Stuart O'Brien, Author at Cyber Secure Forum | Forum Events Ltd
Posts By :

Stuart O'Brien

NCSC’s CyberFirst expansion to support 10,000+ students into cyber careers

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:
0
0

IN4 Group has secured the contract to deliver CyberFirst on behalf of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of GCHQ, the UK’s intelligence and security agency, in the West Midlands for the first time.

This will result in significant investment into the technology careers of thousands of local students, according to the firm, which is headquartered in MediaCity, Salford, and already delivers the CyberFirst contract in the North West – it is now expanding to the West Midlands to deliver CyberFirst Schools & Colleges.

The initiative was set up by the NCSC to encourage a more diverse range of young people to pursue careers in the sector, championing cyber education in the region.

IN4 is expanding its team and will be establishing offices at STEAMhouse in Millennium Point, Birmingham, where it looks to build further corporate, academic, and local government partnerships in the West Midlands and across the UK.

Key to this will be the role of industry and universities based in the West Midlands. Several Apex partners including IBM, Northrop Grumman, KPMG UK, QinetiQ, CGI and BT, have already invested in a successful delivery model in the North West and there are opportunities to replicate this in the West Midlands.

It aims to engage with at least 80 schools across the region, providing additional opportunities for students and schools to increase their cyber knowledge and make careers in cyber more accessible.

Lauren Monks, CyberFirst lead and Director of Strategy and Operations at IN4 Group, said: “This is such an exciting opportunity for IN4 Group and CyberFirst to expand its operations to the West Midlands with our pioneering programme, which is designed to spark curiosity and raise career aspirations in technology for all young people.

“With our proven track record of delivering a social return on investment of over £1.6m in less than 12 months in the North West, we’re looking to bring the same kind of social impact to the West Midlands. We want to move away from the postcode lottery of opportunities that are dependent on the place where you live, so the next generation of young people are not only aware of careers in tech but can also realistically see themselves following that path, no matter what background they’re from.”

In parallel with its work in the North West, IN4 is also looking to establish CyberFirst MEGA Hubs, which will be rolled out across both regions with one in each local authority area. The blueprint for the MEGA Hubs model aims to give every single young person access to world-class technology skills and employment pathways.

CyberFirst MEGA Hubs will be established with CyberFirst Gold recognised schools, colleges and sixth forms to attract inward investment and deliver STEM educational enrichment through the development of a technology-embedded integrated curriculum. They will work with education and corporate partners to deliver skills to young people and provide a route into apprenticeships, undergraduate degrees, and cyber-related careers.

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said: “The NCSC is committed to encouraging diverse talent into the cyber security industry, but we can’t do this alone. Industry plays a vital role and our partnership with IN4 Group in the West Midlands will help us reach a large audience and help to build the region’s cyber skills ecosystem.”

Having already begun activities in the West Midlands, IN4 held the first CyberFirst MEGA event at Villa Park, bringing together 500 girls from 13 schools in the West Midlands.

Angela Moore, Senior Delivery Manager – Careers Strategy at the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), said: “It was great to witness firsthand at the MEGA event at Aston Villa Football Club just how young girls can be inspired by tech and the potential the sector holds for them in the future. Amazing work and I’m very excited to see how this develops in the future and brings further opportunity for our young people in the West Midlands.”

Since May 2022, CyberFirst North West has engaged with over 4,500 young people, including 48 per cent from ethnic minorities and 80 per cent female.

With only 22% of the UK’s cyber security workforce represented by women – a major objective is to inspire girls, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with an interest in STEM careers. IN4 is looking to bring this experience and work closely with a range of expert stakeholders in the West Midlands to help shape the CyberFirst offering to local students.

ADVANCED THREAT DASHBOARDS: From Static Displays to Dynamic Insights – Where are solutions heading?

