• You just can’t trust the cloud builder to secure their own stuff (or “letting the cat guard the cream” as somebody weirdly opined on social media). Third-party vendors promise unbiased security analysis and can uncover security issues that CSPs might deprioritize, benefiting the broader public and individual users. This separation of duties suggests a more objective evaluation of cloud security.
• Consistency is super critical for multicloud. Third-party tools provide a consistent security framework across multiple cloud platforms. This simplifies management and reduces the need for specialized knowledge in each CSP’s unique security offerings.
• Startups just build better tools; this is their focus and sole mission; CSPs suffer from “security from a big company” syndrome, being slow and political. Third-party vendors, whose core business is security, are more likely to develop innovative and effective security solutions compared to CSPs, who may view security as a secondary concern.
• Auxiliary argument: Would you ever trust the CSP to secure the network/environment that belongs to their competitor?

The Case for CSP-Native

These arguments hinged on three primary concerns: deep platform knowledge, built-in security, and seamless stack.

Deep platform knowledge that CSPs possess suggests both robust and “automatic”, default security. The seamlessness of CSP-native tools and the vast (we mean it, BTW!) resources that CSPs dedicate to security also play a key role. CSPs are very well positioned to keep pace with the rapid evolution of cloud services, and secure them as they are built.

• CSP knows the platform and cloud in general best, can use unlisted or poorly documented capabilities to secure the cloud. Security deeply integrated into the platform is “more secure”, and also better linked with asset tracking, and other IT ops / DevOps capabilities. This deep knowledge translates into superior security capabilities, both practical and conceptual.
• Built-in beats bolt-on, with fewer seams to break and break through. CSP-native tools offer seamless integration with other services, streamlining workflows, and reducing the risk of security gaps that can arise from stitching together disparate tools. This results in a simpler and more manageable security stack. Recent breaches highlight the risks associated with these integration points, underscoring the advantage of built-in security.
• Using native tools reduces the number of third-party vendors and solutions you need to manage, leading to a simpler security stack and less administrative overhead. When cloud platforms and security tools share the same foundation, operational teams benefit from streamlined access and workflows.
• Auxiliary argument: CSP keeps pace with securing new services as they are being launched. And there are a lot of cloud services being launched.

The Verdict

• “It depends” wins! It really does. No, we are not hedging or fudging. Are you disappointed?
• To make it practical, we need to answer “depends on what?” Organizational realities: how you use cloud, what cloud, how many clouds, what is your threat model, etc.
• None of the arguments from either side include a “killer” or a clincher argument that stops the debate and hands the victory to one side.
• Often starting with CSP-native tools and then supplementing with third-party solutions to address any gaps (if any) is the way to go (this also was Gartner advice in my days, BTW)

Listen to the audio version (better jokes!). And, yes, do read “Snow Crash” if you somehow failed to, before.

Resources:

• EP186 Cloud Security Tools: Trust the Cloud Provider or Go Third-Party? An Epic Debate, Anton vs Tim
• EP74 Who Will Solve Cloud Security: A View from Google Investment Side
• EP22 Securing Multi-Cloud from a CISO Perspective, Part 3
• EP176 Google on Google Cloud: How Google Secures Its Own Cloud Use
• “Use Cloud Securely? What Does This Even Mean?!”

The Great Cloud Security Debate: CSP vs. Third-Party Security Tools was originally published in Anton on Security on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The post The Great Cloud Security Debate: CSP vs. Third-Party Security Tools appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Master cloud security with NodeZero™ Cloud Pentesting. Easily uncover vulnerabilities across AWS and Azure, prioritize identity risks, and secure your environment in just minutes. Stay ahead of threats.

The post Mastering Cloud Security: Uncovering Hidden Vulnerabilities with NodeZero™ appeared first on Horizon3.ai.

