CSLATEST

Computing 

Security 

Secure systems, secure data, secure people, secure business 

KEEPING IT REAL-TIME 

New digital landscape demands ever 

faster response to risk 

NEWS 

OPINION 

INDUSTRY 

COMMENT 

CASE STUDIES 

PRODUCT REVIEWS 

SAFE PAIR OF HANDS? 

The goalposts are shifting in 

pursuit of achieving 

a Zero Trust outcome 

LIGHTING THE WAY 

New rays of hope may be 

on the horizon as a fresh 

approach to cybersecurity 

starts to filter through 

SHARK-INFESTED WATERS 

Surge in ransomware attacks puts 

the bite on more potential victims 

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QUANTUM RESEARCH HUBS: THE GOOD AND THE DISTURBING 

EDITOR: Brian Wall 

(brian.wall@btc.co.uk) 

LAYOUT/DESIGN: Ian Collis 

(ian.collis@btc.co.uk) 

SALES: 

Edward O’Connor 

(edward.oconnor@btc.co.uk) 

+ 44 (0)1689 616 000 

David Bonner 

(dave.bonner@btc.co.uk) 

+ 44 (0)1689 616 000 

Stuart Leigh 

(stuart.leigh@btc.co.uk) 

+ 44 (0)1689 616 000 

PUBLISHER: John Jageurs 

(john.jageurs@btc.co.uk) 

Five new quantum research hubs have been backed by more than £100 million of 

government funding in the hope that they will deliver breakthroughs in healthcare, 

cybersecurity and transport. 

Announced by the Science Secretary Peter Kyle, the hubs will bring researchers and businesses 

together to use their scientific expertise and talent alongside the commercial know-how and 

resources to develop "groundbreaking quantum technologies that will directly impact people's 

lives in areas like healthcare, security, and clean energy", states the government. 

It's the sort of positive initiative that has been badly lacking of late in this area. However, Tim 

Callan, chief experience officer at Sectigo, has some concerns: "It is impressive to witness the UK's 

commitment to maintaining its position as a leader in the field of quantum technology. However, 

we must not forget the security challenges associated with this advanced technology. 

"In the event that a country does develop a quantum computer capable of breaking current 

encryption methods, it is likely that they would keep it a closely guarded state secret, as the UK 

did when it broke the Enigma code during World War II. For this reason, it is imperative that 

businesses take their own proactive measures to prepare for this eventuality by transitioning to 

quantum-safe algorithms before it is too late." 

It's a warning that should be borne in mind and acted upon. Better to anticipate the possible 

consequences now then try to react after the wheels have come off. 

Brian Wall 

Editor 

Computing Security 

brian.wall@btc.co.uk 

Published by Barrow & Thompkins 

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Petts Wood, Kent, BR5 1LZ 

Tel: +44 (0)1689 616 000 

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Single copies can be bought for 

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Published 6 times a year. 

© 2024 Barrow & Thompkins 

Connexions Ltd. All rights reserved. 

No part of the magazine may be 

reproduced without prior consent, 

in writing, from the publisher. 

www.computingsecurity.co.uk Sept/Oct 2024 computing security 

@CSMagAndAwards 

3


Computing Security Sept/Oct 2024 

inside this issue 

CONTENTS 

Computing 

Security 

NEWS 

OPINION 

INDUSTRY 

COMMENT 

CASE STUDIES 

PRODUCT REVIEWS 


SAFE PAIR OF HANDS? 

The goalposts are shifting in 

New digital landscape demands ever 

pursuit of achieving 

faster response to risk 

a Zero Trust outcome 

LIGHTING THE WAY 

New rays of hope may be 

on the horizon as a fresh 

approach to cybersecurity 

starts to filter through 

SHARK-INFESTED WATERS 

COMMENT 3 

Inside quantum research hubs: 

from the good to the disturbing 

Surge in ransomware attacks puts 

the bite on more potential victims 

NEWS 6 

AI is scammers' best buddy 

Total Backup solution totally enhanced 

Late disclosure earns rap on knuckles 

Onslaught of new fraud campaigns 

Critical VMware flaw detected 

ICO steps up its wider powers 

ARTICLES 

KEEPING IT REAL-TIME 18 

Managing security threats often hinges on 

identifying and responding to risks in real 

time. But how does 'real time' work and is 

it an end game that’s always achievable? 

AI HIGHJACKED 14 

NEW ERA OF HOPE 24 

With the helter-skelter rise of Artificial 

Might the ushering in of a new government 

Intelligence revolutionising how we do 

signal a fresh approach to cybersecurity? 

business and conduct our everyday lives, 

fears are raidly growing that cybercriminals 

A SUSTAINABILITY MANIFESTO 27 

are likely to weaponise the technology to 

Steve Mellings of ADISA makes the case 

commit bigger, more sophisticated and ever 

for why the default position should be to 

more dangerous crimes. 

promote re-use of redundant equipment 

EASING THE MALWARE ANGST 28 

Modern-day threats mean the old ways of 

protecting against attacks are no longer 

SHIFTING THE GOALPOSTS 20 

enough. Change must come… and now 

Implementing Zero Trust in a complex 

RANSOMWARE RAMPAGE 32 

infrastructure that includes a mix of legacy 

When trying to prevent ransomware 

systems, on-premises servers and cloud 

strikes, keeping pace with the ingenuity of 

services can be a huge challenge. Ensuring 

those carrying them out is the challenge 

seamless integration and consistent security 

policies across all these components requires 

PRODUCT REVIEW 

constant effort and deep expertise. 

BACKBOX NETWORK 

AUTOMATION PLATFORM 23 

CRIME GANGS AIM TO WIN WITH AI 30 

In today's dynamic technological landscape, 

BOOK REVIEW 

the emergence of Generative Artificial 

Intelligence (Generative AI) and its blend 

AN HONOURABLE QUEST 26 

with deepfake technology has affected 

Cybersecurity needs an overarching code 

voice, image and video. This amalgamation 

of ethics and conduct, argue authors Paul 

has opened up a whole new landscape of 

J. Maurer and Ed Skoudis 

opportunities and risks. 

computing security Sept/Oct 2024 @CSMagAndAwards www.computingsecurity.co.uk 

4 

BACKLASH ON COMPLIANCE FAILURES 10 

Failure to adhere fully to the General Data 

Protection Regulation could result in heavy 

penalties. A new guide provides a detailed 

commentary on the GDPR, explaining the 

many changes that you need to make 

to your data protection and information 

security regimes, in order to comply.

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news 

TOTAL BACKUP SOLUTION TOTALLY ENHANCED 

Hornetsecurity has released an 

enhanced version of its 365 Total 

Backup solution for Microsoft 365, now 

including comprehensive backup and 

recovery support for Microsoft Planner. 

This upgrade extends Hornetsecurity's 

data protection suite, ensuring critical 

business data is securely backed up and 

recoverable, it states. 

The enhancement follows the roll-out of Microsoft's Planner function to manage tasks 

and projects. The free update from Hornetsecurity is available for customers on both its 

365 Total Backup products and 365 Total Protection (Plans 3 and 4). 

The broader scope of protection supports GDPR compliance and adds to the existing 

backup and recovery functionality across essential M365 applications, including Mailbox, 

OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams. 

AI IS SCAMMERS' BEST BUDDY 

Anew report from VIPRE highlights the 

ingenuity of cyber-criminals in using 

AI to evade detection and maliciously 

scam individuals and enterprises. The 

company processed 1.8 billion emails 

globally, detecting 226.45 million spam 

emails and 16.91 million malicious URLs 

to identify the email threat trends that 

impact enterprises the most. 

The Q2 2024 Email Threat Trends Report 

identifies Business Email Compromise 

(BEC) as a major scourge. Nearly half 

(49%) of all detected spam emails were 

attributed to BEC scams, with the CEO, 

followed by HR and IT, being the most 

common targets identified. 

It takes on a more sinister complexion 

when a full 40% of the BEC emails 

uncovered were shown to be AIgenerated. 

TARDY BREACH DISCLOSURE EARNS RAP ON KNUCKLES 

The ICO has reprimanded the Electoral Commission for the 

data breach it suffered in 2021, identified in 2022 and 

disclosed in 2023. In response, Dominic Trott, director of 

strategy and alliances, Orange Cyberdefense, Europe, argues 

that, in future, swift public disclosure is crucial to maintaining 

trust and allowing individuals to protect themselves. 

"It is comforting that the Electoral Commission has 

strengthened its security posture since the attack, including 

implementing a plan to modernise their infrastructure, as well 

as password policy controls and multi-factor authentication 

for all users," says Trott. "We can therefore hope that, if it is 

targeted again in future, the attack will come to light and be 

Dominic Trott 

communicated quicker than in this instance." 

ONSLAUGHT OF NEW FRAUD CAMPAIGNS 

Anew report, the result of continuous investigation by a team 

of fraud analysts in the Transmit Security Research Lab, has 

revealed how dark web marketplaces and fraud tools have 

changed since the release of ChatGPT. Key findings highlight 

the powerful capabilities of blackhat generative AI (GenAI) 

platforms that fraudsters are said to be using to create new 

fraud campaigns at unprecedented levels of sophistication, 

speed and scale. "It's easy to find malicious GenAI tools like 

FraudGPT and WormGPT, and it's just as easy to use them - to 

probe for vulnerabilities, write malicious code, harvest data and 

create highly deceptive fraud," says Ido Rozen, security researcher 

team lead at Transmit Security. "These tools have no security 

Ido Rozen 

guardrails and require little to no skills. GenAI has dramatically 

lowered the bar for novice fraudsters to churn out more advanced attacks on a global scale." 

6 

computing security Sept/Oct 2024 @CSMagAndAwards www.computingsecurity.co.uk

news 

Sarah Pearce. 

ICO STEPS UP ITS WIDER POWERS 

Sarah Pearce, partner at Hunton Andrews 

Kurth, has proffered her legal firm 

expertise regarding the ICO's reprimand of 

the Electoral Commission after a cyberattack 

compromised its servers (see 'Tardy breach 

disclosure earns rap on knuckles', page 6). 

"The use of reprimands by the ICO has, in 

the past, been controversial, with some 

questioning whether in fact the ICO had 

properly exercised the use of its powers in 

certain instances. One point to note, Recital 

148 UK GDPR clearly anticipates the use 

of reprimands for "minor infringements," 

says Pearce. 

"However, the infringements identified in 

the reprimand issued to the Electoral 

Commission would appear to be serious - 

and with serious impact," she adds. 

"The use of reprimands in this context, in 

respect of a government agency such as 

the Electoral Commission, is in line with 

the ICO's revised approach to public sector 

enforcement and ICO25, in which the UK 

Commissioner John Edwards outlined his 

plan to reduce impact of fines on the public 

sector and to increase use of the ICO's wider 

powers, including reprimands, with fines 

being reserved for only the 'most serious 

cases'.", she concludes. 

DDOS ACTORS 'CAN WREAK HAVOC' 

Donny Chong. 

The recent Microsoft outage, caused by a DDoS attack 

affecting 365 products and Azure, demonstrates the ease 

at which DDoS actors can wreak havoc against critical business 

services, warns Nexusguard director Donny Chong. "Anyone 

can carry out an attack of this magnitude from their own 

bedroom, if they have the right equipment," he coments. 

"While no company can guarantee the always-on availability 

of its cloud services, customers of these services have high 

expectations today and that's exactly what attackers are 

counting on." The tech community would benefit from 

more transparency on how many DDoS attacks companies 

thwart and how they mitigate them, adds Chong. "Our data 

suggests that attack sizes increased by an average of 183% 

last year and 81% of attacks are now shorter than 90 minutes. This shows both the scale of 

the task at hand for stretched cybersecurity teams and that attacks are now more efficient 

than ever when inflicting disruption on businesses." 

CRITICAL VMWARE FLAW DETECTED 

Microsoft researchers have found a critical vulnerability in 

VMware's ESXi hypervisors. Ransomware operators are 

using this to attack systems worldwide. "While the security 

advisory for CVE-2024-37085 provided a moderate severity 

rating, a CVSSv3 score of 6.8 and Tenable Vulnerability 

Prioritization Rating of medium, successful exploitation can be 

catastrophic for impacted organisations," says Scott Caveza, 

staff research engineer at NASDAQ-listed Tenable. "Microsoft's 

analysis of compromised hosts provided valuable insights into 

the variety of methods that can be deployed to compromise 

ESXi hosts." All new and existing attack methods appear 

relatively simple and straightforward to exploit where conditions 

exist that allow for exploitation in the first place, he warns. 