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:
0
0

Both private and public sector CISOs in the UK face a constant barrage of security alerts. But traditional security information and event management (SIEM) systems, with their overwhelming dashboards, are no longer enough. Enter Advanced Threat Dashboards (ATDs), revolutionising how CISOs gain insights and make critical security decisions. Here’s how ATDs have evolved and what the future might hold…

Beyond the Information Overload

Traditional SIEM dashboards often presented a deluge of data, making it difficult for CISOs to identify the most critical threats. ATDs address this by offering:

  • Actionable Insights: ATDs go beyond simply displaying alerts. They leverage data correlation and threat intelligence to prioritise real threats, allowing CISOs to focus on the most urgent security issues.
  • Customisable Visualisations: ATDs offer customisable dashboards tailored to individual CISOs’ needs. These dashboards can present real-time data on security posture, attack trends, and incident response efforts in a visually clear and actionable format.
  • Threat Context: ATDs provide context to security incidents. They integrate threat intelligence feeds, vulnerability databases, and user activity information, giving CISOs a complete picture of the attack landscape and its potential impact.
  • Improved Threat Hunting Capabilities: ATDs offer advanced threat hunting features that allow CISOs to proactively search for and identify lurking threats within their network, preventing breaches before they occur.
  • Collaboration Tools: ATDs often come with built-in collaboration tools, enabling CISOs to share threat information and coordinate incident response efforts with their security teams.

The Evolving Threat Landscape Demands Evolving Solutions

The future of ATDs in the UK promises even greater sophistication:

  • Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI): ML and AI will power advanced anomaly detection, predict potential cyberattacks, and automate threat response actions, significantly reducing the burden on security teams.
  • Integration with Security Orchestration and Automation Response (SOAR) Platforms: Seamless integration with SOAR platforms will enable automated incident response workflows, streamlining the entire security response process.
  • Focus on User Behaviour Analytics (UBA): ATDs will incorporate UBA capabilities to identify and flag suspicious user activity, potentially indicating insider threats or compromised accounts.
  • Cloud-Based Solutions: Cloud-based ATDs will offer greater scalability, flexibility, and accessibility for organisations of all sizes, making them a cost-effective option for many CISOs.
  • Metrics and ROI Measurement: ATDs will provide better metrics and reporting tools, allowing CISOs to demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) of their security investments to stakeholders.

A Clearer View of the Threat Landscape

Advanced Threat Dashboards represent a critical evolution in security information management. By offering curated data, actionable insights, and enhanced threat hunting capabilities, ATDs ensure CISOs have the tools they need to make informed decisions and stay ahead of ever-evolving cyber threats. The future of ATDs promises a future driven by automation, deeper threat intelligence, and a focus on user behaviour, empowering CISOs to protect their organisations more effectively and efficiently.

Remember, in today’s complex cyber threat landscape, CISOs need clear visibility into their security posture. Advanced Threat Dashboards are a critical tool in their arsenal, providing the insights they need to make informed security decisions and protect their organisations’ critical assets.

Are you looking for Advanced Threat Dashboard solutions for your organisation? The Cyber Secure Forum can help!

Photo by Hack Capital on Unsplash

Learn how to tackle nefarious dark actors at the Cyber Secure Forum

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:
0
0

Will you be joining us at the upcoming Cyber Secure Forum? You’ll enjoy a day of seminars and networking with peers, plus the unique chance to meet with all the industry’s leading solution providers in one place.

When? Tuesday 25th June

Where? Hilton London Canary Wharf

See what your time at the event could look like >>>

This unique FREE event allows you to meet with leading industry suppliers in a relaxed setting, unlike traditional trade shows, we organise a personalised itinerary of 1-2-1 meetings based on your business needs, to ensure your time isn’t wasted – Book here!

Hear from expert speakers such as:

Seminar 1

📢 James Potter, Director – The LinkedIn Man

“How do dark actors use LinkedIn against you?”

