Each day we are being inundated with information. This could be in the form of ads, articles or a new tool to use that will surely make our lives easier. While these applications could be very useful to the organization, they could also be the cause of breaches or the unlawful capture of your personal or business information. But there’s a way to ensure the programs you are downloading to your devices are secure – at least for now.

We spend a lot of time talking around and about bad actors, but what if we sourced them to teach us about this industry instead? We know they exist and we know they’re working towards obtaining the sensitive data on our networks. But how do their minds work and how do they work differently than those on the ethical side of hacking? Let’s look at what sets bad actors apart and how you can leverage that information towards your future security initiatives.

So I know that everyone was worried about WannaCry and the Ransomware epidemic that we just had. Though this type of attack isn’t new, this one particular instance got so much attention because it was such a large attack and affected many in the world. Many organizations immediately started researching with their security vendors how to detect, deter and remediate…Sound familiar? Yeah, that’s Core Security’s line and we have products that could have helped then and can help today.

You may know that you need to penetration test your organization for the sake of compliance - but there is more to gain from a pen-test than just adhering to set regulations to avoid a fine.  We've compiled a list of reasons to pen-test your infrastructure to help your company operate out of a healthy security posture. 

It seems as if government agencies, both locally and nationally, are making headlines for mostly the wrong reasons these days. From scandals to breaches and cybersecurity this has become such a sensitive subject within the past year that these events have left most folks feeling even more on edge. As stated by Thales Data Threat Report, within the past year alone, 33% of government agencies reported that they experienced a data breach. Not to mention the ones that have remained unnoticed, for now at least.

Retail is arguably the leader in terms of the most financial transactions executed in an industry. With that in mind, the retail industry also makes up 8% of all data breaches. It may feel nerve-racking to both work and participate in such a risk dense environment. However, if you have the right security measures in place and remain aware of other’s security breaches and best practices you may be able to breathe a bit easier.

How do you look at vulnerability management? We’ve seen several blogs on this topic in the past month and even a webinar with one of our security consultants but the truth is that everyone looks at this issue differently. From scanning and assessments to prioritization and patching, vulnerability management is a lot of different things but it is not and never should be seen as:

We’ve let you in on some of the not-so-secret mistakes people make with pen-tests last week in "Horrible Mistakes You're Making With Pen-Testing Pt. 1" and we’re continuing with that theme today. There are more potential mistakes and we want to make sure you’re aware of them in order make your pen-tests successful. Read on and stay tuned to see just how many there actually are!

For some, running a pen test is merely something to do to pass a compliance check for the year. However, there are many more benefits than just adhering to a precedent set out before you. If done correctly – correctly being the main emphasis here – you should already know of the added benefits pen-tests have towards maintaining a healthy security posture. If you feel like you could improve even just a little bit on this matter, keep reading.

Are you guilty of any of these mistakes in your pen-tests? Maybe you've never done these before and now you'll forever remember these as things to avoid when running any future penetration tests.

1. Improperly disposed network gear

It’s surprising how often there are still configurations on network gear after disposal. This is putting your company at risk beyond their lifespan.