Scott Caveza. 

ONLINE FRAUD IS BATTERING BUSINESSES 

Failing to tackle online fraud is increasingly damaging the 

brand reputation and the bottom line for thousands of 

businesses around the globe, new research reveals. Almost twothirds 

of all ecommerce brands (61%) have found themselves at 

the centre of highly damaging public media storms when fraud 

hits, according to Ravelin's Global Fraud Trends 2024 Survey. 

Of those polled, 40% (and 41% in the UK) say their brand image 

has been affected by fraudulent activities. This varies by sector - 

40% of retailers, 36% of those in travel, 45% in digital goods 

and 38% in marketplaces. 

"In a highly connected world where reputations can be globally 

trashed with just a few keystrokes, brands must do more to 

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mitigate against fraud," states Ravelin CEO Martin Sweeney. 

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legal focus 

CLAMPDOWN ON COMPLIANCE FAILURES 

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION COULD RESULT IN FINES OF 

UP TO €20 MILLION OR 4% OF ANNUAL GLOBAL TURNOVER - AND THE SCREWS ARE BEING TIGHTENED 

As most organisations will now be 

aware, the GDPR - General Data 

Protection Regulation - gives individuals 

significant rights over how their personal 

information is collected and processed, and 

places a range of obligations on organisations 

to be more accountable for data protection. 

The Regulation applies to all data controllers 

and processors that handle EU residents' 

personal information. It supersedes the 1995 

EU Data Protection Directive and all EU 

member states' national laws that are based 

on it - including the UK's DPA (Data Protection 

Act) 1998. 

Failure to comply with the Regulation could 

result in fines of up to 20 million euros or 

4% of annual global turnover - whichever is 

greater. So, this timely guide is a perfect 

companion for anyone managing a GDPR 

compliance project. It provides a detailed 

commentary on the Regulation, explains 

the changes you need to make to your data 

protection and information security regimes, 

and tells you exactly what you need to do to 

avoid severe financial penalties. 

So, looking at the last completed calendar 

year (2023), who was hit with the biggest 

fines? In first place, by some measure, was 

Facebook owner Meta, with Ireland's Data 

Protection Commission imposing a record 

$1.2 billion fine in May. "The mammoth 

penalty related to the transfer of European 

Facebook user data to the United States 

without sufficient protection from 

Washington's intelligence agencies," says 

EQS, cloud provider in corporate compliance, 

investor relations and ESG (Environmental, 

Social and Governance). Meta was also 

ordered to suspend the transfer of user d 

ata between the EU and the US within six 

months. 

As Andrea Jelinek, chair of the European 

Data Protection Board, commented at the 

time: "The EDPB found that Meta IE's infringement 

is very serious, since it concerns transfers 

that are systematic, repetitive and continuous. 

Facebook has millions of users in Europe, so 

the volume of personal data transferred is 

massive. The unprecedented fine is a strong 

signal to organisations that serious infringements 

have far-reaching consequences." 

HEAVY HITTING 

The Irish Data Protection Commission also 

slapped Meta with the second-highest penalty 

of 2023 when two fines were imposed on the 

company, adding up to a total 390 emillion 

euros. And the Irish regulator did not stop 

there. It also fined TikTok 345 million euros 

after an investigation found that the platform 

improperly processed children's data. 

TikTok was in the frame again in the UK, 

with the Information Commissioner's Office 

fining the company 14.5 million euros for 

failing to comply with data protection 

principles under the GDPR, after it was found 

children under the age of 13 were allowed to 

create accounts on the platform. 

All in all, those who fail to comply with the 

Regulation can expect to be held to account 

and fined, although not everything in the 

GDPR garden is held to be rosy. "In the past 

few years, GDPR has also been criticised for 

hindering innovation and technology," points 

out Legit, a fast-growing EU-based regtech 

company and one of the pioneers in the 

newly-emerged privacy and personal data 

protection area. "For data-driven innovation, 

GDPR's restrictions can be particularly 

challenging. Companies must be careful 

about collecting and using personal data, 

which can limit the amount of data 

10 


legal focus 

available for research and development, 

especially in fields like AI and machine 

learning." 

Obtaining explicit consent from users is 

another hurdle that can complicate or delay 

new technological developments. "Startups 

and smaller businesses often feel the impact 

more acutely, because they have fewer 

resources to handle these compliance 

requirements. This can create a competitive 

disadvantage and act as a barrier to entry 

for new players in the market," adds Legit. 

On a global scale, GDPR can also 

complicate data flows across borders, 

hindering international business operations. 

Companies outside the EU must also comply 

with GDPR, if they deal with EU citizens, 

adding another layer of complexity. "Despite 

these challenges, GDPR also encourages the 

development of privacy-friendly technologies 

and the implementation of cybersecurity 

measures, and fosters consumer trust," 

says Legit. "The key is balancing protecting 

privacy and fostering an environment that 

supports technological innovation and 

protects individual's rights." 

BUSINESSES STRUGGLING 

UK businesses are clearly struggling to deal 

with mounting data protection regulation 

and many are being fined sizable amounts 

for compliance violations, according to 

Frank Catucci, CTO and head of Security 

Research, Invicti. "In fact, the most recent 

ISMS report - 'The State of Information 

Security Report 2024' - shows that 70% of 

those fines were over £100,000. To be fair, 

trying to keep an organisation completely 

safe and compliant is like trying to hold back 

the tide. The unfortunate reality of modern 

cybersecurity is that vulnerabilities and bugs 

lie deep within the various software components 

that businesses rely on. Many of the 

challenges that the majority of businesses 

face around regulatory and security considerations 

are rooted in their software supply 

chains," he comments. 

Catucci singles out an increasing point of 

concern for regulators everywhere. "UK GDPR 

makes a point of saying that compliant 

organisations must take account of the risks 

within their software supply chain. The EU's 

NIS2 will come into enforcement in a few 

months and makes it clear that organisations 

must take into account the security of suppliers 

and service providers. Furthermore, the 

incoming EU AI act will cement this deeper, 

holding every party in the AI supply chain 

accountable for failures. 

"The UK government is now proposing the 

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which will 

grant new powers to regulators and expand 

the scope of existing regulation to, as the 

King's Speech announced, 'protect more 

digital services and supply chains'. That same 

speech cited a June cyberattack on the UK's 

NHS, in which ransomware was spread 

through a private software provider. 

Regulations like these aim to underline the 

fact that cybersecurity is an issue of public 

safety, as well as private security." 

Supply chain security has to be thought 

about deeply, if organisations want to 

remain compliant, he suggests. "That will 

likely start with the thorough scanning and 

penetration testing of internal software 

systems, and the adoption of Zero Trust 

practices when it comes to suppliers and 

vendors. Regulators are increasingly focusing 

on software supply chains and, if businesses 

don't take this seriously, then regulatory 

penalties will make them do so." 

COMPLIANCE DEFIANCE 

Over the past year, more than 99% of UK 

businesses have received fines for data 

breaches or violation of data protection 

rules, according to research into the 'State 

of Information Security', by ISMS.online, 

the auditor-approved compliance platform. 

The findings, if correct, highlight the complexity 

of mounting legislation and equally the 

challenges that arise from seeking to meet 

multiple compliance requirements. 

"This year has seen an influx in large scale 

breaches and the UnitedHealth Group ransom 

attack in April this year is one example of the 

huge financial impact these breaches can 

have," states ISMS.online. "This attack alone 

resulted in the ChangeHealthcare platform 

being suspended, with the BlackCat/ALPHV 

group claiming it stole 6 TB of data and 

resulted in a massive $872 million loss. 

"As data breaches continue to surge, 

government entities and trade bodies are, in 

turn, trying to meet these challenges with 

updates and implementation of regulations 

and compliance mandates. Equally, businesses 

are prioritising cybersecurity. According to the 

UK Cybersecurity Breaches survey 2024, threequarters 

of businesses (75%) reported that 

cybersecurity is a high priority for their senior 

management and many organisations have 

continued to invest either the same amount 

or more in cybersecurity over the last 12 

months. This is in part a response to the 

perceived increase in the number of cyberattacks 

and their sophistication." 

Despite continued investment, ISMS.online's 

survey of 502 information security professionals 

in the UK found that businesses are still 

falling foul to data breaches. The average UK 

fine for data breaches and violation of data 

protection rules now amounts to £257,982. 

"That said, only 19% of businesses cite that 

their main motivation for compliance and 

robust information security is to avoid fines 

and penalties. Increased customer demand 

(34%), protecting business information (33%) 

and remaining competitive (30%) rank as the 

top three motivations." 

REPUTATION THE BEST ROI 

Luke Dash, CEO of ISMS.online, comments: 

"Businesses are failing to recognise that 

compliance and security come hand in hand 

and, if they want to protect their information 

and maintain their custom, meeting regulatory 

requirements will put them in a good 

position to do so. It will also demonstrate 

their willingness to put their customers and 

www.computingsecurity.co.uk @CSMagAndAwards Sept/Oct 2024 computing security 

11

legal focus 

Frank Catucci, Invicti: 70% of those fines 

imposed for compliance violations were 

over £100,000. 

Lorraine Mouat, Thistle Initiatives: with such 

increased scrutiny, it's crucial that firms are 

fully compliant. 

their data first. Should a breach occur, this 

should ease any financial repercussions, but 

will certainly bode well for loyalty and reputation 

to enable businesses to remain competitive, 

despite any incident and setbacks that 

may ensue." 

This is supported by the findings, he says, 

given that a mere 22% of respondents believe 

that complying to avoid fines and penalties 

has provided a decent return on their investment 

in information security compliance 

programmes. The majority cite enhancing 

their business reputation as a secure reliable 

entity was the best ROI. 

"The landscape is certainly changing when it 

comes to compliance and fines," adds Dash. 

"It is staggering to see that over 99% of 

businesses have received fines over the past 

12 months, yet it seems that these penalties 

are now seen as a small part of the compliance 

story. Businesses previously saw 

compliance as a way to sidestep hefty fines 

and negative publicity; however, as our 

research shows, competitive advantage, 

reputation and protecting information are 

now seen as the main benefits of 

compliance." 

On a positive note, he says businesses do 

seem to be recognising that building effective 

information security foundations is essential 

for compliance "and it is encouraging to see 

that 45% of the ISMS.online survey respondents 

noted that their businesses plan to 

increase their information security budget by 

up to 25% in the coming year to do so. This 

provides critical assurances to customers, 

shareholders and regulators". 

The research also found that current 

compliance processes can be demanding 

and time-consuming, with over 65% citing 

that it took between 6-18 months to meet 

compliance with GDPR alone. Similarly, 60% 

took the same length of time to comply with 

NIST and ISO27701, and 57% struggled to 

meet ISO270001 and The Privacy Act, 

needing as much as 18 months to do so. 

"This is just a snapshot of the legislation 

businesses are facing and these rising 

regulatory fines, as highlighted by the 

ISMS.online research, prove there's still some 

way to go. But compliance doesn't need to 

be as onerous. As auditors, it's our job to 

identify conformity with standards and, 

therefore, aid businesses in meeting the 

mounting requirements within these to help 

them reduce the risk of a breach." 

Adds Warwick Tams, head of sales, Alcumus 

ISOQAR: "There are solutions now that can 

streamline and automate these conformity 

audits, reducing manual tasks and enabling 

successful audit engagements. Being able to 

eliminate the frustration of sorting through 

diverse and complex systems and making 

audits more straightforward could be the 

difference between saving thousands or 

losing hundreds of thousands and your 

reputation to boot." 

MULTIPLE LINES OF FAILURE 

Meanwhile, the Financial Conduct Authority 

has been exerting increased scrutiny over 

financial firms' regulatory compliance, in light 

of firms such as AstroPay recently having 

restrictions imposed, while operations are 

improved. 