Seminar 2

📢 Graham Day, Program Manager – CyberGuardian

“Protecting organisations & interests through social engineering threat awareness, managing predominant cyber risks & cyber insurance premiums whilst embedding cyber CSR, next generational awareness and human risk management”

Seminar 3

📢 Alex Wood, CEO – Reform Courses

“The Fraud Mindset & Eradicating Mule Accounts”

Would you like to attend? Please confirm place invitation here.

Feel free to contact us for further information and we’ll be happy to help, or visit our website.

If you’re a specialist in Advanced Threat Dashboards we want to hear from you!

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:
0
0

Each month on Cyber Security Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on a different part of the cyber security market – and in May we’re focussing on Advanced Threat Dashboard solutions.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help IT security buyers find the best products and services available today.

So, if you’re an Advanced Threat Dashboard solutions specialist and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact Jenny Lane on j.lane@forumevents.co.uk.

Here’s our full features list:

May 2024 – Advanced Threat Dashboard
Jun 2024 – Browser/Web Security
July 2024 – Authentication
Aug 2024 – Penetration Testing
Sep 2024 – Vulnerability Management
Oct 2024 – Employee Security Awareness
Nov 2024 – Malware
Dec 2024 – Network Security Management
Jan 2025 – Anti Virus
Feb 2025 – Access Control
Mar 2025 – Intrusion Detection & Prevention
Apr 2024 – Phishing Detection

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

CALL FOR SPEAKERS! We are searching for dynamic thought leaders to deliver insight at the Cyber Secure Forum

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:
0
0

If you’re a cybersecurity professional and would like to share your knowledge, case studies and best practice with peers, then please get in touch – we have speaking opportunities upcoming at the Cyber Secure Forum.

This long-running and unique, invite-only event is attended by senior IT security professionals and leading suppliers, offering a great environment for networking and knowledge sharing within specialist seminar sessions.

The Cyber Secure Forum takes place on June 25th at the Hilton London Canary Wharf.

So, if you would like to deliver a talk sharing your experiences and knowledge with delegates, please contact Natasha Cobbold at n.cobbold@forumevents.co.uk or visit https://forumevents.co.uk/speaker-opportunities.

Questions raised as to whether US government agencies can implement zero trust policies in short-term

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:
0
0

75% of U.S. federal agencies will fail to implement zero trust security policies by 2026 due to funding and expertise shortfalls.

That’s according to Gartner, which defines zero trust as a security paradigm that starts from the baseline of trusting no end user, and explicitly identifies users and grants them the precise level of access necessary to accomplish their task.

Zero trust is not a specific technology, product or service. Instead, it is a set of security design principles that contrasts with the traditional perimeter-based security approach.

“With the September 2024 deadline for specific zero trust requirements for U.S. federal agenciesbeing established, requirements are broad for all agencies,” said Mike Brown, Vice President Analyst at Gartner. “However, consistent with other compliance deadlines, agencies will struggle to meet these goals. Given the typical delays for Congressional passage of the federal budget, funds will likely not be available for the zero trust initiative until the second quarter of fiscal 2024, allowing only a partial year to achieve goals.”

Although zero trust achievements, or lack thereof, may be captured in audits, public reporting on specific details of zero trust progress may be limited or obfuscated. This is to avoid identifying weaker aspects of government cybersecurity for the benefit of malicious actors.

“One of the main impediments for government agencies in their zero trust journey is a cybersecurity skills shortage,” said Brown.” Government agencies are challenged to compete with the private sector for staff with necessary skills. To address these talent shortages, agencies should be working simultaneously with service contracts, to reskill existing staff and to recruit new staff.”

Failure to meet policy deadlines will continue to leave federal agencies exposed to risks that could be mitigated.

“This could lead to the interruption of vital government services or the compromise of sensitive information, both of which would have a significant fiscal impact on resolving what could be prevented,” said Brown. “Security breaches will occur as even the best cybersecurityimplementations are not immune. Still, those agencies and their CIOs who fail to fully and promptly adopt zero trust measures will be subject to the most negative scrutiny. A breach often catalyzes the focus and investment in mitigation, which is a predictable need.”

