InSights Blog

The last two years have introduced new challenges to organizations across the globe -- from managing business operations through an ongoing pandemic; to a rapid-fire pivot to a digital mode of work; to an increase in cyber attacks targeting businesses directly, and through their supply chains.

There are many ways that a bad actor can infiltrate your IT infrastructure and begin sifting through your data. These vulnerable entry points are known as risk vectors and include insecure endpoints, unsupported mobile devices, unpatched systems, and more.

You've worked hard all year to prioritize your organization's resources to tackle the riskiest vulnerabilities in your cybersecurity program. But when you bring your progress to the board of directors, excited to demonstrate your success, your reports about patched network configurations, DNS configurations, botnet sinkholes, and more are met with blank stares.

Work from home practices introduce significant cyber risk to any organization. Worryingly, BitSight research discovered that remote office networks are 7.5 times more likely to have at least five distinct malware families on them than a corporate network.

As remote workforces become the norm, this should ring alarm bells for security leaders. When an employee uses a corporate device on a home network, malware can propagate to the corporate network. This is especially problematic given user behavior and the dynamics of home networks. In 52% of cases, corporate-issued devices are used by family members or trusted friends. These assets also share the same network as potentially insecure IoT devices such as alarm systems, smart TVs, refrigerators, and more.

Recent BitSight research shows that 75% of retail businesses may be at increased risk of ransomware attacks as indicated by poor TLS/SSL configuration management. With the holiday shopping season upon us, it's more important than ever for retailers to evaluate their security posture.

Large retail businesses may have hundreds or even thousands of TLS/SSL certificates identifying specific Internet-connected devices. Plus, many lack an organization-wide framework for discovering, cataloging, and managing TLS/SSL configurations. Instead, management is conducted on an ad hoc basis, usually at a departmental level.

Taking back control of your network in light of hackers’ growing sophistication can be time-consuming. Even well-established organizations with money to spend on solid cybersecurity programs are still falling victim to some of the new sneaky breach attempts, as seen with this year's ransomware attacks.

But as your digital infrastructure expands, understanding where cyber risk lies hidden can be challenging. In this increasingly diverse environment, your security team ends up buried in a sea of data and alerts — and may end up missing something important. They are also hopping between multiple tools and lack a complete picture of your company’s security posture.

Rather than play whack-a-mole with threats, here are three reasons you should focus on attack surface scanning to mitigate risk.

We are excited to announce the availability of the Moody’s Investor Services 2022 Cyber Risk Outlook. The report, which leverages data provided by BitSight, outlines factors shaping the landscape for cyber risk in 2022. BitSight is proud to partner with Moody’s on this important research.

While the ongoing wave of digital transformation opens exciting opportunities for innovation, it also widens your attack surface.

As cyberattacks surge, you’re charged with protecting your organization’s expanding digital footprint. But what about the risk posed by vendors?

As cyber threats evolve and business models change, maintaining a mature cybersecurity program can be challenging. You need to be confident that your organization’s current security tools and techniques are effective.

Gaps in security controls can be hard to detect. Misconfigured software, open ports, and unpatched systems all expose your organization to cyber risk. They also negatively impact your BitSight Security Rating.

Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01, Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, to drive urgent and prioritized remediation of vulnerabilities that are being actively exploited by adversaries.

This directive includes an update to CISA's catalog of “known exploited vulnerabilities,” part of an ongoing effort encourage organizations to reduce risk within their attack surface. BitSight is proud to partner with CISA on these critical efforts.

In the past few weeks, BitSight has conducted research on two of the vulnerabilities in the CISA list: CVE-2021-41773 and CVE-2021-42013. These vulnerabilities were introduced via a recent Apache Server update and highlight the importance of an effective software update and patch management strategy as well as the need for third-party risk management.

If your organization is entering into a relationship with a vendor or partner, vendor due diligence is key to mitigating third-party risk.

We are excited to announce a new research partnership with the Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies (CCRS). Our joint research will analyze the relationship between organizational cybersecurity investments and risk reduction.

Network security monitoring tools are a critical component of any IT security toolkit.