"These types of restrictions are typically 

imposed by the FCA for reasons such as noncompliance 

with regulatory requirements, 

including operational and governance 

weaknesses, financial stability concerns, 

consumer protection failures or previous 

regulatory breaches," says Lorraine Mouat, 

head of payment services at Thistle Initiatives, 

the compliance consultancy for financial 

service businesses. "It's worth noting that the 

FCA has significantly raised the bar since the 

requirement for payments firms to be 

authorised first came into effect in 2018. As 

a result of the supervision work the FCA has 

been conducting, we're going to see more 

intervention where firms are failing to meet 

12 


legal focus 

these now enhanced standards. With such 

increased scrutiny, it's crucial that firms are 

fully compliant, if they are to avoid constraints 

on operations like the ones imposed on 

AstroPay." 

There are several ways firms can stay on top 

of compliance standards, advises Mouat. "For 

instance, by actively engaging with regulators 

and participating in industry forums, firms can 

ensure they stay informed about regulatory 

changes and expectations. Internally, it's 

important to invest in a strong compliance 

infrastructure - hiring experienced compliance 

professionals and adopting advanced compliance 

technologies. Conducting regular training 

for staff on compliance requirements, risk 

management and best practices in the 

industry is also invaluable." 

Additionally, partnering with a compliance 

consultancy means firms can benefit from 

tailored guidance and support aligned with 

their specific business models, as well as 

practical solutions that reflect their real needs. 

"Partnerships like this are key to ensuring firms 

are always moving forward with the everchanging 

regulatory environment." 

BIG CHALLENGES 

All too clearly, data protection regulations 

like the GDPR pose significant challenges for 

businesses. "Despite Brexit, the UK adheres to 

GDPR principles through its version, the UK 

GDPR," says Gareth Owen, director, Redkey 

USB. "Reports reveal over 99% of UK businesses 

faced fines for data breaches or 

violations of data protection rules last year, 

highlighting the urgent need for robust data 

protection measures. While this figure seems 

exceptionally high and warrants scrutiny, it 

underscores the critical importance of 

compliance." 

One effective way to ensure compliance is 

by securely erasing data from storage devices 

before they are sold or recycled. "Simply 

deleting files or using free software is 

insufficient for GDPR standards, as these 

methods leave sensitive information 

vulnerable to unauthorised access. Certified 

secure data-wiping solutions are essential, 

adhering to international standards and 

providing a reliable method for completely 

removing all data from a device. These 

tools securely overwrite the data and verify 

the erasure, ensuring no trace of the 

original data remains." 

For businesses with IT personnel, Owen 

adds, it is crucial to avoid inadequate datawiping 

methods. "Free software may seem 

convenient, but lacks the necessary security 

measures and certifications required for 

regulatory compliance. Certified datawiping 

solutions offer detailed erasure 

reports, serving as vital evidence of compliance 

for audits and regulatory reviews. 

However, not all companies have dedicated 

IT personnel. Small businesses often rely on 

individuals with basic computer knowledge, 

but without formal IT security qualifications. 

There's a common misconception 

that simply resetting the device or using 

a restore function is sufficient for data 

protection, but these methods do not 

provide the thorough data erasure needed 

to ensure regulatory compliance, leaving 

sensitive information at risk of recovery." 

Whether data erasure is performed inhouse 

or outsourced, the key is to use 

certified secure data wiping tools, he 

argues. "When outsourcing, ensure the 

third-party service uses certified tools and 

processes. Implementing a secure data 

disposal policy is not just about avoiding 

fines; it's about protecting the integrity and 

trust of the business. Customers and clients 

need to be confident their data is handled 

with the utmost care, even at the end of its 

lifecycle. 

"By using certified secure data-wiping 

solutions, businesses can uphold their 

commitment to data privacy and security, 

maintaining their reputation in an 

increasingly security-conscious market." 

Gareth Owen, Redkey: certified datawiping 

solutions offer detailed erasure 

reports, serving as vital evidence of 

compliance. 

Luke Dash, ISMS.online: most respondents 

said enhancing their business reputation as 

a secure reliable entity was the best ROI. 


13

AI cybercrime 

AI HIGHJACKED 

UNEASE IS SPREADING THAT CYBERCRIMINALS WILL COMMANDEER AI TO 

COMMIT BIGGER, MORE SOPHISTICATED AND MORE DANGEROUS CRIMES 

With the rise of Artificial Intelligence 

revolutionising how we do business 

and conduct our everyday lives, 

fears are growing that cybercriminals are 

likely to weaponise the technology to commit 

bigger, more sophisticated and more 

dangerous crimes. 

In new research, 78% of the chief internal 

auditors who were questioned believe AI 

will negatively impact cybersecurity and data 

security, while 58% say it will exacerbate 

fraud, underscoring the growing concern 

amongst business leaders about the risks 

associated with AI. 

Organisations are being advised that, in 

preventing AI-powered attacks, they will 

increasingly need to deploy the same AI 

tools as part of their cyber defences, with 

the best defence against AI-powered 

cybercrime often being AI-powered 

cybersecurity solutions themselves. For 

example, some AI cybersecurity tools 

can detect ransomware in seconds. 

Internal audit, it is argued, can play a key 

role in supporting boards and senior 

management to raise the AI cybersecurity 

bar across the organisation by making 

recommendations and advising on improving 

cyber controls and defences. Anne Kiem, 

chief executive of the Chartered Institute of 

Internal Auditors, notes how AI, as with all 

new technologies. can be used for positive 

and negative reasons. "Our research has 

shown that chief internal auditors are alert 

to the threats and this should bring some 

comfort to those organisations that have 

a strong focus on risk control, risk mitigation 

and having a well-resourced internal audit 

function. Internal auditors remain a force 

for good." 

How much does this anxiety about the 

weaponising of AI coalesce with the views 

of those across the security industry? 

Substantially, as far as Carlos Arnal, product 

marketing manager at WatchGuard 

Technologies, is concerned. "Despite efforts 

by commercial generative AI tools like 

ChatGPT to implement safeguards against 

malicious use, hackers have found ways 

to exploit these technologies," he confirms. 

"Emerging alternatives, such as WormGPT, are 

also being weaponised by malicious actors." 

THREAT TECHNIQUES 

The most common AI-supported threat 

techniques he identifies include: 

AI-generated phishing campaigns: 

Generative AI has transformed phishing 

campaigns, enabling hackers to create 

more convincing texts that are harder 

to detect, thus making these campaigns 

more effective and time-efficient 

AI-assisted target research: machine 

learning algorithms analyse social media 

and other online data to gather valuable 

information about targets, such as their 

interests, habits and vulnerabilities 

Intelligent vulnerability detection: 

AI-enabled reconnaissance tools can 

automatically scan corporate networks 

for vulnerabilities and select the most 

effective exploits 

Intelligent data filtering: during an attack, 

AI selectively extracts only the most 

valuable information, making it harder 

to detect the breach 

AI-powered social engineering: AI can 

generate deepfake audios or videos that 

mimic trusted individuals in vishing 

attacks, increasing the credibility of the 

attack and persuading employees to 

disclose sensitive information. 

"The complexity of AI-driven cyberattacks 

necessitates robust defence mechanisms," 

advises Arnal. "Advanced endpoint security 

is crucial in this defence and organisations 

should implement solutions that incorporate 

AI capabilities to prevent, detect and respond 

to these threats." An advanced endpoint 

security solution with AI technology can: 

Detect emerging threats: utilise 

behavioural analysis and machine learning 

to identify and block new and evolving 

malware. These solutions can also assist 

with patching to eliminate potential 

vulnerabilities within a network 

Minimise the risk of data breaches: 

prevent sensitive data leaks from 

14 


AI cybercrime 

successful phishing campaigns or malware 

attacks, thereby avoiding financial loss, 

erosion of customer confidence and 

reputational damage 

Contribute to regulatory compliance: 

many industries are legally required to use 

advanced protection against malware. 

Non-compliance can result in fines and 

other legal repercussions. 

While businesses thrive in the digital age, 

with more organisations adopting hybrid 

work environments to enhance employee 

well-being and productivity, "cybersecurity 

teams face significant challenges, including 

heavy workloads and the risk of burnout," 

warns Stephen Amstutz, director of 

innovation at Xalient. "The use of digital 

transformation and cloud-based technologies 

has made organisations more complex and 

heavily reliant on their networks. Thus, 

security breaches can dramatically impact 

operations and productivity. The increase in 

attack surfaces, along with a rise in AI related 

cyberattacks, is putting immense pressure on 

cybersecurity professionals. A recent report by 

Hack the Box highlights the toll on mental 

health and its cost to UK companies - $130 

million in lost productivity, due to sick days 

from work-related stress." 

AI offers a promising solution for these 

challenges, he states. "AI-powered software 

that monitors networks using artificial 

intelligence and analytics can detect issues 

and potential threats before they become 

apparent to employees and automatically 

rectify low-level issues. This technology not 

only frees up cybersecurity professionals to 

tackle high-level threats and projects, but also 

acts as a reliable team member that ensures 

operational efficiency and higher productivity. 

This supports existing teams in their workflow 

and contributes positively to employee 

experience." 

As we continue to see advancement on 

improving employee experiences, it's crucial 

for companies to regard their cybersecurity 

teams as valuable assets worth investing in. 

"AI software emerges as a key player in this 

context," adds Amstutz, "serving as both a 

protective measure against cybersecurity 

threats and a supportive colleague, with the 

added benefit of enhanced cybersecurity and 

supported career progression." 

AI WINS WIDE ENDORSEMENT 

Rather than being distracted by negative 

headlines, a new survey conducted by Jitterbit 

found that office workers see beyond the AI 

hype. "Employees across the US and UK see 

AI as a strategic tool that can be used for: 

learning new skills, automating processes and 

outsourcing routine tasks to focus on more 

strategic efforts," says Bill Conner, the 

company's CEO. "AI is changing the world. 

However, its implementation remains an 

evolution, not a revolution - with business 

introductions needed to occur gradually, in 

order to foster the best outcomes." 

Many office workers are embracing the 

potential for job augmentation and 

optimisation - seeing AI as an enabler of 

professional growth, he adds. "We are now 

witnessing the majority of workers view AI 

as a way to enhance their professional skills, 

reflecting broad acceptance and excitement 

about the technology. This sentiment is 

particularly strong among younger workers, 

who view AI as a valuable educational 

resource, with top skills they want to learn 

through AI including analytical and statistical 

skills, financial management skills, and coding 

and development." 

However, it's notable that a significant 

number of office workers are not concerned 

about AI replacing human jobs, despite the 

fears often aired. "This indicates a growing 

understanding of AI as a tool that complements 

human efforts, rather than competing 

with them," comments Conner. 

The top anticipated benefits of AI include 

reducing time spent gathering information 

from work systems and applications, 

increasing time for thoughtful work and 

providing more time for larger projects. 

"While office workers seem often to get 

caught up in the pursuit of AI, seeing it as a 

'silver bullet' that promises maximum gains in 

time, money and productivity, instead the 

technology needs to be implemented within 

their jobs strategically where it adds the most 

value, in order to garner the biggest returns. 

This approach mitigates risks and ensures a 

smoother transition to a more efficient work 

environment." 

Overall, office workers are not only ready 

to embrace AI, but also eager to harness 

its potential for professional growth and 

efficiency, he adds. "This pragmatic approach 

to AI adoption ensures that it becomes a 

valuable tool for job augmentation and 

optimisation, paving the way for a future 

where human ingenuity and AI capabilities 

work hand in hand." 

DEEP FAKES, DEEP CONCERN 

Basil Philipsz, CEO, Distributed Management 

Systems, believes the advancement of deep 

fakes makes biometric authentication weaker, 

due to the ability of sophisticated AIgenerated 

media to convincingly replicate 

physical traits, such as facial features, voices 

and even behavioural patterns. "Deep fakes 

can create realistic images and videos of 

individuals, potentially allowing attackers 

to spoof biometric systems that rely on facial 

recognition, voice recognition or other 

biometric data. This undermines the reliability 

of biometric authentication, as the systems 

may be tricked into granting access based 

on these forged credentials." 

Industry leaders and cybersecurity experts 

have highlighted these concerns, he adds. 

