Mazen Al Haridi, MBA

Excellent guidance document which also covers how threat actors are often to easily elevate their privileges.

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Cyber Security Threats to the Australian Education Sector: Insights from Penetration Testing (2022-2024) The document highlights the significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities faced by the Australian education sector due to rapid digital transformation and reliance on cloud services. ​ Key findings from penetration tests conducted between 2022 and 2024 reveal critical weaknesses in internal networks, external applications, and cloud infrastructures, exposing institutions to data breaches, operational disruptions, financial losses, and reputational damage. Key Findings: * Internal Vulnerabilities: - Outdated protocols and weak security practices. - Use of end-of-life operating systems like Windows Server 2012. - Lack of LDAP signing, making systems vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks. * External Vulnerabilities: - Weak password management on external portals. - Use of outdated web components and libraries. - Directory indexing enabled, exposing sensitive information. - Weak SSL/TLS protocols and missing security headers. * Cloud Vulnerabilities: - Weak password management and lack of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). - Missing conditional access policies. - Unmanaged accounts and devices. - Excessive user permissions. Source: https://lnkd.in/g7b-Xqmi Company: Spartans Sec - https://lnkd.in/gqatya9t #SpartansSec #CyberSecurity #EducationSector #DataProtection #MFA #CloudSecurity #PenetrationTesting

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Netlas and RST Cloud Forge Alliance to Enhance Cyber Threat Intelligence and Threat Hunting Capabilities Netlas.io, a leading platform for internet-wide scanning and external attack surface management, and RST Cloud, a premier Australian provider of cyber threat intelligence (CTI) solutions, are pleased to announce a strategic collaboration aimed at bringing additional value to customers of both organisations. With the release of the new Netlas version, users will now benefit from the inclusion of RST Cloud’s contextualised IoC (Indicators of Compromise) data from their extensive database, aggregated through multiple CTI sources across the globe within the Netlas platform. This includes data about related threat type and threat attribution, reputational score and False Positive flag. This integration empowers cybersecurity professionals with advanced tools for identifying potential threats during their investigations. “Indicators of compromise very logically complement the data provided by Netlas. With the vulnerability labels and other data provided, this will allow users to even better understand the degree of danger of the objects in their scope,” said Arthur Kotylevskiy, CEO at Netlas. “From RST Cloud’s perspective, this collaboration allows us to utilise Netlas’ extensive internet-wide scanning capabilities to identify new IoCs and enhance our threat intelligence services.” said Founder of RST Cloud, Yury Sergeev. The collaboration offers several key benefits: For Netlas users: – Access to RST Cloud’s threat intelligence data, enhancing the identification of malicious IP addresses and domains. – Comprehensive threat context to improve incident analysis and remediation efforts. – Enhanced decision-making through the availability of reliable and up-to-date threat data. For RST Cloud users: – Leveraging Netlas’ scanning capabilities to identify new IoCs and enrich threat intelligence and extending RST Cloud capabilities to access the most relevant IoCs (including malicious IP, C&C servers). – Gaining wider visibility into devices and services exposed to the internet using Netlas’ threat hunting engine to identify infrastructure owned by malicious actors. Together, Netlas.io and RST Cloud are dedicated to delivering unparalleled cybersecurity services, equipping professionals with the necessary tools to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats. This strategic collaboration marks a significant step forward in enhancing threat intelligence and external attack surface management for customers worldwide.

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The NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence has launched the Applying 5G Cybersecurity and Privacy Capabilities white paper series. The white papers target technology, #cybersecurity, and privacy program managers within commercial mobile network operators, potential private 5G network operators, and organisations using and managing 5G-enabled technology who are concerned with how to identify, understand, assess, and mitigate #cyberrisk for 5G networks. https://lnkd.in/dz_KT_45 #sccybersecurity #sccssummit #tprm #ciso #grc #riskmanagement #cyberresilience #supplychainsecurity #thirdpartyrisk #vendorrisk

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How can leadership teams maximise the value of cyber security investments? Gartner forecasts that Australian businesses will surpass AU$7.3 billion in spending on information security and risk management in 2024, a notable increase of 11.5% from 2023. As investment grows, it’s crucial for leadership teams to align cyber security initiatives with business goals to ensure every dollar spent protects the company’s assets, reputation, and future. In this context, cost-effective cyber security is not about cutting costs but ensuring that investments focus on the right areas. The latest blog from the team at Netier covers how to build cost-effective cyber security that supports and advances business objectives: https://hubs.la/Q02yVX3Y0 #CyberSecurity #RiskManagement #LetsBuildCyberResilience #Netier

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Have you tried Copilot yet? If not, you may be wondering what Microsoft’s AI can do to help boost productivity, efficiency, and creativity in your business. The answer? Loads. It’s time to trial the assistant that never sleeps… #Microsoft #Windows11 #Copilot https://lnkd.in/gsCF3_i4

