Top Content in Review: 2018's Most Read Cybersecurity Information by IT and Security Professionals

As each year draws to a close, the temptation is always to wipe the slate clean, put the past behind us, and have a fresh start come January. However, for most things, and particularly when it comes to cybersecurity, the best way to ensure a successful year ahead is to utilize what we learned over the past year as a foundation to build on.

Read on as we revisit pieces from the past year that will remain relevant into 2019 and beyond.

Lesson 1: While the cloud is great for business, misconfiguration issues can lead to disaster.

While the cloud has enabled businesses to expand their capabilities via cloud servers or a hybrid approach of on-premise and cloud environments, many organizations have developed a blind spot when it comes to cloud security, creating an opening for cyberattacks and data leaks. A simple misconfigured security setting can expose sensitive data to attackers or wayward employees. This guide gives an overview of the most common cloud security issues and advises how best to secure your data.

[READ THE TRUTH ABOUT CLOUD SECURITY]

Lesson 2: Passwords are no longer enough to block out threats.

Security experts are in general agreement that passwords will simply no longer suffice when it comes to system security. Granular access control, a key feature in certain identity and access management solutions, is one way organizations are tackling this challenge. This article takes a closer look at why granular access control is so effective—by placing limitations on who can get into your organization’s system, where, when and how they can access it, and what they can do with it.

[READ THE SIX Ws OF GRANULAR ACCESS CONTROL]

Lesson 3: Even before an attack hits, insufficient protection of your organization is beginning to result in long term consequences.

Moody’s, one of the U.S.’s largest credit rating companies, has decided to incorporate cyber risk into their credit rating system. This decision should prompt organizations to ask themselves, “how would we stack up if our security environment were evaluated tomorrow?” This blog discusses four types of cyber threats that endanger organizations (and their ratings), and how to avoid them.

[READ THE CYBER RISK RATINGS: HOW WOULD YOUR IT ENVIRONMENT SCORE?]

Lesson 4: Organizations are targets not only for their data, but for their processing power.

Cryptomining malware, also known as cryptojacking, infects a computer system like a parasite, sucking the processing power to use it to mine for cryptocurrency. This blog covers the rise of cryptocurrency and cryptojacking, and how organizations are at risk. 

[READY WHY CORPORATE NETWORKS ARE KEY TARGETS FOR CRYPTOJACKING]

Lesson 5: Each operating system has its own set of unique security challenges.

All operating systems, including AIX, are frequent targets of cyberattacks, according to the Data Breach Investigations Report. From DDoS to malware, attackers have many strategies at their disposal—and common cybersecurity mistakes make their attacks much easier. This webinar discusses effective security strategies like strong password settings and configuration policies, as well as how to avoid AIX security mistakes.

[WATCH EXPERT TIPS FOR AVOIDING AIX SECURITY MISTAKES]

Lesson 6: Expert advice can help organizations know what to prepare for and prioritize.

This webinar features Bob Erdman, Security Product Manager, and David Dingwall, Senior Cybersecurity Strategist, as they count down the top cybersecurity trends of 2018 and make their predictions for what’s to come in 2019.