"Gaelan Woolham from Capco points out 

that deepfake technology can mimic voices 

and faces with high fidelity, making it 

challenging for existing biometric systems to 

distinguish between real and fake identities. 

This technology can bypass voice biometric 


15

AI cybercrime 

Anne Kiem, Chartered Institute of 

Internal Auditors: internal audit can play 

a key role in supporting boards and 

senior management to raise the AI 

cybersecurity bar. 

Stephen Amstutz, Xalient: an increase in 

attack surfaces, along with a rise in AI 

related cyberattacks, is putting immense 

pressure on cybersecurity professionals. 

systems used by financial institutions, as 

demonstrated by a University of Waterloo 

study, which showed that deepfakes could 

fool such systems in a few attempts." He also 

references security company Sensity, which 

tested facial recognition systems and 

demonstrated that deepfake technology 

could easily bypass liveness detection-a 

critical component of facial recognition 

security. "Liveness detection typically relies on 

recognising natural human behaviours, like 

blinking and subtle facial movements, but 

deepfakes can replicate these actions 

convincingly," says Philipsz. 

The recent significant development is the 

easy deployment by non-experts; making it 

easier for individuals to create realistic fake 

videos and images, including those used 

for biometric cloning. "The availability of 

sophisticated yet user-friendly applications, 

such as FakeApp, ReFace and DeepFaceLab, 

has democratised access to deepfake creation 

tools, allowing even non-experts to produce 

convincing fakes." 

Deepfakes can pose serious threats to 

biometric authentication systems, especially 

those that rely on facial recognition. "These 

attacks can be categorised into presentation 

attacks, where fake images or videos are 

presented to a camera or sensor, and 

injection attacks, where data streams or 

communication channels are manipulated." 

Examples of deepfake attacks include face 

swapping, lip-syncing and gesture or expression 

transfer, all of which can deceive 

biometric systems. 

ROBUST API SECURITY 

APIs are the backbone of AI systems, 

facilitating data ingestion, interoperability 

and service delivery, says Jamie Beckland, 

chief product officer at APIContext. "They 

enable seamless integration with various data 

sources, allowing AI models to access and 

process large volumes of data in real time." 

APIs also ensure AI systems can interact with 

other services, databases and applications 

effectively. This interoperability is crucial for 

the scalability and flexibility of AI systems. 

However, APIs also represent potential points 

of vulnerability where cybercriminals can 

launch attacks, making robust API security 

indispensable. "Since APIs are so critical to AI 

operations, they create choke points that 

cybercriminals can exploit. The risk is 

compounded by the fact cybercriminals are 

now building and using their own AI tools to 

automate and enhance attacks. These tools 

can identify and exploit API vulnerabilities, 

such as weak authentication, inadequate 

encryption and insufficient input validation." 

To mitigate these risks, application owners 

must implement protective measures," states 

Beckland. "Ensuring strong authentication 

and authorisation, such as multi-factor 

authentication [MFA] and OAuth standards, 

is crucial to allow only authorised access. 

Data encryption, both in transit and at rest, 

protects sensitive information during API 

communication. Implementing rate limiting 

and throttling helps prevent abuse and 

mitigates the impact of automated AI-driven 

attacks. Comprehensive input validation and 

sanitisation prevent injection attacks and 

malicious data manipulation. 

"Also, we recommend that teams use an 

automated tool to ensure API conformance 

to design specifications, as around 80% of 

API attacks stem from misconfigurations." 

AI tools are particularly vulnerable to Broken 

Object Level Authorization (BOLA) attacks, he 

adds. "In these attacks, cybercriminals exploit 

insufficient authorisation mechanisms to 

access or manipulate data that should be 

restricted. Since so much personalised data 

is available through AI tools, the risks of 

unauthorised access is higher than with 

other, more static, systems. 

As cyber attackers increasingly leverage AI 

to enhance attacks, securing APIs becomes 

even more critical. "APIs can hold the 

defensive line against malicious AI systems." 

16 


eal-time threats 


IN TODAY'S DIGITAL LANDSCAPE, MANAGING SECURITY THREATS OFTEN HINGES ON 

HOW WELL ORGANISATIONS CAN IDENTIFY AND RESPOND TO RISKS IN REAL TIME 

Identifying and responding to security 

threats in real time is crucial. Organisations 

often struggle with managing 

these threats, due to the inevitability of 

human errors. If unnoticed, these can lead 

to substantial and punitive security incidents. 

But how exactly does 'real time' work and is 

it always achievable? And is real time as 

'real' as some might argue when it comes 

to achieving its lofty aspirations? 

In today's digital landscape, managing 

security threats often hinges on how well 

organisations can identify and respond 

to risks in real time. "While human errors 

are bound to happen, with the right 

technologies and processes, they don't 

always have to pose a significant risk," 

says John Scott, lead security researcher at 

CultureAI. "Unfortunately, when people make 

mistakes, they often go unnoticed until they 

result in an incident. This is where nudges 

can help, filling a crucial gap by intervening 

in risky behaviours 

automatically and efficiently. A well-executed 

security nudge can reduce Security Operation 

Centre (SOC) interventions and remediation 

times, while reinforcing security policies, 

security culture and best practices." 

What exactly is a nudge? "Nudge Theory, 

popularised by Richard Thaler and Cass 

Sunstein in 2008, gained prominence as 

a cheap and effective method to influence 

behaviour change," he continues. "The 

premise of this concept is that shaping the 

environment, known as choice architecture, 

influences individuals' decision-making, and 

allows them to maintain freedom of choice 

and feel in control of their decisions, whilst 

being guided towards the 'best' solution." 

The term 'nudge' has become a buzzword 

in cyber security over recent years, often 

mistakenly equated with 'notifications'. 

"While nudges can be used in different ways, 

overreliance can lead to 'nudge fatigue', 

overwhelming employees with dismissible 

reminders and notifications to 

complete training. To 

make best use 

of them, 

nudges should aim to shift behaviours rather 

than simply notifying an employee of their 

actions." 

Why do we need nudges in cyber security? 

"When people are busy, they tend to be 

reactive and reliant on system-one thinking, 

which is automatic and intuitive, but more 

prone to errors," says Scott. "By sending 

a security nudge to employees at the point 

of risk, they are alerted in real time and 

prompted to shift to more logical, lower-risk, 

system-two thinking. Incorporating nudges 

as part of a human risk management (HRM) 

strategy is an effective way to mitigate 

risks in real time, empowering employees 

precisely when it matters most. Nudges 

encourage employees to pause and think 

before making potentially risky security 

decisions, making them aware of the threat 

and empowering them to choose wisely." 

However, nudging employees does come 

at something of a cost. "Interrupting their 

workflow can hamper productivity, so a 

nudge must have a strong rationale. If you 

interrupt, there should be a specific, actionable 

step the employee can take to mitigate 

the identified risk. If the security team can fix 

the risk without interruption, they should. 

Repetitive or intrusive nudges will lead to 

nudge fatigue, causing employees to ignore 

them," he advises. 

To ensure a nudge isn't ignored, 

Scott recommends delivering it 

within the applications that 

employees are already 

using, such as Slack, 

Teams or their browser. 

"Over time, nudges 

simplify decision-making 

for employees, requiring 

18 


eal-time threats 

minimal cognitive effort to execute decisions 

without overthinking." 

Also, rather than just leaving employees 

to navigate the safe use of SaaS and GenAI 

apps on their own, nudges can help 

establish guardrails and provide guidance in 

real time. "For example, if the organisation 

has an approved GenAI solution, a good 

nudge can not only dissuade employees 

from using non-authorised sources, but it 

can also guide them towards a preferred 

solution," Scott adds. "Nudges can help 

create a cultural shift towards proactive 

and engaged participation in cyber security 

practices. This approach not only streamlines 

security operations, but also creates an 

environment where employees are 

empowered to make their own security 

decisions." 

POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES 

Kennet Harpsoe, lead security researcher, 

Logpoint, flags up how "real-time protection 

sees the constant surveillance of systems and 

networks to detect anomalies and suspicious 

activities; automated detection, using AI and 

machine learning (ML) to identify potential 

threats based on patterns and behaviours; 

and rapid response to contain and neutralise 

threats. It can, for example, quickly detect 

the active encryption of a machine by ransomware 

or abnormal outbound traffic patterns, 

indicating potential data exfiltration, and 

trigger immediate response actions to stop 

the data breach". 

Human errors, such as misconfigurations, 

oversight and delayed responses, can all 

create vulnerabilities. "It can be complex to 

manage across large disparate networks and 

scalability issues often arise, complicating the 

deployment of consistent security measures," 

he cautions. "Automated systems can also 

generate false positives [benign activities 

flagged as threats] and false negatives 

[actual threats going undetected], which 

can undermine trust in the system. While 

advances in technology have made real-time 

more feasible, it is not always achievable. 

Latencies in detection and response, 

integration issues and the sophistication 

of modern threats can impede true realtime 

protection. These systems also require 

significant investment and resources, skilled 

personnel and maintenance." 

To achieve real-time protection, says 

Harpsoe, a robust monitoring infrastructure 

is needed, comprising advanced monitoring 

tools capable of real-time data analysis and 

threat detection over all network segments. 

"Automated and adaptive systems are a 

must, but consider also the human element 

by training IT staff to recognise and respond 

to threats. Keep security systems updated 

with the latest threat intelligence. And 

streamline incident response by developing 

and updating IR plans, and conducting drills 

and simulations to ensure readiness." 

Where real-time can go wrong, he points 

out, is through inadequate preparation, 

an overreliance on technology and by 

ignoring emerging threats. "Lack of thorough 

preparation and planning can lead to gaps 

in real-time protection and, while technology 

is essential, so, too, is human oversight to 

manage and mitigate unforeseen issues. 

Failing to keep up with an evolving threat 

landscape can also render real-time systems 

ineffective. Many current real-time protection 

systems rely upon simple Indicators of 

Compromise [IoC], with all of their inherent 

problems, which sees their usefulness decay 

as rapidly as the IoC." 

While achieving true real-time protection 

is challenging, it's a worthwhile goal, he 

insists, as implementing robust monitoring, 

leveraging automation and maintaining 

constant vigilance can greatly enhance an 

organisation's security posture. "However, 

it is crucial to recognise the limitations and 

continuously improve processes to adapt 

to the ever-changing threat landscape. 

Real-time protection will probably never 

be completely autonomous." 

John Scott, CultureAI: nudges can help 

create a cultural shift towards proactive 

and engaged participation in cyber 

security practices. 

Kennet Harpsoe, Logpoint: real-time can go 

wrong through inadequate preparation, an 

overreliance on technology and by ignoring 

emerging threats. 


19

zero trust 

SHIFTING THE GOALPOSTS 

SHIFTING FROM A LOCATION-CENTRIC MODEL TO A MORE DATA-CENTRIC APPROACH, IN PURSUIT OF 

A ZERO TRUST SOLUTION, IS A COMPLEX UNDERTAKING, DEMANDING SIGNIFICANT EFFORT AND EXPERTISE 

Digital environments are more complex 

than ever and threats are becoming 

increasingly sophisticated by the day, 

warns Andy Syrewicze, security evangelist, 

Hornetsecurity. "One framework to address 

this is Zero Trust - an approach that follows 

the mantra of 'never trust, always verify'. 

However, it requires total buy-in from 

everyone in an organisation and represents 

a significant investment in cybersecurity 

technology and training." 

How does Zero Trust help bolster defences? 

"It assumes that threats exist inside and 

outside an organisation's network. Every 

access request must be authenticated, 

authorised and encrypted, regardless of 

source. This ensures internal systems 

remain protected, even if a network is 

compromised." 

The current threat landscape is volatile and 

evolving, highlighting the importance of Zero 

Trust, he says. "High-profile incidents, such as 

the recent attack on Ticketmaster, illustrate 

how even large, financially robust, companies 

can be vulnerable. Advancements in technologies, 

like generative AI, have also 

expanded the pool of potential attackers, 

making it increasingly difficult to stay ahead 

of threats. Zero Trust limits the potential 

damage from AI-enabled threats - as well as 

ransomware and other traditional attacks - 

by continuously verifying the legitimacy of 

requests." 

