ITMG Insider Threat News – September 15, 2021

 

Personal Information of Nearly 80,000 MyRepublic Customers Accessed After Breach

The personal data of approximately 80,000 MyRepublic mobile subscribers was accessed without authorization last month.

The unauthorized access reportedly affected 79,388 mobile subscribers based in Singapore. The customer data contained personal information, including scanned copies of NRICs, proof of residential address documents and names and mobile numbers.

Security Now a “Thankless Task” for 80% of IT Teams

Securing the new hybrid workplace may require significant changes to culture, policy and technology after new HP research revealed significant pushback from remote workers during the pandemic.

It revealed that nearly all (91%) IT leaders felt pressure to compromise on security during the pandemic, with three-quarters (76%) admitting security took a backseat to business continuity.

Attacker Breakout Time Now Less than 30 Minutes

The average time it takes threat actors to move from initial access to lateral movement has fallen by 67% over the past year, putting extra pressure on security operations (SecOps) teams, according to CrowdStrike.

For incidents where this “breakout time” could be derived over the past year, it averaged just 1 hour 32 minutes. However, in over a third (36%) of intrusions, adversaries managed to move laterally to additional hosts in under 30 minutes.

Tech CEOs: Multi-Factor Authentication can Prevent 90% of Attacks

The use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) could prevent as much as 80–90% of cyber-attacks, according to figures cited by the US national security cyber chief.

Anne Neuberger, who’s deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technologies, said the stat was itself referenced by a number of the tech CEOs who attended a meeting with President Biden last week.

Colorado County Clerk Charged with Cybercrime

Formal charges have been filed against a deputy county clerk from Colorado who allegedly entered a county building and used her boss’s computer after being placed on paid leave.

According to an affidavit, the county suspended Knisley after receiving numerous complaints from multiple sources that she had “engaged in inappropriate, unprofessional conduct in the workplace.”

Stress and Burnout Affecting Majority of Cybersecurity Professionals

Over half (51%) of cybersecurity professionals are kept up at night by the stress of the job and work challenges, according to CIISec’s 2020/21 State of the Profession report.

The survey of 557 security professionals found that stress and burnout have become a major issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is partly due to overwork — the study found almost half (47%) of respondents work 41+ hours a week, with some working up to 90.

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