Learn how to implement zero trust security in the public sector in the complimentary Gartner Zero Trust Toolkit.

Photo by Jonathan Simcoe on Unsplash

PHISHING DETECTION MONTH: Casting a wider net in the fight against cybercrime

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:
0
0

Phishing attacks remain a major cyber threat for organisations in the UK’s public and private sectors. These often sophisticated scams can cause significant financial losses, data breaches, and reputational harm. Fortunately, advancements in phishing detection solutions are empowering CIOs to stay ahead of cybercriminals. Let’s explore the key recent and future trends in this critical area, based on input from attendees at the Cyber Secure Forum…

Recent Trends:

  • Machine Learning (ML) and AI-powered Threat Detection: Advanced analytics powered by ML and AI are revolutionizing phishing detection. These systems can analyze emails in real-time, identifying suspicious language patterns, URL anomalies, and impersonation attempts that traditional filters might miss.
  • Email Spoofing Detection: Phishing emails often spoof legitimate sender addresses. Advanced detection solutions can analyse email headers, sender domain names, and other technical indicators to identify spoofing attempts.
  • Integration with Security Awareness Training: Phishing detection works best when complemented by effective security awareness training for staff. Modern solutions can integrate training modules to educate employees on recognizing phishing tactics and reporting suspicious emails.
  • Focus on User Behaviour Analysis: Emerging solutions can analyze user behaviour patterns. Deviations from normal behaviour, such as clicking unusual links or opening suspicious attachments, can indicate a potential phishing attempt.

Future Trends:

  • Simulating Phishing Attacks (Phishing Simulations): Simulations allow organizations to proactively test their employees’ ability to identify phishing emails. These simulations create a realistic learning environment and reinforce best practices.
  • AI-powered Content Analysis: AI can go beyond analysing text and can now analyze images and attachments within emails. This allows for detection of sophisticated phishing attempts that use malicious code or embedded threats.
  • Focus on Dark Web Monitoring: Cybercriminals often sell stolen credentials or information on the dark web. Phishing detection solutions can monitor the dark web for mentions of the organization or its employees, enabling proactive mitigation strategies.
  • Decentralized Email Security: As email security protocols evolve, phishing attempts might shift to decentralized communication platforms. Phishing detection solutions will need to adapt to address threats across a wider range of communication channels.
  • Behavioural Biometrics for Email Verification: Emerging technologies might analyze a user’s typing style, mouse movement patterns, or other behavioural factors during the login process. Deviations from normal behaviour could indicate a compromised account potentially being used for phishing attacks.

Benefits for Organisations:

Implementing these trends offers several benefits for UK organisations:

  • Reduced Phishing Attacks: Effective phishing detection solutions can significantly reduce the number of successful phishing attempts, protecting sensitive data and financial resources.
  • Enhanced Security Posture: A robust phishing detection system contributes to a stronger overall security posture, reducing the risk of cyberattacks.
  • Improved Staff Awareness: Integration with security awareness training empowers employees to identify and report phishing attempts, creating a more vigilant workforce.
  • Reduced Downtime and Recovery Costs: By preventing successful phishing attacks, organizations can minimize security incidents, downtime, and associated recovery costs.
  • Improved Compliance: Strong phishing detection demonstrates a commitment to cybersecurity, which can be beneficial for compliance with industry regulations or data protection laws.

Phishing attacks are constantly evolving, but CIOs have an array of powerful tools at their disposal. By embracing these trends in phishing detection solutions, organizations can create a more secure digital environment for employees, data, and critical infrastructure. This translates to a more resilient and cyber-aware workforce, better equipped to defend against sophisticated phishing threats.

Are you looking for Phishing Detection solutions for your organisation? The Cyber Secure Forum can help!

Financial sector subject to cyber attack ‘death by a million cuts’

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:
0
0

BlackBerry’s Global Threat Intelligence Report states that threat actors focusing efforts on targeting high-value data held by the global financial sector, with one million attacks logged over the 120 day period.