The post Mastering Cloud Security: Uncovering Hidden Vulnerabilities with NodeZero™ appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Authors/Presenters:Alexander Marder, Zesen Zhang, Ricky Mok, Ramakrishna Padmanabhan, Bradley Huffaker, Matthew Luckie, Alberto Dainotti, kc claffy, Alex C. Snoeren, Aaron Schulman

Many thanks to USENIX for publishing their outstanding USENIX Security ’23 Presenter’s content, and the organizations strong commitment to Open Access. Originating from the conference’s events situated at the Anaheim Marriott; and via the organizations YouTube channel.

Permalink

The post USENIX Security ’23 – Access Denied: Assessing Physical Risks To Internet Access Networks appeared first on Security Boulevard.

A backdoor found in millions of Chinese-made RFID cards that are used by hotels and other businesses around the world can let bad actors instantly clone the cards to gain unauthorized access into rooms or run supply chain attacks, say researchers with Paris-based Quarkslab.

The post Backdoor in RFID Cards for Offices, Hotels Can Lead to Instant Cloning appeared first on Security Boulevard.

The cybersecurity landscape is rapidly evolving, and our 2024 Identity Breach Report: Welcome to the GenAI Attack Revolution offers essential insights into how artificial intelligence (AI) and complex data sets are transforming the threats we face today. The New Face of Phishing: AI-Powered Scams This year’s report highlights a dramatic shift in phishing tactics. With …

The post 2024 Identity Breach Report: Navigating the GenAI Attack Revolution appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Learn more about the top challenges and the different tools and techniques that can support continuous validation within a CTEM program.

The post Gartner Report: Implement a Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) Program appeared first on SafeBreach.

The post Gartner Report: Implement a Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) Program appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Recently, I introduced you to our heroes of Threat-Informed Defense. They comprise our diverse community of Tidal Cyber customers who are using our platform in ways you may not have thought about to save time and money, improve their existing defenses, and vastly increase the efficiency of their security teams.  

The post How CTI Analysts Use Threat-Informed Defense to Overcome Top Challenges appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Improve your identity and governance administration strategy with SaaS identity risk management. Discover how to extend the value of your IGA tool.

The post Enhance Your Identity Governance and Administration Strategy appeared first on Security Boulevard.

via the comic & dry wit of Randall Munroe, creator of XKCD

Permalink

The post Randall Munroe’s XKCD ‘Ferris Wheels’ appeared first on Security Boulevard.

CodeSonar 8.2 is a significant upgrade, containing new features and integrations, improved compiler and language support, and more checkers. The highlights are listed below; for more complete details, please consult the Release Notes. We recommend customers update to this version of CodeSonar as soon as possible to get access to these benefits.  Explore the latest…

The post What’s New in CodeSonar 8.2 appeared first on CodeSecure.

The post What’s New in CodeSonar 8.2 appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Increasing the frequency of pen testing isn’t just about preventing the next attack but creating an environment where cybersecurity is so advanced

The post How Pen Testing is Evolving and Where it’s Headed Next  appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Many thanks to USENIX for publishing their outstanding USENIX Security ’23 Presenter’s content, and the organizations strong commitment to Open Access. Originating from the conference’s events situated at the Anaheim Marriott; and via the organizations YouTube channel.

Permalink

The post USENIX Security ’23 – ICSPatch: Automated Vulnerability Localization And Non-Intrusive Hotpatching In Industrial Control Systems Using Data Dependence Graphs appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Redmond reboot redux: “Something has gone seriously wrong.” You can say that again, Microsoft.

The post Patch Tuesday not Done ’til LINUX Won’t Run? appeared first on Security Boulevard.

A survey of 300 application and software development, IT and security leaders finds nearly half (45%) working for organizations that, in the past year, have experienced a cybersecurity incident involving a third-party software-as-a-service (SaaS) application.

The post Survey Surfaces Growing SaaS Application Security Concerns appeared first on Security Boulevard.

In API security, organizations frequently encounter a tough decision: whether to opt for the flexibility and scalability of a SaaS solution or the data control and privacy of an on-premises deployment. Salt Security's hybrid deployment option provides a solution that combines the advantages of a SaaS solution with the assurance of data privacy, offering the best of both worlds for organizations.