How can firms apply a Zero Trust approach? 

"Organisations should start by verifying 

everything, ensuring every authentication 

request and connection is checked," advises 

Syrewicze. "Implementing 'least privilege 

access' means that, once a user is connected 

to a service or data, they only have the access 

they need. This involves mapping out all 

sensitive information and deciding who 

requires access. Multi-factor authentication 

[MFA] can also be used to ensure only verified 

users gain access, with regular audits, reviews 

and updates to maintain this level of security." 

Another key component he singles out is 

micro-segmentation, which divides a network 

into smaller, isolated segments. "This prevents 

attackers from moving within a company's 

network, containing potential breaches. 

Advanced monitoring tools should be 

implemented to track activity and identify 

anomalies, with automated responses in 

place to rapidly address issues." 

Syrewicze stresses how organisations should 

always be prepared for a breach and have 

strong security tools in place to catch 

intruders before they penetrate too far 

into the network. "Employees are pivotal 

in defending against cyber threats, and 

comprehensive cyber-awareness training 

solutions, such as Hornetsecurity's Security 

Awareness Service, [which provides 

automated ongoing training and phishing 

simulations], are essential. Our recent 

research revealed 25.7% of organisations 

do not provide IT security awareness training 

to end users." 

Educating employees on recognising and 

responding to phishing attempts and other 

social engineering tactics is vital, he adds, and 

education should be ongoing to keep pace 

with evolving threats. "Training on recovery 

processes is also crucial. Employees, IT staff 

20 


zero trust 

and key stakeholders need to know how to 

restore data efficiently from backups during 

a cyber incident and bring critical business 

processes back online." 

EFFORT AND EXPERTISE 

All too clearly, implementing Zero Trust in 

a complex infrastructure that includes a mix 

of legacy systems, on-premises servers and 

cloud services can be extremely challenging. 

Ensuring seamless integration and consistent 

security policies across all these components 

requires significant effort and expertise. 

"Moving from a traditional security mindset 

to a Zero Trust approach is often met with 

resistance within an organisation," says 

macmon secure. "Employees and stakeholders 

may be accustomed to more lenient 

access controls and may find the rigorous 

verification processes of Zero Trust 

cumbersome. 

"The initial stages of implementing Zero 

Trust can put a strain on an organisation's 

resources. This includes the financial cost 

of new technologies, the time required for 

planning and deployment, and the need for 

skilled personnel to manage the transition. 

Achieving the level of visibility required 

for effective Zero Trust can be difficult. 

Organisations need to continuously monitor 

and analyse data flows to ensure that access 

controls are being enforced correctly and 

to detect anomalies that could indicate a 

security threat. Constantly verifying users and 

devices can potentially slow down network 

performance. This is particularly challenging 

in environments where high-speed access to 

data and applications is critical." 

Adopting a Zero Trust posture requires 

a fundamental change in the way an 

organisation views cybersecurity. It means 

moving away from the assumption that 

internal networks are inherently secure and 

instead treating every access request with 

suspicion, the network security software 

company advises. This shift requires: 

Ongoing education and training: ensuring 

that all employees understand the 

importance of Zero Trust and are trained 

in best practices 

Executive buy-in: gaining the support of 

senior management to drive the cultural 

change required for successful 

implementation 

Ongoing adaptation: continually evolving 

security policies and practices to address 

new threats and vulnerabilities as they 

emerge. 

Says Heiko Fleschen, head of marketing, 

macmon secure: "We have adopted a Zero 

Trust Network Access approach to help 

organisations achieve a robust Zero Trust 

posture. Our strategy focuses on ensuring 

that only authenticated and authorised users 

and devices can access network resources, 

thereby minimising the risk of unauthorised 

access and potential breaches." 

STRATEGY RETHINK 

The shift towards Zero Trust architecture 

represents one of the most significant 

changes in recent years, confirms Denny 

LeCompte, CEO of Portnox. "The US Cyber 

Defense Agency's emphasis on a data-centric, 

rather than a location-centric, approach 

underscores the necessity of rethinking our 

security strategies in a world where traditional 

network perimeters no longer exist. 

Zero Trust is fundamentally about enforcing 

accurate, least privilege per-request access 

decisions in information systems and services, 

treating the network as if it is already 

compromised. This paradigm shift requires 

a comprehensive understanding of every user, 

system, data point and asset within an 

organisation." 

To transition to a Zero Trust model, he 

states, an organisation must first achieve 

comprehensive visibility into its network. This 

involves deploying advanced monitoring tools 

that can continuously assess the behaviour of 

users and devices and identify anomalies that 

could indicate potential threats. "However, 

the transition to Zero Trust is not merely 

a technological upgrade; it demands a 

fundamental change in an organisation's 

philosophy and culture around cybersecurity. 

Implementing Zero Trust also requires 

collaboration across various departments. 

IT, security and business units must work 

together to identify critical assets, understand 

their value and determine the appropriate 

level of access needed for different users." 

The journey to a Zero Trust posture involves 

several key steps, saysLeCompte. "First, assessment 

and planning are crucial, requiring 

a thorough evaluation of the current security 

posture to identify gaps and areas for 

improvement. Implementing robust identity 

verification processes, such as passwordless 

certificate-based authentication, ensures that 

only authorised users can access sensitive 

information. 

"Network segmentation is another vital 

step, which involves dividing the network 

into smaller segments to limit the lateral 

movement of attackers, with each segment 

having its own security controls and policies. 

Continuous monitoring through tools like 

Network Access Control (NAC) and application 

conditional access is essential for realtime 

visibility into resource access, device 

posture and potential risk, and enables 

prompt threat detection and response." 

Developing and enforcing granular security 

policies, based on the principle of least 

privilege, ensures that users have only the 

access they need to perform their tasks and 

adapts to the changing environment. 

FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT 

Rich Hall, AVP technical sales, DigiCert, 

says Zero Trust requires a comprehensive 

understanding of the organisation's assets 

and how they interact. "This visibility is crucial 

for developing, implementing, enforcing and 

evolving security policies. However, achieving 

Zero Trust goes beyond technical changes - 

it requires a cultural and philosophical 

transformation within the organisation." 

From DigiCert's perspective of 'Digital trust 

for the real world', this cultural shift is 


21

zero trust 

Rich Hall, DigiCert: Zero Trust requires 

a comprehensive understanding of the 

organisation's assets and how they 

interact. 

Heiko Fleschen, macmon secure: the 

objective is to help organisations achieve 

a robust Zero Trust posture. 

essential, he adds. "Digital trust extends 

beyond merely securing transactions and 

communications; it involves creating an 

environment where security is integral to 

every operation and interaction within 

the organisation. To foster this environment, 

organisations must commit to 

transparency, continuous monitoring 

and dynamic response strategies. 

"The transition to Zero Trust begins 

with educating all stakeholders about 

the importance and implications of this 

model. Employees, partners and customers 

must understand that security 

is not just an IT concern, but a shared 

responsibility. Training programmes and 

awareness campaigns can help cultivate 

a security-first mindset across the 

organisation." 

Next, organisations need to re-evaluate 

their existing security policies and access 

controls to ensure the principle of least 

privilege, in order to minimise the risk 

of insider threats and lateral movement 

by attackers within the network. "Implementing 

Zero Trust also involves deploying 

advanced technologies, such as multifactor 

authentication [MFA], identity 

and access management [IAM], and 

continuous monitoring tools," Hall states. 

"These technologies provide the granular 

control and visibility needed to enforce 

Zero Trust principles effectively. Also, 

organisations should leverage artificial 

intelligence and machine learning to 

detect anomalies and respond to threats 

in real time." 

However, technology alone is insufficient. 

"A successful Zero Trust strategy requires 

ongoing collaboration between IT, security 

teams and other business units. Regular 

audits, policy reviews and simulations of 

potential attack scenarios can help ensure 

that the Zero Trust framework remains 

robust and adaptive to new threats." 

SOLID FOUNDATION 

Cybercriminals are not new and often neither 

are their tactics, comments David Morimanno, 

thought leader at Xalient. "Despite this, phishing 

attacks continue to be highly successful. 

New technologies, such as GenAI, are further 

improving these tactics and companies must 

implement a strategic approach that’s built 

on a solid foundation of identity security to 

minimise risks. For this process, organisations 

should first recognise pre-existing 

vulnerabilities." 

Human error represents the most significant 

vulnerability within an organisation's cybersecurity 

framework. "An employee's online 

presence can provide adversaries with 

sufficient data for sophisticated social 

engineering attacks. These can manipulate 

employees into divulging confidential 

information or inadvertently granting access 

to secure systems. Employees frequently 

exhibit poor cybersecurity practices, such 

as employing weak passwords, reusing 

credentials across multiple platforms and 

neglecting regular software updates." 

"Although organisations implement robust 

security measures, including multi-factor 

authentication and regular mandatory password 

changes, users often perceive these as 

burdensome. Consequently, employees may 

seek shortcuts, such as storing passwords 

insecurely or using easily guessable credentials, 

undermining the security controls in 

place," he adds. 

Zero Trust can be a compelling strategy to 

address the multifaceted challenges of 

cybersecurity, says Morimanno. "This approach 

operates on the principle that every connection, 

user and even device may pose a potential 

threat, thereby eliminating the default 

trust traditionally placed in employees and 

machines. It requires rigorous verification of 

identities and granting trust levels based on 

thorough security assessments, Zero Trust 

helps ensure that workflows remain 

uninterrupted." 

22 


product review 

BACKBOX NETWORK AUTOMATION PLATFORM 

As enterprise networks grow in 

complexity, businesses can no 

longer afford to rely on inefficient 

and error-prone manual processes 

to manage and maintain critical 

infrastructure devices. Network 

automation is now an essential tool 

for support departments and change 

management teams, as it brings 

operational efficiencies, not least in terms 

of significantly reduced security risks. 

This can be challenging in geographically 

distributed, multi-vendor environments, 

but BackBox's Network Automation 

Platform (NAP) has you covered, as it 

supports over 180 technology vendors. 

It provides an impressive suite of tools 

that include network vulnerability and 

change management, automated device 

configuration backup with five-step 

verification, device updates, configuration 

comparisons, a smart one-click restore 

service and much more. 

A key feature is the BackBox automation 

library, which offers over 3,000 preconfigured 

tasks for common use cases, such as 

firmware and OS updates, vulnerability 

management, compliance audits and 

device backups. The beauty of this nocode 

automation approach is that support 

staff don't need to be versed in complex 

scripting languages, as they can create 

custom automation tasks using only API 

commands or the CLI. 

Installation is a breeze and the NAP 

CentOS ISO or OVA/VHDX file can be 

deployed on physical, cloud or virtual 

servers. We loaded it on a Hyper-V host, 

followed the quick start wizard and 

had NAP all ready for action in only 

twenty minutes. 

The web console is easy to navigate and 

you start by running an SNMP discovery 

job on selected networks. An instant time 

saver is the ability to assign a backup 

task to these jobs, so, as your devices are 

being discovered, they will also be backed 

up for the first time. 

Regardless of the type of device, all 

configuration backups can be stored 

in the same repository for consistency. 

Alternatively, you can send them to 

different local, remote or cloud locations 

and ransomware protection comes into 

play, as BackBox supports immutable 

cloud storage. 

For backup integrity and assured 

recovery, BackBox applies five checks 

on every backup, which include end of 

file, file size, checksum matches and file 

size comparisons with previous backups. 

Configuration recovery is a swift process, 

as you choose a device, view its log 

history, pick a backup job and select the 

restore option. 

Remote sites are integrated into BackBox 

by deploying agents, which take their 

instructions from the central console. 

These run distributed parallel executions 

and perform backups locally, so there 

are no overheads on the main server. 

Furthermore, businesses can keep backups 

at remote locations, if they need to 

demonstrate regional compliance. 

The Network Vulnerability Manager 

component inventories network devices, 

reports back on discovered vulnerabilities, 

prioritises them and delivers full remediation 

services. It follows all industry 

standard benchmarks and provides 

technical surveys during backups. 

