When it comes to a security staple like penetration testing, we all have preconceived notions that make this practice seem quite challenging. The need to rotate vendors, interruptions to normal business, or even testers causing security risks are some that you often hear thrown around. But are they true? The short answer is no. In this blog, we’ll put these myths to rest and bring the truth about...

While it’s important to adhere to compliance regulations, blunders do happen. What does it mean when these blunders lead to you failing a cybersecurity audit, and how can you recover? Consequences of Failing a Cybersecurity Audit Failing a cybersecurity audit can mean several things. First, there’s the up-front legal fines that come with falling on the wrong side of compliance. Here are a few...

You may have heard that Core Security’s Core Impact is an enterprise-grade penetration testing solution that uses same tactics and techniques as real-world attacks. You may have heard that it’s automated and easy-to-use, so teams of any prior skill level can leverage the same advanced attacks. And you may have even heard that it can automate routine tasks as part of the overall engagement, so more...

Online banking is nearly universal in 2023. No more long lines at the credit union, late-night ATM trips, or waiting for a check to be cashed. Digital banking has revolutionized the financial industry and the way we do business as a whole. However, it has also indelibly increased the risk of cyberattacks, social engineering scams, and online compromise to the financial community. Here are some...

In The Importance of Layering Offensive Security Solutions, Fortra experts underscore the advantage of developing a single source offensive security tooling portfolio. Read on to find out the necessary ingredients for a proactive strategy and why Fortra’s ability to combine and maximize solutions optimizes security and produces the most effective outcomes. The Five Elements of an Offensive...

When school is out for summer, it seems like everyone is on vacation – everyone except your (un)friendly neighborhood cybercriminals. Something about the summer months puts us off our guard and threat actors on high alert. The only way to stay safe is to know what’s causing the trouble in the first place. We’ve packed our sunscreen – now read on to find out how to make sure your security also...

Cyber attacks may not have been around when Ben Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail,” but it has become an appropriate cybersecurity principle, nonetheless. So what does preparation involve and how are organizations ensuring that is integrated into their security strategy? One example is the TIBER EU Framework, a set of standardized red teaming procedures designed for...

Organized ransomware isn’t slowing down – in fact, a group just discovered a month ago is already responsible for dozens of attacks – and they are experts at discovering weaknesses we miss. With so many sophisticated new security tools and so much stack investment, how do we continue to play catch-up to roving ransomware groups? Because the reality is, we’re all prone to making mistakes. The 2023...

The times, they are a changin', as Bob Dylan would say. It's a time of a lot of global change, leading to dramatic shifts in different industries. Organizations have to be agile and change along with it, all while keeping cybersecurity top of mind. New changes mean new attack vectors One thing that comes with new changes are new attack vectors. That's why organizations need to stay vigilant during...

What’s the point of establishing a baseline if you don’t intend to track your progress? When organizations only run an initial pen test, they are only getting half the picture. A pen test is used to give a business a baseline idea of how well their systems would stack up against hackers who wanted to exploit vulnerabilities. Once the results are delivered, it’s up to the team to implement those...

Some time ago, Core Impact added a module that supports the use BloodHound, a data analysis tool that uncovers hidden relationships within an Active Directory (AD) environment. This module enabled the collection of Active Directory information through the Agent using SharpHound. Additional modules have now been added to allow Core Impact users to further utilize Bloodhound. In this blog, we’ll...

There’s something positive about a healthy degree of fear. It lets us understand our own limitations, heightens our senses, and keeps us alive. The tendency to err on the side of caution was called out in our recent 2023 Penetration Testing Report as a smart practice when it comes to cybersecurity. In fact, though security professionals reported less confidence in their security posture, this loss...

As cybersecurity needs continue to rise, it’s no secret that organizations are having to do more with less. In any given company one can find modern-day use of the old adage, “Patch it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” That make it do part is exactly what upskilling and reskilling is all about. As companies respond to growing threat appetites with fewer qualified personnel in the job...

First there was the boom – now there’s the bust. Organizations that invested in myriad new solutions to handle the complexity of myriad security problems now have a different problem on their hands – how do you handle all of the vendors? Companies are finding there’s a different kind of noise when too many providers are in the mix, and they’re looking to cut back. They still need the effectiveness...

Do you know the difference between internal pen tests, external pen tests, and wireless pen tests? It matters.With the threat landscape expanding and criminals taking advantage of security gaps, organizations are turning to controls that can help them limit their exposure. Among other controls, penetration testing stands out because it simulates attackers' malicious activities and tactics to...

Security adviser Roger Grimes once famously wrote, "To beat hackers, you have to think like them.” Grimes explained that security professionals should step into the attackers’ shoes and seek how to break into corporate systems, discover weaknesses, and create robust security countermeasures. Walking the walk of an attacker is what penetration testing is all about. What is In-House Pen Testing? ...

So why are we talking about hacking of an IBM i? I think that's certainly not a headline we see very often, as IBM i systems have been considered un-hackable for years. Anyone who has worked on IBM i has heard some of these statements: “Nobody Can Hack an IBM i.” “Never in my 40 years in the business has anyone hacked an IBM i!” “IBM i’s don’t have hacking problems like Windows...

Popular entertainment would have us believe that hackers are all sophisticated attackers ready to strike the latest vulnerabilities. That is sometimes true, but it’s become increasingly apparent that whether it’s the latest zero-day bug or something that was discovered the same year Apple released the iPad, hackers are equal-opportunity offenders. "Classic" Vulnerabilities Cybersecurity...

Lately, there has been an important increase in the relevance of valid call stacks, given that defenders have started to leverage them to detect malicious behavior. As several implementations of “Call Stack Spoofing” have come out, I decided to develop my own, called Hardware Call Stack. Call stack spoofing 101 To create a credible call stacks, I decided to use the technique developed by William...

The worst thing about supply chain attacks is that the breach is not entirely your fault. Simply by trusting in software and services provided by a third party, they open the door to attack. Attackers look for a softer target in the supplier, gaining access they hope to leverage into more significant attacks. According to research, supply chain attacks have been highly successful, growing by more...