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🚨 Cyber Security Legislative Package 2024: Key Takeaways and Compliance Requirements 🚨 The Cyber Security Legislative Package 2024 introduces new regulations aimed at bolstering #cyber #resilience across Australia's #criticalinfrastructure and businesses. 🛡️ This package consists of several legislative amendments, with a focus on securing digital products, mandatory reporting of ransomware, and tightening security standards across industries. Here’s a detailed breakdown of key elements: 🔑 Key Provisions Mandatory Cyber Security Standards for #IoT Devices: - All smart and network-connectable devices must comply with specified security standards from the design and production stages. - Manufacturers and suppliers are required to issue a Statement of Compliance for each product. - Failure to comply may result in #compliance, stop, or recall notices, alongside heavy penalties. - Non-commercial open source software is exempt from this requirement. Ransomware Reporting Obligations: - Businesses operating in Australia must report #ransomware payments within 72 hours of the payment being made. - Reports are submitted to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (#ACSC) and will be protected from legal actions based on the information provided. - Non-compliance may result in significant civil penalties. Cyber Incident Review Board: - An independent board will oversee post-incident reviews of major cyber events, providing feedback to both the government and industries. - This board will make recommendations to help prevent and manage future incidents. 🚨 Penalties for Non-Compliance: - Companies that fail to comply with the new regulations face penalties of up to 2.5% of global turnover. - Failure to meet reporting obligations, #secure IoT devices, or rectify deficiencies in cyber risk management could lead to heavy financial and operational consequences. 📅 Important Deadlines: The law comes into effect in 2025, with a 24-month transition period for companies to comply with the new requirements. 🌍 Global Alignment and Implications: The legislation aligns with international best practices, particularly the UK and EU #cyber security frameworks. It has extra-territorial implications, meaning that New Zealand and other international suppliers dealing with the Australian market will also need to comply. This legislative package reinforces the importance of #cybersecurity as a critical aspect of product development and incident response management. Companies operating in Australia, or those with connections to the market, need to act now to ensure compliance with the upcoming requirements. 📜 🔗 Link to the bill will be in the comments below. #CyberResilience #itgrc #itgrcadvisory #bwadvisory #akademiaitgrc #cybersecurity #IoTsecurity

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Joint Advisory 📢 Today, we join Australian Signals Directorate and other international partners to release a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory about a People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored cyber group, APT40, and the current threat it poses to Australian networks. APT40 is conducting regular reconnaissance against networks of interest in Australia as the group looks for opportunities to compromise its targets. The group uses compromised infrastructure, including small-office/home-office (SOHO) devices as operational infrastructure, to launch attacks that blend in with legitimate traffic and challenge network defenders. This regular reconnaissance allows the group to identify vulnerable, end-of-life, or no longer maintained devices on networks of interest, and rapidly deploy exploits. APT40 continues to find success exploiting vulnerabilities due to systems being unpatched. The NCSC encourages organisations to review the tradecraft outlined in the advisory and apply the detection and mitigation recommendations. Mitigations that can reduce the effectiveness of the activity include: 👉 Logging and detection – maintain comprehensive and historical logging information across web servers, window events and internet proxies. 👉 Patch management – implement a centralised patch management system to automate and expedite the patch process. 👉 Network segmentation – segment networks to limit or block lateral movement by denying traffic between computers unless required. To read the advisory and learn more about how to identify, prevent and remediate APT40 intrusions, visit 👉 https://lnkd.in/gcVYAGv9 This advisory has been jointly issued by Australian Signals Directorate, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Cyber Security Centre (UK), Communications Security Establishment Canada | Centre de la sécurité des télécommunications Canada, Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity and National Police Agency (Japan), and National Intelligence Service, and National Cyber Security Center (Korea). #cybersecurity #infosec

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A lack of digital maturity is holding Australian businesses back from realising the benefits of #AI for #cybersecurity, according to #ManageEngine, an IT security, operations, and service management software firm.

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A lack of digital maturity is holding Australian businesses back from realising the benefits of #AI for cyber #security, according to ManageEngine, an IT #security, operations, and service management software firm.

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With business risk being heightened off the back of incidents on Friday, I wanted to share some further considerations for Security & Business leaders to review around #Data. Thank you to the many IT Professionals who worked tirelessly over the weekend to course correct issues, business and people were facing. ADAPT #Research #Advisory #CISO #CDO #CIO #Risk

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𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐓 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 🔥 The Essential 8 is a mitigation strategy developed by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) to help businesses protect themselves against cyber threats. The 8 mitigation strategies are: 🛡️ Patch applications 🛡️ Patch operating systems 🛡️ Multi-factor authentication 🛡️ Restrict administrative privileges 🛡️ Application control 🛡️ Restrict Microsoft Office macros 🛡️ User application hardening 🛡️ Regular backups As an #ITProvider, we implement best practices across all our services. This includes Essential 8 to ensure robust protection for our clients, enhancing their resilience against cyber threats and optimising their operational efficiency. Have any burning IT questions? Comment yours below and we will answer them. 👇🏼👇🏼 #DBT #CyberSecurity #Essential8

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Cyberattacks continue to pose a significant threat to the data security of Australian companies, with an average of one cybercrime occurring every 6 minutes (Department of Home Affairs, 2023). Rather than actively avoiding cyber resilience duties, business leaders are blocked by lack of understanding, internal disagreements, and the scale of work required to make change. For smaller businesses, the dominant barrier is the time and resources required to upgrade their cyber security. These businesses lack the technological resources or available budget to implement the recommended cyber resilience measures. While deploying cyber resilience strategies may be a challenge, backing up and protecting your data is a critical step in mitigating the impacts of security threats. Read more about the cyber security challenges and how you can help protect customer data: https://lnkd.in/g3ybHntU #CVCheck #DataSecurity #Digitialsecurity

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