It works hand in glove with Intelli-Check 

tasks, which monitor health and compliance 

of all devices by regularly running tests 

on them and optionally remediating out 

of compliance devices. Using threat 

intelligence from NIST and other bodies, 

such as CISA, Backbox manages the entire 

lifecycle of vulnerabilities by matching 

inventory against all CVEs and using 

configuration information to determine risk. 

You can run tasks to find all vulnerable 

devices on the network, see which CVEs 

apply to specific devices and find out what 

their risk level is. BackBox runs scheduled 

remediation jobs and accelerates 

remediation by performing multi-step 

updates and applying them to high 

availability pairs with one task. 

BackBox's Network Automation Platform 

takes the pain out of configuration 

management, network security and 

compliance. Easy to deploy, it can 

streamline all essential backup and 

update operations across multi-vendor 

environments, and its smart zero-code 

automations will appeal to busy support 

departments. 

Product: Network Automation Platform 

Supplier: BackBox Software 

Web site: www.backbox.com 

Sales: info@backbox.com 


23

SURGE IN EXTORTION ATTACKS 

Orange Cyberdefense, the specialist arm of 

Orange Group dedicated to cybersecurity, 

has released its latest cyber extortion report, 

Cy-Xplorer 2024. Examining data from a total 

of 11,244 confirmed business victims, the 

findings show a steep increase (77% YOY) in 

the number of observable cyber extortion 

(Cy-X) victims over the past 12 months, with 

analysis suggesting the actual number to be 

50-60% higher than what it has directly 

observed, due to the dynamic and everhacker 

attacks 

NEW ERA OF HOPE? 

HERE, WE BRING READERS ANOTHER ROUND-UP OF SOME OF THE 

LATEST ATTACKS THAT HAVE BEEN WAGED AGAINST ORGANISATIONS 

Significant change can bring hopes of a 

significant new approach - and Spencer 

Starkey, VP EMEA at SonicWall, points 

to how the ushering in of the new Labour 

Government has raised expectations for a 

fresh approach to cybersecurity, especially 

after a series of high-profile cyberattacks on 

the UK's healthcare system, government and 

schools. 

However, he has some concerns. "Despite 

the urgency, the absence of a comprehensive 

cybersecurity strategy in the election manifestos 

was alarming for experts who are 

calling for detailed, actionable plans to tackle 

the complex challenges of our digital age. 

The new Labour government faces the 

challenge of not only addressing these 

immediate threats, but also setting a 

benchmark for the private sector. Inadequate 

regulations could leave both public and 

private sectors vulnerable. Labour's commitment 

to national security, as highlighted 

in their manifesto, includes a focus on 

economic stability, border integrity and 

national security." 

Starkey sees the announcement of a new 

Cybersecurity Bill in the King's Speech 

as a promising development, but effective 

implementation will require strong 

collaboration between government bodies 

and industry experts, he states. "This 

partnership is crucial to ensure that the 

right practices are established to safeguard 

against evolving threats. To navigate these 

complexities, Labour must prioritise the 

development of a comprehensive, futureoriented 

cyber strategy that addresses the 

risks posed by AI, enhances the security of 

critical national infrastructure, and educates 

citizens on cybersecurity risks and best 

practices. Furthermore, international 

cooperation will be essential to combat 

global cyber threats. 

"The effectiveness of the government's 

cybersecurity strategy will definitely hinge 

on its ability to balance immediate responses 

with long-term planning, ensuring the UK 

is well protected against the challenges of 

the digital age." 

WORRYING MOVE 

Progress Software recently patched a high 

severity authentication bypass in the 

MOVEit managed file transfer (MFT) solution, 

a matter of some concern, as MOVEit has 

been a popular target for ransomware 

gangs and other threat actors. 

"CVE-2024-5806, the authentication bypass 

vulnerability recently disclosed by Progress 

Software, affects their MOVEit managed file 

transfer (MFT) solution," points out Scott 

Caveza, staff research engineer at Tenable. 

"MOVEit was at the heart of a massive 

ransomware campaign in May 2023 when 

the ransomware gang known as CLOP began 

mass exploiting a zero-day SQL Injection 

vulnerability (CVE-2023-34362) affecting 

MOVEit Transfer." 

That attack had a major impact at hundreds 

of organisations worldwide and, with a new 

vulnerability affecting the product, it raises a 

lot of questions and concerns for users of the 

software," Caveza states. "CVE-2024-5806 is 

a severe vulnerability. However, based on the 

detailed analysis and exploit code from 

researchers at watchTowr, it does appear that 

this vulnerability is not easily weaponisable 

and still requires an attacker to take 

additional steps, in order to exploit a 

potential target." 

Although details on how this exploitation 

works are publicly available, watchTowr 

confirmed that Progress contacted affected 

customers prior to publicly disclosing their 

security advisory. "While this is not the first 

time we've seen a vendor take measures to 

protectively warn and secure customers prior 

to public acknowledgment of a vulnerability, 

it could have been a risky move. An unknown 

individual tipped watchTowr off to the vulnerability 

well before it was public knowledge. If 

this individual had malicious intentions, this 

information could have easily been given to 

threat actor groups to develop an exploit and 

abuse the flaw." 

24 


hacker attacks 

changing nature of the cyber extortion 

ecosystem. 

Despite the takedown and disruption of 

prominent cyber extortion groups such as 

RagnarLocker, ALPHV/BlackCat, and LockBit 

by law enforcement, there has been no 

noticeable decrease in victim count. The 

research highlights the general volatility of the 

Cy-X actor ecosystem, indicating that one-third 

of all actors tracked will 'disappear' each year, 

while an equivalent number of new actors are 

identified annually. It also suggests half of all 

identified threat actors will disband or rebrand 

in less than six months. 

Comments Hugues Foulon, CEO at Orange 

Cyberdefense: "We are seeing a measured 

rise in the pace at which law enforcement is 

responding to meet the Cy-X threat; but, as 

victim numbers surge at an alarming rate, 

with new tactics being deployed and moral 

restraints dwindling, it's an ongoing battle 

that's further complicated by the decentralised 

and fragmented ecosystem. Small businesses 

are increasingly falling victim to the crime and 

we see a real need for all organisations to join 

forces and play their part by working together 

and taking actions that will increase the cost 

for attackers." 

DDOS ATTACKS SPIKE 

Imperva, a Thales company, has released its 

2024 DDoS Threat Landscape Report, revealing 

a dramatic increase in Distributed Denial 

of Service (DDoS) attacks during the first half 

of the year. The report highlights key trends 

and provides critical insights into the evolving 

threat landscape, including: 

Surge in DDoS attacks: Imperva mitigated 

111% more DDoS attacks in H1 2024, 

compared to the same period in 2023, 

underscoring the escalating threat 

Industry targets: the financial services sector 

remains the top target, experiencing some 

of the most forceful attacks. The telecommunications 

and ISP sectors saw a staggering 

548% rise in the volume of attacks overall 

DNS attacks: DNS DDoS attacks surged by 

215%, with amplification attacks increasing 

in size by 483% 

New attack vectors, such as HTTP/2 Rapid 

Reset and HTTP/2 Continuation Frame 

Attacks, have emerged, highlighting the 

evolving threat landscape 

Hacktivism: hacktivist groups, such as 

NoName57(16), frequently employ DDoS 

attacks to disrupt critical infrastructure, 

especially during major events and 

geopolitical tensions. 

BREACHES AND DEVICE LOSSES 

Apricorn has released further findings from 

its annual Freedom of Information (FoI) 

responses into data breaches and device 

loss amongst 27 local councils. The results 

highlight the significant number of breaches 

occurring within just 17 of the councils 

questioned and the threat to customer data, 

with over 5,000 breaches recorded in 2023. 

Worryingly, Kent County Council declared 

734 breaches alone between Jan 2023 

and Dec 2023, with Surrey County Council 

amassing 665 and Norfolk Council not far 

behind with 605. Other big losses included 

Warwickshire County Council (495) and East 

Sussex (490). 

"We're familiar with the fact organisations 

suffer data breaches, particularly those housing 

valuable customer data," points out Jon 

Fielding, managing director, EMEA Apricorn. 

"That said, the excessive number of breaches 

being declared is concerning. These government 

organisations should be setting a 

precedent, in terms of data protection. Whilst 

we know there is no silver bullet for preventing 

a breach, multiple steps and processes can 

be put in place to limit the risks of a breach. 

The councils should invest in comprehensive 

training programmes to educate employees 

about the importance of safeguarding data 

and the proper protocols to follow, in case of 

device loss or theft." 

Scott Caveza, Tenable: although CVE-2024- 

5806 is a severe vulnerability, it is not easily 

weaponisable. 

Hugues Foulon, Orange Cyberdefense: 

a measured rise in the pace at which law 

enforcement is responding to meet the 

Cy-X threat, but there are still concerns. 


25

ook review 

AN HONOURABLE QUEST 

CYBERSECURITY HAS NEVER HAD AN OVERARCHING CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT. 

PAUL J. MAURER AND ED SKOUDIS WANT TO SEE THAT FAILURE FULLY ADDRESSED 

Whilst other professions - such 

as medicine, law, and indeed 

engineering - have long 

required their practitioners to embrace 

and abide by an overarching code of 

ethics and conduct, cybersecurity has 

never had such a code. This absence 

of an ethical standard is regarded as 

a serious threat to the safety of consumers 

and businesses around the world. 

In 'The Code of Honor', authors Paul J. 

Maurer and Ed Skoudis are focused on 

delivering a comprehensive discussion 

of the ethical challenges facing 

contemporary workers, managers and 

executives - both in the tech world and 

in those companies which serve the 

public. They explain and establish ethical 

best practices and take a deep dive 

into many of the high-stakes situations 

commonly encountered. A series of case 

studies-called 'Critical Applications' in 

the book-included at the end of each 

chapter demonstrate how to use the 

hands-on skills being explored within. 

'The Code of Honor' is the result of 

a journey the authors began several 

years ago "to address an expanding 

ethical vacuum in our industry, where 

critical decisions are often made without 

regard to their ethical implications. At 

the same time, the weight and financial 

impact of our decision-making is rapidly 

increasing", they state. 

"As you will learn in the coming pages, 

the crossroads of cybersecurity and 

ethics aren't some philosophical 'pie in 

the sky' discussion. Cybersecurity 

professionals hold a great deal of power 

and enormous levels of responsibility 

in the workplace and the broader 

economy. It is a high-pressure, fastpaced, 

and exciting field where 

ethical decision-making can make the 

difference between success and abject 

disaster, not only for your career but for 

your organization, customers, or constituents, 

and perhaps far beyond. The 

topics we explore in this book are 

integral to the daily operations of nearly 

every industry and are essential to the 

very stability of our modern world." 

With the cybersecurity industry now 

changing at light speed, we must truly 

respond to the emergent ethical 

challenges with a level of "hair on fire" 

determination and precision, insist 

Maurer and Skoudis. "Our offering in 

'The Code of Honor' is a systematic and 

thoughtfully constructed program for 

building best practices regarding ethics 

in decision-making in the tech industry, 

with a specific focus on cybersecurity. 

This book presents a concise, carefully 

designed and timeless set of ethics that 

will engage everyone from C-suite 

leaders who work on the periphery of 

the cyber world to the most seasoned 

cybersecurity professionals and everyone 

in between," they state. 

MORE INFO 

The Code of Honor: Embracing Ethics 

in Cybersecurity 

Authors: Paul J. Maurer and Ed 

Skoudis (ISBN: 9781394275861) 

Published June 2024 by Wiley 

Hardcover and ebook, priced £30.99 

26 


the re-use route 

DON'T LET FEAR HINDER YOUR SUSTAINABILITY MANIFESTO 

STEVE MELLINGS OF ADISA MAKES THE CASE WHY THE DEFAULT POSITION 

SHOULD ALWAYS BE TO PROMOTE RE-USE OF REDUNDANT EQUIPMENT 

As individuals and businesses, we're 

all examining our impact on the 

environment with one area where 

'wins' can be achieved being the management 

of product lifecycles, states Steve 

Mellings, CEO, ADISA. "At the end of life, 

viable technology should be made available 

for reuse by reselling or donating it. This 

aligns with financial and environmental, 

social, and governance [ESG] considerations, 

but many organisations fear data breaches, 

so adopt a 'destroy' mentality. But why 

destroy when we can re-use?" 

