RSAC 2023 was a huge success. We launched our 2023 AT&T Cybersecurity Insights Report, which was met with enthusiasm by the industry and the media. In fact, Will Townsend, writing for Forbes, noted that our report joined other great research by industry peers who are striving to do more than just provide security solutions.

“RSAC 2023 could be best characterized by its emphasis on the advantages and disadvantages of AI and numerous published cybersecurity reports designed to raise awareness of threats and subsequent remediation, in addition to cybersecurity platform enhancements. These subjects are a definite departure from the past few RSAC events, which seemed to be zero-trust “me too” conventions. It is a welcome change, given that the emphasis on improving security outcomes benefits everyone.” Read more >>

Townsend perfectly captures the AT&T Cybersecurity mission to help business leaders understand both the business and security landscape – and how it’s evolving as technology continues to change the way we work and live. After listening to the challenges organizations are encountering, it’s clear that research and understanding the business landscape are essential parts of a responsible cybersecurity vendor strategy.

DDoS versus ransomware – how does edge computing change the equation?

I participated in a panel discussion hosted by Channel Futures examining the challenges of securing critical infrastructure. The discussion kicked off with a Gartner prediction, “by 2025, 30% of critical infrastructure organizations will experience a security breach resulting in the halting of operations and/or mission-critical cyber-physical system.,” I spoke about our research findings that indicate a change in perceived attacks: when it comes to edge computing, DDoS is perceived as a greater attack concern than ransomware.

“One of the reasons cybercriminals are gravitating to DDoS is it’s cheaper and easier than ransomware.” Read more >>

I did a video interview with BankInfoSecurity.com discussing how edge computing and innovative use cases are changing the way we’re dealing with cyber resilience.

“Organizations are investing in the edge but they also know that their endpoints are changing,” said Lanowitz. “They want to make sure they are futureproofing themselves and going to be dynamic in their cyber resilience. That’s because the  security edge is not linear or a straight line. It’s a circuitous, often confusing, and an often-changing environment that you will have to live with.” Learn more >>

Watch the webcast discussing the AT&T Cybersecurity Insights Report findings.

If you prefer to listen to the research results, we have a webcast for you. Along with my colleague, Mark Freifeld, I take you through the characteristics of edge computing, the challenges edge computing creates because it’s so different from traditional computing, and key takeaways to help you develop your edge computing security strategy.

Here are a few highlights of other coverage that provide context for our research findings.

Articles

Channel Futures: RSAC 2023: Tackling the Myriad Challenges in Securing Critical Infrastructure 
Dark Reading: DDoS, Not Ransomware, Is Top Business Concern for Edge Networks
Help Net Security: Securing the rapidly developing edge ecosystem (paid media initiative)
The CyberWire Daily Newsletter: Supply-chain attack’s effects spread. New KEV entries. Bumblebee malware loader. Decoy Dog toolset. Discord Papers update.
Beta News, Ian Barker: Business and tech leaders collaborate to exploit the edge
BankInfoSecurity: Security Is Now Part of the Edge Ecosystem

Podcasts

The CyberWire Daily Podcast: Supply-chain attack’s effects spread. CISA makes new KEV entries. Bumblebee malware loader describes. Decoy Dog toolset discovered. Discord Papers were shared earlier and more widely.

Video

Techstrong TV: Enabling Data-Informed Edge Decisions – Theresa Lanowitz, AT&T Cybersecurity
SC Media: Understanding the Edge Ecosystem and its Impact on Business – Theresa Lanowitz – RSA23 #1
BizTalks: The AT&T Business: Cybersecurity Landscape

Finally, we have an infographic that provides a graphic look at the results and recommendations. If you have questions about the study, let me know! The best way to get my attention is via LinkedIn.

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The use of digital twins — virtual representations of actual or envisioned real-world objects — is growing. Their uses are multifold and can be incredibly helpful, providing real-time models of physical assets or even people or biological systems that can help identify problems as or even before they occur.

Grand View Research has predicted that the global digital twin market, valued at $11.1 billion in 2022, will grow at a 37.5% compound annual growth rate from 2023 to 2030 to eventually hit $155.83 billion.

But as companies expand their use of digital twins and others create new ones, experts say organizations are also increasing their cybersecurity exposure. Because digital twins rely on data to create an accurate representation of whatever they model, they are vulnerable. What if that data is corrupted or — far worse — stolen and used for evil rather than their intended purpose?

To read this article in full, please click here

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Organized crime ring used phishing to fund operation

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This month’s Patch Tuesday more manageable for sysadmins

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Ransomware remains one of the biggest cyber threats that organizations and governments continue to face. However, hackers are engineering new ways to extract ransom from their victims as organizations take a conscious call to decline ransom payment demands.

With the fall of the most notorious ransomware gang Conti in May 2022, it was assumed that ransomware attacks would see a major decline. However, Tenable found that 35.5% of breaches in 2022 were the result of a ransomware attack, a minor 2.5% decrease from 2021. Similarly, in the fourth quarter of 2022 ransomware victim count declined by 5.1% versus the third quarter, according to Trend Micro.

To read this article in full, please click here

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Ransomware remains one of the biggest cyber threats that organizations and governments continue to face. However, hackers are engineering new ways to extract ransom from their victims as organizations take a conscious call to decline ransom payment demands.

With the fall of the most notorious ransomware gang Conti in May 2022, it was assumed that ransomware attacks would see a major decline. However, Tenable found that 35.5% of breaches in 2022 were the result of a ransomware attack, a minor 2.5% decrease from 2021. Similarly, in the fourth quarter of 2022 ransomware victim count declined by 5.1% versus the third quarter, according to Trend Micro.

To read this article in full, please click here

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While ISACA’s concept of digital trust is increasingly recognized as key to digital transformation, business leaders are still faced with many bottlenecks

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