The SolarWinds cyber compromise makes Cyber Tactics’ columnist John McClurg reflect and rethink about nation-state adversaries, insider threats, spearphising, AI-machine-powered learning, crimeware-as-a-service and much more. Here, he takes a look at what risks persist within organizations and potential consequences.

By the end of 2020, it is expected that more than 59 zettabytes of data will be generated globally. With access to data from sources such as social media, news and the dark web, encrypted connected security systems, and public and company-proprietary records and communications, physical security and safety professionals are challenged not only with parsing through this “big” data but transforming it into actionable intelligence.

Threat actors who phish see themselves as businesspeople, even if that business is illegal. They’re always seeking ways to maximize their profits, and with phishing, they know they can do that by better tailoring the email lure to resonate with the intended recipient.

It’s a typical day in the Global Security Operations Center (GSOC). The anticipated chatter on the phones, radio communication, and sounds of the software giving audible alerts are all what you’ve come to expect in this busy hub of the security program.

A recent ISC² Cybersecurity Workforce Study placed the resource gap worldwide at 4.07 million professionals. The challenges we face when grappling with that gap are myriad and are exacerbated by the security paradigm to which we may have historically pledged allegiance.

It is well known that today we live in an unprecedented time with rampant cybercrime. And now that the COVID-19 pandemic has created unparalleled challenges including worldwide unemployment and a massive financial crisis, ironically one of the industries that has flourished is the $5.2 trillion economy of cybercrime.

Hermeneutics, a hodge-podge of psychology, sociology, anthropology and philosophy — with a dose of linguistics thrown in for good measure — examines the variables around which we construct and impute meaning to our world. This process is more colloquially known as interpretation theory.

Ransomware attacks are on the rise – and they are getting more and more sophisticated and destructive. That is bad news for executives struggling to maintain a high level of cybersecurity even as their organizations continue to cope with the massive impact of a pandemic.

The path to securing the remote workforce should be seamless and experienced as a hassle-free balance between safety and a quality user-experience. It is pivotal to implement appropriate security practices, as inadequate measures can lead to unmanaged risks and the endangerment of corporate systems, data and employees.