One explanation, he points out, lies in 

the evolving nature of technology, which 

makes logical sanitisation more difficult. 

"Networking equipment, for instance, 

holds data, and factory resets don't always 

guarantee complete erasure. Our research 

centre recently spent eight months testing 

smartwatch sanitisation, uncovering a range 

of challenges with this technology. Why is 

this important? Smartwatches have nonvolatile 

flash storage that retains copies of 

texts and photos, and other locally stored 

data saved when it was paired with a host 

phone. A solution provider needed verification 

of their product, which was used 

to sanitise each device and create an audit 

trail when it had done so. Following testing, 

the solution can now allow the re-use of 

android and apple watches to be done 

with confidence," he adds. 

For some technologies, says Mellings, 

storage is shifting from being a separate 

component within a device to being 

embedded. "This blurs the traditional 

host-component relationship and poses 

challenges for sanitisation-especially in 

the case of Apple MacBooks. Our research 

centre has developed proprietary techniques 

that took over six months to achieve 

to verify successful sanitisation, with the 

first products approved just last month." 

So, amidst these technical challenges, 

a critical then question arises: how do we 

sanitise storage? "In the UK, many organisations 

use Information Assurance 5 (IS5) 

or Commercial Product Assurance (CPA) 

schemes, both administered by the National 

Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Currently, 

there are no approved products for data 

sanitisation under the CPA scheme, leaving 

IS5, and CAS-S, as only available 

destruction." 

So, where exactly should organisations 

turn when creating a reuse sanitisation 

specification? Mellings points to a new 

standard called IEEE 2883, which was 

released in November 2022, as providing 

the best logical sanitisation specification 

and serves as an excellent starting point 

for all organisations to use. "The perceived 

[or real!)] fear of GDPR-related actions has 

often justified destruct-ion over re-use. 

"To extend product lifecycles, the use of 

third parties to perform data sanitisation 

and remarketing becomes crucial. Unfortunately, 

where the wrong type of vendor is 

selected, we still observe significant noncompliance 

with GDPR, leaving their 

customers exposed." 

But fear not! He continues: "If GDPR 

concerns are primary for you, you should 

use a company certified under the ICOapproved 

UK GDPR Certification Scheme- 

ICT Asset Recovery Standard 8. This 

certification verifies compliance with GDPR, 

as determined by the regulatory bodies 

themselves. In addition, it incorporates 

adapted versions of IEEE 2883 and NIST 

800-88 as its primary specifications, 

enabling vulnerabilities to be resolved and 

build greater assurance. With technical 

audits in place, compliance is more than 

a tick-box exercise and provides assurance 

that data is gone for good." 

While it may not be the highest profile 

process, he concedes, asset retirement 

enables organisations to see redundant 

equipment as a strategic resource. 

"By not allowing fear to take over, organisations 

can promote re-use and allow 

other organisations and those users less 

fortunate to benefit from technologies 

which they very much need." 


27

malware 

EASING THE MALWARE ANGST 

THE EVOLUTION OF MODERN-DAY THREATS MEANS THE OLD METHODOLOGIES FOR PROTECTING 

AGAINST ATTACKS ARE NO LONGER ENOUGH. CHANGE HAS TO BE INTRODUCED… AND NOW 

Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 research 

team has been sharing some of the 

current trends in malware and the 

evolving threat landscape - and the picture 

the company presents is a worrying one. 

This includes an analysis of the most 

common types of malware and their 

distribution methods. 

"With the growing volume and 

sophistication of today's threats, it's critical for 

network security professionals to understand 

the landscape and how to defend against it 

properly," advises Palo Alto Networks. Here 

are some highlights from past findings: 

A boom in traditional malware techniques, 

taking advantage of interest 

in AI/ChatGPT 

The ratio of malware explicitly targeting 

the operational technology (OT) industry 

has increased by 27.5% 

Exploitation of vulnerabilities increased 

by 55% over one 12-month period 

PDFs are rated the most popular file 

type for delivering malware as email 

attachments (66.6% of the total at 

a recent count) 

48.94% of network communication 

generated during sandbox analysis 

(including both malicious and benign 

files) used encrypted SSL for its traffic; 

12.91% of what is caused by malware 

is SSL traffic. 

Cryptominer traffic was found to 

have doubled in 2022 alone. 

NEW DEFENCE APPROACHES 

We exist in a cyber security world 

where anti-malware, firewalls and 

IDS [intrusion detection systems] 

are no longer enough to 

defend against the latest 

threats, comments Steven 

Usher, security services 

manager/senior analyst, Brookcourt Solutions, 

a portfolio group company of Shearwater 

Group. "Modern-day threats have evolved 

far beyond the old norms. APT groups 

create customised malicious code and even 

infrastructure to support that code, simply to 

attack a single organisation, making the old 

methods of utilising known IOCs [Indicators 

of Compromise] less than effective in this 

evolved modern era. Threat groups are using 

services specifically designed to ensure code 

is not detected by commercial anti-malware 

and constantly run code through those 

services to ensure victims are targeted with 

bespoke malicious code." 

Usher offers some insights into the insider 

threat category of dangers, from phishing 

to rogue USB devices. "Continuing to ensure 

that protecting a network is no longer simply 

depending on detections; a change of 

approach is needed - not to replace, but to 

augment 

the 

security capabilities of an organisation. First, 

let's consider AI, the current buzzword; this 

does add something to the security program 

of any company, whether augmenting the 

anti-malware solutions they are using or 

adding to the efficacy of the SOC team by 

working through the most obvious alerts they 

are receiving and providing a more curated 

list of alerts that require a human touch. AI 

could potentially greatly augment the entire 

security program of a company. However, as 

this technology is still being developed and 

perfected, it should be used carefully in a very 

considered manner." 

Aside from AI, he identifies numerous other 

things that can be done, ranging from minor 

changes through to comprehensive 

strategies. "Zero trust concepts are essential 

for securing large environments in today's 

'modern world'. Nevertheless, implementing 

Zero trust strategies can be complex and time 

consuming; their implementation usually 

requires significant effort and considerable 

ongoing maintenance to them, to a stage 

where they provide adequate protection for 

your environment. Micro segmentation is 

another power tool for combating security 

threats on networks. However, like zero trust, 

implementation of this strategy also demands 

substantial work both to deploy and to 

maintain effectively." 

There are various concepts and 

changes that can be made to protect 

against threats. "One of the most 

fundamental steps is to maintain 

a comprehensive inventory of all 

hardware, software and users on 

the network," he says. "Coupled 

with a robust Configuration 

Management Database 

(CMDB), this provides the 

28 


malware 

most solid foundation possible to help 

address any network threat. In addition, 

implementing concepts such as defence-indepth 

strategy further strengthens security 

by layering multiple measures for protection, 

a concept that would make any attack 

considerably more difficult for adversaries 

carrying it out." 

Finally, Usher points to what he sees as the 

greatest weakness in any security landscape: 

the workforce. "There are the obvious tools, 

security awareness training and password 

training; separated, as security awareness is 

a huge topic, and often not really provided 

in a useful manner [there is no consensus on 

how to do this effectively]. Passwords are 

a very specific topic and utilised across a vast 

array of services and devices. It is considerably 

more important to educate staff on password 

security, then general security awareness 

training." 

"Sophisticated ransomware attacks pose 

a pressing and immediate concern," warns 

Aron Brand, CTO, CTERA. "With cybercriminals 

not only encrypting critical data, 

but also exfiltrating it, the pressure is on for 

organisations to find the best, most up-todate 

and most comprehensive solutions 

available to beat these bad actors at their 

own game - and frankly, not even give them 

the chance to play." 

TROUBLE IN STORE 

According to Gartner, cyberstorage, by 

definition, is about making data protection 

an inherent part of how storage is designed 

and delivered, focusing on active defence 

beyond recovery, states Brand. 

"Amid the proliferation of cyberthreats 

targeting storage systems, cyberstorage 

emerges as a promis-ing direction, especially 

when providers leverage artificial intelligence 

to detect anomalous and malicious behaviour 

patterns at the storage level. AI-driven 

cyberstorage solutions continuously analyse 

data for unusual activities, providing real-time 

monitoring that acts as a 24/7 sentinel, 

always on the lookout for threats and armed 

to take them down." 

He also points to the manifold benefits of 

AI-powered cyberstorage. "AI enables more 

accurate and swift identification of potential 

threats, continuously learning from new data 

to improve detection algorithms over time, 

much like an immune system that adapts 

to recognise and combat new pathogens. 

Continuous surveillance allows for the 

detection of unusual activities as they occur, 

enabling organisations to intervene promptly 

and mitigate the impact of ransomware 

attacks. In the event of a detected threat, 

AI-powered solutions can respond rapidly, 

isolating affected systems, alerting IT teams 

Aron Brand, CTERA: sophisticated 

ransomware attacks pose a pressing 

and immediate concern. 

and initiating protocols to minimise damage, 

acting as digital antibodies that swiftly 

neutralise invaders. 

"As we advance more rapidly in our technological 

evolution, you can bet that bad actors 

are doing the same," Brand states, adding: 

"There's never been a more pivotal time to use 

AI and other human innovations to block 

malicious threats." 

BITDEFENDER PARTNERSHIP GOES UP A GEAR 

Bitdefender has expanded its collaboration with Arrow Electronics to deliver a broader range of threat 

prevention, detection and response solutions to managed service providers (MSPs) and their customers. 

Through the extended cooperation, Arrow will shift to a subscription-based model, offering Bitdefender's 

full MSP product portfolio on a pay-as-you-go basis to customers in the UK, France, Germany, Luxembourg, 

Belgium and the Netherlands. 

"Businesses must leverage every possible advantage to keep pace with the latest malware and techniques 

cybercriminals use to exploit systems and breach environments," says Richard Tallman, senior director, 

worldwide MSP and cloud at Bitdefender Business Solutions Group. " 

Richard Tallman, Bitdefender. 

Arrow has incorporated Bitdefender GravityZone Cloud MSP Security Solutions, designed for MSPs, into 

ArrowSphere Cloud, the company's cloud delivery and management platform, which provides a range of 

on-demand security solutions. 


29

deep fakes 

CRIME GANGS CAN TRIUMPH WITH AI 

GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ITS BLEND WITH DEEPFAKE TECHNOLOGY 

HAS AFFECTED VOICE, IMAGE AND VIDEO. WHAT PROTECTIONS CAN BE PUT IN PLACE? 

In the past few years, artificial 

intelligence technology has crossed 

a threshold with the capability to make 

people look and sound like other people. 

A 'deepfake' is fabricated hyper-realistic 

digital media, including video, image 

and audio content. Not only has this 

technology created confusion, scepticism 

and the spread of misinformation, 

deepfakes also pose a threat to privacy 

and security. 

"With the ability to convincingly 

impersonate anyone, cybercriminals can 

orchestrate phishing scams or identity 

theft operations with alarming precision," 

says Stanford University IT. "In a recent 

incident, cybercriminals posed as a 

company's chief financial officer and 

other colleagues in a Zoom meeting. 

The elaborate scam led to the loss of 

$25 million." 

In today's dynamic technological 

landscape, the 

emergence of 

Generative 

Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) and 

its blend with deepfake technology has 

affected voice, image and video. This 

amalgamation has opened a landscape of 

opportunities and risks. 

"The recent spate of deepfake videos 

targeting women celebrities results in 

reputational and emotional damage and 

privacy invasion," says Deloitte. "These 

videos can also lead to trauma. Consumers 

rely on digital multimedia content; there is 

a significant increase in risks associated 

with these new technologies. For example, 

people working remotely and relying solely 

on video/audio calls for their daily tasks, 

are more vulnerable to attacks, such as 

deepfake and phishing. 

"To address these challenges, a proactive 

approach towards safeguarding against 

deepfakes is imperative. This point of view 

aims to discuss the convergence of 

Generative AI and deepfake technology, 

illuminating the potential weaknesses and 

risks they introduce to biometric authentication 

systems [voice and video-based 

authentication systems]. Once seen as 

a robust security 

measure, biometric 

authentication faces 

extraordinary 

challenges, due to 

the malicious use 

of Generative AI, which can create 

deceptively realistic voices/videos. As the 

digital landscape continues to evolve, 

understanding and addressing these 

vulnerabilities is crucial to fortify the 

foundations of digital security in an age 

defined by Generative AI and deepfake 

innovation," cautions Deloitte. 