This “death by a million cuts” is revealed to be using mainly commodity malware, which indicates a large number of independent actors targeting the industry in pursuit of financial gain. Critical infrastructure attacks, including those targeting government, financial, healthcare and communications industries, altogether accounted for 62 percent of industry-related attacks over the report period, September to December 2023.

The BlackBerry Threat Research and Intelligence team registered a 27 percent uptick in novel malware to 3.7 new malicious samples per minute prevented by its AI-powered cybersecurity solutions, compared to 2.9 per minute in the previous reporting period. Overall, BlackBerry claims its cybersecurity solutions stopped 31 attacks every minute, a 19 percent increase on the last reporting period.

“We’re consistently seeing increased volumes of attack in highly lucrative industries using novel malware,” said Ismael Valenzuela, Vice President of Threat Research and Intelligence at BlackBerry. “Novel malware typically indicates specific motivations from threat actors towards particular attack targets with intent to evade defences, which are often based on static signatures. We’ve reached a pivotal point where traditional detection methods alone are not enough to combat this increasingly complex problem. AI is already being weaponised by malicious entities, so it must equally be the dominant tool for detection and defence.”

Highlights from the latest BlackBerry Global Threat Intelligence Report include:

  • 62 percent of industry-related attacks targeted critical industries: Digitization and the prospect of debilitating national infrastructure attracted notorious gangs and Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) groups who attempt to exploit security misconfigurations and vulnerabilities for varying motives.
  • Commercial enterprises also under attack: 33 percent of all threats targeted commercial enterprises (including retail, manufacturing, automotive and professional services), with the majority (53 percent) of those deploying information-stealing (Infostealer) malware with the aim of accessing highly sensitive data.
  • Rapid weaponization of CVEs by Threat Actors: Ransomware gangs observed taking advantage of new Zero Day vulnerabilities and mass mobilizing against potentially vulnerable targets, with zero-day exploits motivating profiteer groups.

Based on its data analysis, the BlackBerry Threat Intelligence and Research team predicts that 2024 will bring an increase in attacks targeting critical infrastructure and other profitable segments. VPN appliances will likely remain desirable targets for nation-state-level threat actors and it is anticipated that there will be a continued increase in supply chain cyberattacks targeting hardware and software vulnerabilities. Further, APAC will likely see an increase in attacks from China and North Korea, particularly financially-motivated attacks.

Photo by Jeffrey Blum on Unsplash

30% of increasing demand for APIs will come from AI and LLM

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:
0
0

More than 30% of the increase in demand for application programming interfaces (APIs) will come from AI and tools using large language models (LLMs) by 2026, according to Gartner.

“With technology service providers (TSPs) leading the charge in GenAI adoption, the fallout will be widespread,” said Adrian Lee, VP Analyst at Gartner. “This includes increased demand on APIs for LLM- and GenAI-enabled solutions due to TSPs helping enterprise customers further along in their journey. This means that TSPs will have to move quicker than ever before to meet the demand.”

A Gartner survey of 459 TSPs conducted from October to December 2023 found that 83% of respondents reported they either have already deployed or are currently piloting generative AI (GenAI) within their organizations.

“Enterprise customers must determine the optimal ways GenAI can be added to offerings, such as by using third-party APIs or open-source model options. With TSPs leading the charge, they provide a natural connection between these enterprise customers and their needs for GenAI-enabled solutions.”

The survey found that half of TSPs will make strategic changes to extend their core product/service offerings to realize a whole product or end-to-end services solution.

With this in mind, Gartner predicts that by 2026 more than 80% of independent software vendors will have embedded GenAI capabilities in their enterprise applications, up from less than 5% today.

“Enterprise customers are at different levels of readiness and maturity in their adoption of GenAI, and TSPs have a transformational opportunity to provide the software and infrastructure capabilities, as well as the talent and expertise, to accelerate the journey,” said Lee.

