February 2023 Reading Roundup
A quick summary of helpful articles from the world of IT
The Long Term Impacts of Ransomware on Local Government
Nonprofits and SLED organizations are often understaffed and underfunded. This story details the experience of Hackney (East London) two years after their ransomware incident. You can read more via Wired.
C-Levels Question ChatGPT's Enterprise Adoption
ChapGPT is fun, but it's not enterprise ready. There are numerous questions we have to answer, such as security measures and citations for work. Oh, and will ChapGPT become a sentient being that rules the world? You can read more commentary direct for IT Chiefs via the Wallstreet Journal.
VMware ESXi Vulnerability
Hackers have devised a way to mass-deploy ransomware by exploiting a VMware ESXi servers. One interesting development from this story is that the larger cloud hosting companies also struggle with patch management. You can read more via VMware.
GoodRX Sold Your Data
This is a prime example of why America needs privacy laws. GoodRX sold your personal health information to third parties, such as Facebook, Google and other data brokers. The FTC issued a $1.5 million fine, but is this enough to stop these companies from selling your data? You can read more via Vox.
CISA's State of Security
CISA, the U.S. cybersecurity agency, addressed the current state of cybersecurity in this op-ed. Does the U.S. receive a passing cybersecurity grade? No chance. What's their feedback? U.S. businesses must do more. You can read more via Foreign Affairs.
Booking.com
Users have complained for years that scammers seem to have detailed information of their travel plans prior to trips taking place. This article does a fantastic job covering this story, which leads one to believe that Booking.com has an insider at work. You can read more via Ars Technica.
Google's Jigsaw Staff Reductions
Jigsaw, which is owned by Google, is one of the latest organizations to be hit by staff reductions. Jigsaw is responsible for tools that monitor online hate speech, misinformation and government overreach in the form of surveillance. This could indicate that Google is moving away from business units that do not produce revenue. You can read more via Forbes.
CIOs Tasked with Sustainability
While Alabama is often slow to adopt IT trends (this is common in the south), I have seen an uptick in C-level interest in sustainability. In the future, you can anticipate IT teams will be forced to address energy consumption. You can read more via The Wallstreet Journal.
Pentagon Employees "Too Horny" to Follow Security Protocols
That's the genuine title of this article from Gizmodo, and it's spot on. DoD employees are ignoring the rules to download banned/unauthorized apps, including dating apps, TikTok, VPN and the procurement of cryptocurrency on government devices. You can read this jewel of an article on Gizmodo.
Avaya Bankruptcy Round Two
Avaya announced Chapter 11 this week. This comes on the heels of more layoffs. It's been a tough run for Avaya recently, after grumblings made us aware of friction with their RingCentral relationship, which has yielded no traction. Premise-based PBX manufacturers will continue to struggle as the market aggressively shifts towards cloud-first strategies. You can read more via Reuters.
US Government Email Spill
The DoD misconfigured a server in its Azure gov cloud environment. This left the server without a password and wide open to the internet. You can read more via TechCrunch.
The FBI is Investing a Hack of Its Network
The FBI launched an investigation of a hack that occurred in its New York office. The FBI notes that the breach has been "contained." It should be noted that this office investigates child sexual exploitation. The comprised system was internet facing and contained sensitive information related to these investigations. You can read more via Reuters.
Data Brokers are Pimping Your PI
It's frankly shocking that the US does not have federal data or privacy laws. These practices will continue until the government intervenes. Telehealth companies took advantage of you! You can read more via Duke University.
Are We Better at Stopping Ransomware?
Some data indicates that US companies paid out less in ransoms in 2022. This would suggest we're getting better at blocking these threats, alerting and restoring. But, this should not lead you to believe that the attacks are declining. Don't fall asleep while you should be on watch. You can read more via The Wallstreet Journal.
3.3 Million Patients
Regal Medical Group announced that the data of 3.3 million patients was impacted by a data breach. This will be one of the largest of the year. You can read more via the Regal Medical.
Don't Share Sensitive Data with ChatGPT
Amazon's lawyers have dictated that no sensitive corporate data be shared with ChatGPT out of fear that the platform will spill the beans if asked the right questions. An internal Amazon Slack was also leaked validating these concerns. I've read 2001: A Space Odyssey and I know how this story ends. You can read more via Business Insider.
Old Threats, New Day
The bulk of ransomware attacks in 2022 were based on old bugs. On the flip side, attackers utilized new vulnerabilities at an increased pace. In short, attackers are becoming more complex in their approach by exploiting old vulnerabities and weaponizing new ones at a rapid pace. Stay on guard. You can read more via DarkReading.
Royal Mail Hit with $80M Ransom
LockBit claimed another victim in Royal Mail. The Russian-based syndicate demanded an $80M ransom, which Royal Mail claims it will not pay. In an interesting twist, Royal Mail press officers have threatened journalist who reported the $80M ransom fee. You can read more via The Guardian.
MSFT Patches
Patching isn't a fun topic, but virtually all organizations struggle with their patch management lifecycle. In my role, I'm consistently surprised by the lack of effective planning in this area. With that being said, Krebs on Security dropped a quick read that highlights Microsoft's latest patches, which include three zero-days. You can read more via Krebs on Security.
Automation is Hot
We've been talking about automation for years, but the adoption in southern markets has been slow. Frankly, it's been easier to throw a body at these challenges rather than improving workflow. The competitive labor market and drastic changes in speed to market have forced organizations to lean into automation. You can read more via The Wallstreet Journal.
FinServ Threats on the Rise
DDoS attacks for FinServ increased 22% in 2022 in the US. That number was as high as 73% internationally. New regulations require that these end users must diclose breaches within 36 hours. You can read more via DarkReading.
SMB Tips for Security
If you're an SMB, you've got a tough row to hoe. You likely can't afford a dedicated security resource and you often lack the industry knowledge needed to mitigate cybersecurity risk, yet you're a prime target for attack. You can read preventition tips via Crowdstrike!