The Challenges of Traditional Deployment Models

• SaaS: While SaaS solutions offer easy deployment, scalability, and access to the latest features, they can raise concerns about data privacy and compliance, especially for organizations handling sensitive information.
• On-Premises: On-premises deployments offer greater data control but require significant IT resources for maintenance, updates, and scaling.

Salt Security's Hybrid Deployment: A Balanced Approach

Salt Security's hybrid deployment option balances the advantages of SaaS and on-premises solutions. It combines a local, self-contained "edge" component called the Hybrid Server with the power of the Salt AI-infused platform.

• Data Privacy: The Hybrid Server processes API traffic locally, ensuring that sensitive data never leaves an organization's environment. Only aggregated metadata and malicious events are transmitted to the Salt cloud for further analysis and threat intelligence sharing.
• Scalability and Performance: The Hybrid Server can handle up to 9 billion API calls monthly, ensuring optimal performance even in high-traffic environments. It also seamlessly scales across multiple environments, data centers, and clouds.
• Ease of Management: Salt Security handles the maintenance, updates, and monitoring of the Hybrid Server, freeing up your IT resources and reducing operational overhead.
• Deep API Visibility and Posture Governance: The Hybrid Server model provides unparalleled visibility into all API traffic, enabling organizations to comprehensively understand their API landscape and identify potential security risks and compliance gaps. This deep visibility, coupled with Salt's AI-powered posture governance capabilities, allows organizations to proactively address vulnerabilities and ensure their APIs' integrity.
• Advanced Threat Protection: The Hybrid Server leverages Salt's cloud-based AI and ML engine to detect and prevent sophisticated API attacks in real time. This ensures you benefit from the latest threat intelligence and behavioral models, even with a local deployment.

Benefits of Salt Security's Hybrid Deployment

• Data Sovereignty: An organization's sensitive data remains within its infrastructure, ensuring compliance and mitigating privacy risks.
• Effortless Scalability: The Hybrid Server's capacity and adaptability ensure seamless performance, even as an organization's API ecosystem expands.
• Focus on What Matters: Salt Security takes care of the technicalities, allowing IT and security teams to concentrate on strategic security initiatives.
• Proactive Risk Mitigation: Gain a deep understanding of an organization's API landscape to identify and address vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
• Stay Ahead of the Threat Landscape: Benefit from real-time, AI-powered threat detection and prevention, even with a local deployment.

Conclusion

Salt Security offers a hybrid deployment option that provides a solution for organizations looking to balance SaaS's advantages with data privacy and control requirements. By merging local data processing with a cloud-based AI/ML platform, Salt Security delivers a robust and adaptable API security platform that can cater to any organization's needs.

If you want to learn more about Salt and how we can help you on your API Security journey through discovery, posture management, and run-time threat protection, please contact us, schedule a demo, or check out our website.

The post Hybrid API Security: The Best of Both Worlds appeared first on Security Boulevard.

After nearly three months, Linux kernel 6.9 has officially reached the end of life on August 2nd, 2024. If you are currently running this EOL kernel version, it’s time to consider upgrading to the latest Linux kernel 6.10 or a long-term support (LTS) version to maintain system security and stability. Greg Kroah-Hartman, a renowned Linux […]

The post Time to Upgrade: Linux Kernel 6.9 is End of Life appeared first on TuxCare.

The post Time to Upgrade: Linux Kernel 6.9 is End of Life appeared first on Security Boulevard.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., August 21, 2024 – We are thrilled to announce that NSFOCUS has been recognized for the fourth consecutive year in Gartner’s esteemed 2024 Market Guide for Security Threat Intelligence Products and Services. This accolade is a testament to our enduring commitment to delivering advanced threat intelligence solutions that safeguard our clients against […]

The post NSFOCUS Honored as a Representative Vendor in Gartner’s 2024 Market Guide for Security Threat Intelligence Products and Services appeared first on NSFOCUS, Inc., a global network and cyber security leader, protects enterprises and carriers from advanced cyber attacks..

The post NSFOCUS Honored as a Representative Vendor in Gartner’s 2024 Market Guide for Security Threat Intelligence Products and Services appeared first on Security Boulevard.