Throughout the product life cycle, TSPs need to understand the limitations, risks and overhead before embedding GenAI capabilities into products and services. To achieve this, they should:

  • Document the use case and clearly define the value that users will experience by having GenAI as part of the product.
  • Determine the optimal ways GenAI can be added to offerings (such as by using third-party APIs or open-source model options) and consider how the costs of new features may affect pricing decisions.
  • Address users’ prompting experience by building optimizations to avoid user friction with steep learning curves.
    Review the different use-case-specific risks, such as inaccurate results, data privacy, secure conversations and IP infringement, by adding guardrails specific to each risk into the product.

Photo by Growtika on Unsplash

INTRUSION DETECTION MONTH: Standing Guard – Sourcing the best IDS solutions

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:
0
0

CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) across public and private sectors face a monumental challenge: safeguarding sensitive data and critical infrastructure. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) play a vital role in this fight, acting as digital sentinels that identify and alert security teams to potential cyberattacks. However, selecting the right IDS provider can be a complex task. Here are some top tips to help CISOs find the perfect partner, based on inout from attendees at the Cyber Secure Forum…

1. Define Your Needs & Threat Landscape:

Before seeking solutions, conduct a thorough assessment of your organisation’s unique security posture. Consider factors like:

  • Network Architecture: Understanding your network’s complexity and vulnerabilities is crucial. Are there cloud-based elements, on-premise servers, or a hybrid setup? An IDS needs to be compatible with your environment.
  • Data Sensitivity: The type of data you handle influences the level of protection required. Financial institutions or healthcare providers will have stricter data security requirements.
  • Threat Landscape: Identify the most common cyber threats relevant to your industry. This could range from phishing attempts to ransomware attacks or targeted malware deployments.

2. Expertise and Market Reputation:

Not all IDS providers are created equal. Look for established companies with a proven track record in the cybersecurity industry and a strong reputation for developing robust detection solutions. Seek providers with expertise in your specific industry’s cybersecurity needs.

3. Detection Capabilities:

Modern IDS solutions offer a range of capabilities. Evaluate vendors based on:

  • Signature-based Detection: This identifies known malware based on pre-defined patterns.
  • Anomaly Detection: This identifies suspicious activity that deviates from normal network behaviour.
  • Behavioural Analysis: Advanced systems can examine user behaviour patterns to identify potential insider threats.

4. Integration and Scalability:

Your chosen IDS solution should seamlessly integrate with your existing security infrastructure. Consider solutions that offer open-source or API integrations for compatibility with other security tools. Additionally, ensure the solution can scale alongside your organisation’s growing network and data volume.

5. Threat Intelligence and Response:

The best IDS goes beyond simply detecting threats. Look for providers that offer threat intelligence feeds to stay informed about emerging cyber threats. Does the solution offer automated responses to contain threats, such as blocking suspicious IP addresses or quarantining infected devices?

6. Deployment and Support:

Deployment complexity varies depending on the chosen solution. Evaluate the provider’s ability to support the implementation process. Do they offer on-site installation or remote configuration assistance? Additionally, reliable ongoing support is crucial. Look for providers offering technical support hotlines, access to knowledge bases, or even dedicated account managers.

7. Cost Considerations:

IDS solutions come with varying price structures. Consider factors like licensing fees, deployment costs, and ongoing maintenance charges. Some providers offer subscription-based models for budget flexibility.

8. Testing and Proof of Concept:

Before a full-scale deployment, consider requesting a proof-of-concept (POC) trial. This allows you to evaluate the IDS solution within your own network environment and assess its effectiveness against existing security protocols.

Bonus Tip:

Seek out independent reviews and industry analyst reports on potential IDS providers. These can provide valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of different solutions.

By following these top tips, CISOs can source the best Intrusion Detection Solutions providers. The right partner will equip you with a robust shield against cyber threats, ultimately improving your organisation’s overall cybersecurity posture and safeguarding valuable data.

Are you searching for Intrusion Detection solutions for your organisation? The Cyber Secure Forum can help!

Photo by Clint Patterson on Unsplash