UNDERMINING THE DEFENCES 

The advancement of deep fakes makes 

biometric authentication weaker, due to 

the ability of sophisticated AI-generated 

media to convincingly replicate physical 

traits such as facial features, voices and 

even behavioural patterns. 

That is the worrying verdict delivered 

by Basil Philipsz, CEO of Distributed 

Management Systems. "Deep fakes can 

create realistic images and videos of 

individuals, potentially allowing attackers 

to spoof biometric systems that rely on 

facial recognition, voice recognition or 

other biometric data," he states. "This 

undermines the reliability of biometric 

authentication, as the systems may be 

tricked into granting access based on 

these forged credentials." 

Industry leaders and cybersecurity experts 

have highlighted these concerns, he points 

out. "Gaelan Woolham from Capco points 

out that deepfake technology can mimic 

voices and faces with high fidelity, making 

it challenging for existing biometric 

systems to distinguish between real and 

fake identities. This technology can 

bypass voice biometric systems used 

by financial institutions, as demonstrated 

by a University of Waterloo 

study, which showed that deepfakes 

could fool such systems in a few 

30 


deep fakes 

attempts. Moreover, Sensity, a security 

company, tested facial recognition systems 

and demonstrated that deepfake 

technology could easily bypass liveness 

detection-a critical component of facial 

recognition security. 

"Liveness detection typically relies on 

recognising natural human behaviours 

like blinking and subtle facial movements 

is the easy deployment by non-experts: 

making it simpler for individuals to create 

realistic fake videos and images, including 

those used for biometric cloning. The 

availability of sophisticated, yet userfriendly, 

applications, such as FakeApp, 

ReFace and DeepFaceLab, has democratised 

access to deepfake creation tools, 

allowing even non-experts to produce 

convincing fakes," adds Philipsz. 

SERIOUS THREAT 

Deepfakes can pose serious threats to 

biometric authentication systems, 

especially those that rely on facial 

recognition, he continues. "These attacks 

can be categorised into present-ation 

attacks, where fake images or videos 

are presented to a camera or sensor, and 

injection attacks, where data streams or 

communication channels are manipulated. 

Examples of deepfake attacks include face 

swapping, lip-syncing, and gesture or 

expression transfer, all of which can 

deceive biometric systems. 

"The ease with which deepfakes can be 

created and the increasing sophistication 

of these technologies highlights significant 

vulnerabilities in biometric authentication. 

"As deepfakes become more realistic, 

the challenge of detecting and preventing 

such attacks grows, making traditional 

biometric systems potentially less reliable 

without additional security measures, 

like liveness detection and multi-factor 

authentication." These biometric 

vulnerabilities have a direct impact on 

other forms of Multi-factor Authentication 

(MFA) like Authentication mobile Apps or 

'Password-less' methods, he says. "The 

often ignored, but most important, main 

facilitator in this threat is that most MFA 

installations are accomplished by selfprovisioning: 

for example, by receiving an 

email link to download the app that helps 

installs the process." 

PROFILE PROMOTING 

Most CEOs have been encouraged to 

extend their public social profile by giving 

presentations or announcements in posts 

on public platforms. "Eleven Labs can make 

a passable cloned voice with 60 seconds of 

any training audio, can refine pitch, rate 

and add custom phonemes, and have text 

input generate the appropriate audio. 

"Consider a call from the attacker's text to 

the generated cloned CEO voice made to 

the help desk assistant requesting set-up 

of new phone or wanting an email link to 

re-establish their MFA. CIOs are mandated 

to use MFA methods for privileged access, 

but selecting what MFA methods are 

appropriate and how best to deploy them 

are crucial decisions and need considered 

evaluation." 

PULLING UP THE ANCHOR 

Tim Callan, chief experience officer at 

Sectigo, says it is alarming to see the 

rise of deepfake technology now being 

used to mimic news anchors to spread 

misinformation. "People don't realise how 

far AI-deep fake technology has come 

and how democratised the technology 

is. Unfortunately, anything about your 

physical appearance can be replicated - 

ie, eyes, face, voice. 

"This is no longer something that only 

exists in films, as more people are now 

capable of creating convincing deepfakes. 

As the landscape has dramatically changed, 

people's mindset when consuming media 

must shift with it. They must now exercise 

Basil Philipsz: systems may be tricked into 

granting access, based on forged 

credentials. 

more caution than ever in what they watch 

and reconsider the validity of the source 

and its trustworthiness." With the acceleration 

of deep fake technology, people will 

no longer be able to trust the authenticity 

of a digital record, whether that be a photo, 

video or voice recording. 

"Given our current reliance on digital records 

within our legal, security and digital systems, 

without a solution people will no longer be 

able to trust what they are seeing. This is 

why, by 2100 [at a conservative estimate], all 

forms of recording devices will have a built-in 

encrypted timestamp, acting as a watermark 

at the time of capture. 

"These encrypted watermarks will separate 

out authentic images from deepfakes to reestablish 

digital trust in images, videos and 

recordings." Already we are seeing high-tech 

cameras having to include this in their tech, 

with digitally signed photos, Callan 

concludes. "Soon, all smartphones and 

devices will follow suit, defending against 

the deepfake surge." 


31

ansomware 

THE SHARKS STEP UP THEIR ATTACKS 

WHEN TRYING TO PREVENT RANSOMWARE STRIKES, KEEPING PACE WITH THE INGENUITY 

OF THOSE CARRYING THEM OUT IS THE CHALLENGE. HOW REALISTIC IS THAT TO ACHIEVE? 

Ransomware attacks are increasing at 

an alarming rate. The US government 

estimates that companies are subject to 

more than 4,000 attacks each day, resulting 

in $1 billion in ransom paid each year. 

"While ransomware attacks come in many 

variants - Cryptowall, Locky Cryptolocker are 

among the most common - they each follow 

a similar pattern," says Mimecast. "A user 

receives an email with an attachment that 

looks like a Word document, an invoice, a 

package notice or a fax report, along with 

a message that convinces the user the 

attachment is real. When the attachment is 

opened, the ransomware virus runs a file 

that encrypts files and documents on the 

user's computer. The user receives a message 

stating that they can get the encryption key 

and regain access to their files only by paying 

a ransom." 

Mobile ransomware infects cell phones 

through drive-by downloads or fake apps, 

adds Mimecast. "Cyber attackers who gain 

access to a user's contact list could have 

access to names, addresses, phone numbers 

and other protected information. Once 

attackers gain access to your contacts list, 

they can then use your contacts and 

credentials to send text messages with 

malicious links to malware to other users 

and devices." 

In June 2024, ransomware gangs listed 450 

victims on their extortion sites, up from 328 

in April, nearing the record of 484 attacks in 

July 2023, according to The Record, which 

tracks such events. LockBit was said to be 

responsible for over a third of these attacks, 

although that has been disputed. By the end 

of March this year, there had been 54 publicly 

reported ransomware attacks on state and 

local governments, with incidents accelerating 

early in the year. February and March saw 

the highest number of recorded attacks, 

with more than 20 seperate groups targeting 

local governments. 

DIGITAL TRANFORMATION 

Jeff Gray, who is Americas Operations VP - 

Xalient, has been focusing on the risks that 

ransomware poses to digital transformation. 

"Digital transformation is a hot topic in the 

modern world: organisations in a diverse 

range of sectors, such as finance, healthcare, 

retail and manufacturing, are searching for 

ways to drive innovation, increase connectivity 

and gain a competitive advantage. With 

technological advancements facilitating 

global networks and increasing capacity 

to collect and share an influx of fresh data, 

organisations can enjoy faster connectivity, 

agility and responsiveness," he says. 

However, he points out that no growth 

comes without risk. "As an organisation 

becomes more connected, its network 

becomes more complex, posing significant 

challenges to identity and cybersecurity 

measures. Adopting new technologies, such 

as APIs, LLMs and the Cloud, increases an 

organisation's attack surface. Across a vast 

network, their individual machine identities 

can be a challenge to monitor for anomalies." 

When considering threats, Gray advises 

organisations also to take stock of the risk of 

human error. "In modern work, employees 

operate in a blended environment, moving 

seamlessly between work applications and 

personal apps. This can result in a lot of freely 

available open-source data, or OSINT, which 

cybercriminals use for social engineering 

purposes to customise phishing attacks. 

All it takes is for one employee to click a link 

in a phishing email, or one machine identity 

to be exploited, and a bad actor can potentially 

have access to an organisation's entire 

database. 

"The results from a ransomware attack, 

as seen with the Ascension Healthcare 

Incident and most recently CDK Global, 

can have a devastating effect on business, 

daily operations and consumer trust - not to 

mention the costs incurred from downtime, 

disruption and potentially paying the ransom." 

If the risk in digital transformation is deemed 

32 


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ansomware 

Simon Hodgkinson, Semperis: criminal 

gangs are leveraging many organisations' 

vulnerabilities to detonate two, three or 

four malicious attacks. 

Jeff Gray, Xalient: adopting technologies, 

such as APIs, LLMs and the cloud, increases 

an organisation's attack surface. 

too high to invest in, organisations can 

potentially become outdated, which not 

only poses cybersecurity risks, but can also 

lead to them stagnating and falling behind 

their competition. "As such, organisations 

should strike a balance between digital 

transformation and improving their 

cybersecurity posture, without measures 

that restrict and slow their workflow," states 

Gray. "To stay ahead, organisations should 

implement Zero-Trust strategies to support 

growth, workflow and keep important data 

safe and secure." 

NEVER-ENDING 

A global study recently released shows that 

most organisations are facing a never-ending 

series of breaches - a serious epidemic that 

leaves them continuously in the crosshairs 

of ransomware gangs. In fact, 85% of UK 

companies said they were targeted. In 14% 

of attacks, companies paid a ransom, because 

they faced a life-or-death situation. 

"Considering that there is a 24/7 threat 

arrayed against today's organisations, you can 

never say 'I am safe' or take a moment off. The 

best you can do is to make your environment 

defensible and then defend it," comments 

Chris Inglis, strategic advisor and first US 

national cybersecurity director at Semperis, 

the company that published the ransomware 

research. 

The report, titled '2024 Ransomware Risk 

Report: Essential Guidance for Building 

Operational Resilience Against Cyberattacks', 

found that 39% of attacked companies in the 

UK, US, France and Germany paid a ransom 

four times or more in the past 12 months. 

Also, more than 80% of ransomware attacks 

eventually compromise an organisation's 

identity system, such as Microsoft Active 

Directory (AD) or Entra ID, yet over one fifth 

(22%) of UK companies don't have dedicated 

AD or Entra ID recovery plan in place. 

The findings indicate that ransomware 

attacks are frequent, with one fifth of UK 

respondents facing either simultaneous (20%) 

or multiple (28%) attacks on the same day. 

And 42% were attacked multiple times in the 

same week. Globally, the healthcare sector is 

most likely to be the victim of a simultaneous 

ransomware attack (35%), whereas the 

financial sector is more likely to be attacked 

multiple times in the same week (40%). 

"When multiple attacks happen, they 

tend to happen in quick succession," 

adds Simon Hodgkinson, strategic advisor, 

Semperis and former CISO at BP. "Data 

points from the study suggest that multiple 

criminal gangs are leveraging organisations' 

vulnerabilities to detonate two, three or four 

malicious attacks - frighteningly, some are 

simultaneous." 

WAR DECLARED ON RANSOMWARE 

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen (left) has 

pledged to set out a plan to tackle ransomware attacks against 

healthcare providers - "increasingly the target of cyber and 

ransomware attacks" - within the first 100 days of her second 

term in office. Her guidelines state: "To improve threat detection, 

preparedness and crisis response, I will propose a European 

action plan on the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare 

providers in the first 100 days of the mandate." 

Recent months have seen multiple hospitals and the healthcare 

system across the European Union impacted by cyberattacks, 

including in the UK, Romania, France, Belgium and Spain. 

34 


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