Articles In Security

By Steve Gold, Posted in Security

Yeah, I know. I’m using the same pop culture reference to make a point. But the reference is perfect and the point is important so read on. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) "Ocean's Eleven" showed breaking into a high-security vault requires more than just picking a lock; it involves bypassing multiple layers of security measures. This is similar to multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA enhances security by requiring users to present multiple pieces of evidence (factors) to verify their identity.... read more.

• July 02, 2024

By Ryan Lee, Posted in Security

Let's face it, we’ve all been targeted by scams at some point these days. It happens so often, that I am able to spot it pretty quickly. But this time, I was almost fleeced. Let me set the stage before I share my story here. I am an IT consultant/architect and have been in this field for over 20 years now. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable, more than your typical savvy tech user. In my line of work, security is paramount. Whether it’s around architecture, implementation, ongoing management... read more.

• June 24, 2024

By Steve Gold, Posted in Security

Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney in Ocean’s 11 shows the complexity, timing, and sometimes ease of leveraging social engineering for an attack. This film provides a compelling look into the art of deception and manipulation, showcasing strategies that are surprisingly relevant to cybersecurity training. In "Ocean's Eleven," Danny Ocean and his team use sophisticated social engineering tactics to rob a casino. They employ pretexting when posing as technicians or officials to access restricted are... read more.

• June 19, 2024

By Hank Smith, Posted in Security

I wanted to share a personal experience about how artificial intelligence (AI) was almost used to exploit the elderly. I recently received a troubling call from my father, inquiring if my partner had been involved in a car accident and placed in jail. Knowing this wasn't true, I probed for more details. It turned out my father had received a call from somebody claiming to be my partner with a voice that sounded exactly like hers. The caller, impersonating my partner, said she caused an accident that harmed... read more.

• June 12, 2024

By Steve Gold, Posted in Security

The iconic line uttered by Agent Smith, played by Hugo Weaving, to Thomas A. Anderson, aka Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, in The Matrix. If you’ve been living under a rock or in a good sized closet, The Matrix tells the story of how Neo is awakened to the reality that his entire existence has been within a digital simulation, leading him on a journey to fight against the machines that have enslaved humanity. This awakening is akin to the realization organizations must reach about the importance of cyber... read more.

• April 09, 2024

By Steve Gold, Posted in Security

If you think hackers are only trying to get to your Windows machines, well, you’re wrong. In May 2018, the cybersecurity world was rocked by the discovery of VPNFilter, a highly sophisticated and destructive piece of malware that targeted routers and network-attached storage devices across the globe. Identified by Cisco's Talos Intelligence Group, VPNFilter highlighted a critical vulnerability in the very backbone of our internet infrastructure, affecting devices from well-known manufacturers, includi... read more.

• April 03, 2024

By Steve Gold, Posted in Security

Jurassic Park demonstrated isolation both in the literal sense, with the park being located on an isolated island, and in the operational sense, where different systems within the park are designed to function independently to prevent cascading failures. This dual approach to isolation is mirrored in the cybersecurity best practice of creating isolated instances of recovery data. The film underscores the consequences of system failures and the lack of adequate isolation measures, particularly when Dennis N... read more.

• March 26, 2024

By Steve Gold, Posted in Security

"Person of Interest," a science fiction television series that aired from 2011 to 2016, centers around a supercomputer known as "The Machine," designed to predict terrorist acts by monitoring and analyzing surveillance data. However, its capabilities extend far beyond its primary function, touching on themes of privacy, artificial intelligence, and the ethical implications of surveillance. As "The Machine" processes and stores vast amounts of sensitive information, the series showcases the elaborate measur... read more.

• March 19, 2024

By Steve Gold, Posted in Security

"Silicon Valley," the hit HBO comedy series that aired from 2014 to 2019, follows the trials and tribulations of Richard Hendricks and his team at Pied Piper as they navigate the competitive world of Silicon Valley with their groundbreaking compression algorithm. One of its core narratives provides a compelling backdrop to discuss the significance of automated backups. Throughout the series, Pied Piper faces multiple data management crises, including near-losses of crucial algorithmic data and intellectual... read more.

• March 12, 2024

By Steve Gold, Posted in Security

What better way to articulate a Data Recovery Process than map it to a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. In “Disaster” (Season 5, Episode 5), the Enterprise-D strikes a quantum filament that cripples the starship, showcasing the necessity of robust data recovery strategies in the face of unexpected disasters. "Disaster" illustrates the broad scope of data recovery activities, as the crew faces multiple system failures. Data recovery in an organizational context similarly encompasses a wid... read more.

• March 05, 2024