Security

Situation Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008R2 are reaching end of life support starting January 14, 2020. No future patches are expected as software reaches end of its life cycle. Problem Microsoft is stopping all future patches and updates including securitypatches for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008/2008R2 releases. No additional patches are set to be released as these operating systems are being retired. Implication  Without frequent patches and… Read More

This post comes from our December TECH Talk Live Stream on the subject.  As organizations start to focus on key investments and strategies for 2020, security remains one of the top leadership priorities. The cybersecurity workforce shortage has left organizations shorthanded and scrambling for talent while the magnitude and impact of cyberattacks are intensifying. Security leaders must recognize how to assess and prioritize when it comes to limited human and… Read More

Situation An existing critical vulnerability in Windows has seen an increase in exploitation by an attack known as BlueKeep (CVE-2019-0708). Problem The BlueKeep vulnerability is a high severity wormable security flaw in Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Services. The BlueKeep vulnerability was recently seen being exploited to install ransomware in systems in Spain. Implication  The BlueKeep vulnerability affects a large number of Windows operating systems, from Windows 2000 all the way up to Windows… Read More

Situation Cisco has released a patch to update Aironet Access Point software for their wireless controllers and access points. This is to prevent a vulnerability that allows for insufficient access control for certain URLs on an affected device. This could result in denial of service, remote reset of end devices, modification of the SSID wireless ID information, and view sensitive information on the network. Problem Unpatched Cisco Aironet controllers and… Read More

Each October, the US Department of Homeland Security observes National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, “a collaborative effort between government and industry to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and to ensure that all Americans have the resources they need to be safer and more secure online.” In today’s information era, data security is everyone’s responsibility. Whether you’re a small company delivering professional services to a local clientele, or an enterprise… Read More

Situation Three critical Remote Code Execution vulnerabilities (CVE-2019-2184, CVE-2019-2185, CVE-2019-2186), were found in the Android Media Framework. Problem These vulnerabilities affect a large number of Android models and versions, specifically ones with a Qualcomm chip. Models include LG, Samsung, Google, Huawei, and Xiaomi. Versions include 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0, 8.1, and 9. Implication  Remote attackers could use a specially crafted file to execute code, which could lead to attacker installing malicious apps… Read More

Situation Microsoft has issued an out-of-band security patch to address critical vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Defender. Problem The security patch addresses two vulnerabilities: 1. An Internet Explorer remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory. 2. A Microsoft Defender denial of service vulnerability caused by improperly handling files. The vulnerabilities affect Windows 10, 8.1, 7, Windows Server 2019, 2016, 2012, 2012 R2, 2008,… Read More

Situation A vulnerability (CVE-2019-10197) was found in Samba versions 4.9.0 through 4.10.7 that could allow for unintended access, addition, and/or modification to files over the network. Problem The vulnerability is a flaw with Samba SMB server which does not properly prevent clients from escaping outside the share root directory. Implication An attacker could use this vulnerability to gain access to files outside of the Samba share which could lead to… Read More

Situation Critical vulnerabilities have been found in Cisco’s Integrated Management Controller (IMC) Supervisor, Unified Computing System (UCS) Director, and UCS Director Express for Big Data. Problem Four critical vulnerabilities have been found impacting UCS Director, and UCS Director Express for Big Data. Three of the vulnerabilities impact IMC Supervisor. The vulnerabilities and what devices they impact: Two authentication bypass vulnerabilities affecting IMC Supervisor, UCS Director, and UCS Director Express for… Read More

Last month, we looked back at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech 2019 in Aspen, Colorado. During a lunchtime cybersecurity roundtable, the featured speakers were asked a two-part question: What’s the biggest challenge the world faces with respect to cybersecurity today? And what is the solution?  We posed the first question to Shahin Pirooz, CTO and CISO at DataEndure in our previous post. This month we will look at the solution. For decades,… Read More