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In this week’s Security Sprint, Dave and Andy talk about the topics below. For more of these and other security updates, subscribe to our free daily report, delivered directly to your inbox, the Gate 15 SUN. To subscribe, please email [email protected].
Main Topics
Security Planning:
- CISA: New Product – Protecting Houses of Worship: Perimeter Security Considerations Infographic. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the Protecting Houses of Worship: Perimeter Security Considerations Infographic. This product is a companion piece to CISA’s and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) co-branded Protecting Places of Worship: Six Steps to Enhance Security Fact Sheet. This infographic provides Houses of Worship stakeholders with low- to no-cost protective measures to enhance physical security. The product also highlights grants and resources to assist houses of worship with conducting a vulnerability assessment, developing and updating security strategies and plans, bolstering physical security, and, ultimately, minimizing the impact of a potential attack. This resource is one of many CISA offers to assist places of worship with enhancing their security capacity building, located on a dedicated web presence, which can be found here.
- CISA: Security Planning Workbook. Security Planning Workbook (PDF)
- DHS: This #SeeSayDay Take the Pledge to Protect Your Community
- Secretary Mayorkas also recorded a video message that partners are encouraged to share.
- Selected faith-based reports:
Jen Walker, Superstar, and Ransomware Resilience
- Congratulations to our 2023 SC Media Women in IT Security honorees. “Today SC Media shines a spotlight on 20 business leaders as part of our 2023 Women in IT Security program. The accomplishments of those honored range from industry veterans, power players, women to watch and powerful advocates for cybersecurity — each a leader who happens to be women. Now in its tenth year, SC Media’s Women in IT Security program underscores the importance of identifying talent beyond traditional definitions. Each of these honorees have significantly influenced the cybersecurity conversation, inspiring both women and men. This program isn’t just about business leaders, but celebrating their significant contributions.” Thank you to SC Media for recognizing Gate 15‘s very excellent Jennifer Lyn Walker in the 2023 Women in IT Security list‼️ We’re excited to celebrate Jen as one of five recognized “Cybersecurity Veterans,” women who have delivered consistent performance and innovation over long careers. Jen is an exceptional person and teammate and her nomination was submitted by a team of us who truly appreciate and value all she does across Gate 15 and numerous projects helping to secure our nation’s critical infrastructure and vital communities. Jen’s always to modest to celebrate herself so, please help us celebrate Jen on LinkedIn!
- Private Public Partnership.
- FBI Director Christopher Wray Speaks at 2023 mWISE Cybersecurity Conference. “Wray emphasized the importance of collaboration, referencing successful cases in fighting cybercrimes thanks to strong partnerships, including the takedown of the malware and botnet known as Qakbot, and the disruption of the Hive ransomware group. He called for further partnership to focus efforts on defending against cybercrimes from China. ‘My request is not just that you make an incident response plan, but that you make us at the FBI part of that incident response plan,’ said Wray. ‘Give our folks a call today and build a relationship with your local FBI field office now.’”
- Cyberspace Solarium Commission’s (CSC’s) 2023 Annual Report on Implementation. This assessment reviews the implementation of CSC recommendations over the past year and identifies areas for future action. DOWNLOAD REPORT & EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. “Collaboration with the private sector is indispensable since deterring cyber threats depends on the resilience of the U.S. economy and the critical infrastructure that supports it, so the federal government cannot handle the job alone.”
- Key Takeaways from the 2023 Security Summit Hosted at the Fortinet Championship. “One of the most important activities your organization can implement is tabletop exercises. According to General James Clapper, Fortinet PSAC member and former U.S. Director of National Intelligence, ‘It’s critical for organizations to hold tabletops and go through potential scenarios to prepare for crisis, like simulating a ransomware or hostage situation. This should include getting key team members together, including top business leaders such as CEOs, to confirm if your organization has sufficient resilience built into their plan and where the gaps are.’” We agree! Contact Gate 15 for the very best in all-hazards preparedness, including ransomware and other cybersecurity exercises. It’s what we’ve done for ten years, it’s what we do every day.
- House Oversight Committee: Combating Ransomware Attacks
- MGM Resorts are operating ‘normally’ after hacks, sort of
- TribalNet: Cyber experts wrap up MGM hack at San Diego conference. “Tribes have formed the Tribal Information Sharing and Analysis Center to prevent cyberattacks. More people this week joined the organization to prevent being victimized; the MGM hack shone a glaring spotlight on the financial risk, especially since not all tribes have insurance to cover losses. Thus, tribes continue to be encouraged to put more resources into staffing and technology upgrades to help prevent similar situations…Andy Jabbour, co-founder and managing director at Gate 15, a security risk-management organization, hosted a ransomware workshop at TribalNet. His company does risk analysis on emerging threats, preparedness to draw down that risk, and information sharing. ‘If you weren’t paying attention before, you’re paying attention now,’ Jabbour said. ‘If the adversaries can get these two large casino organizations, then how prepared am I?’ While incidents have hit the tribal community — some publicized and some not — it’s not as highly targeted as other sectors, Jabbour said. That doesn’t mean the risk doesn’t exist.”
- The MGM Breach and the Role of IdP in Modern Cyber Attacks
- TribalNet: Gaming tech exec says it’s time finally to talk about cybersecurity
- MGM vs. Caesars: Cybersecurity Expert Rates Hacking Responses
- Four questions for a casino InfoSec director
- MGM says its hotels and casinos are back up and running
- MGM Resorts reports online reservation system back up and running
- MGM, Caesars casino hacks point to an alliance of teens and ransomware gangs
- Nevada Gaming Commissioner Wants Answers About MGM, Caesars Cyberattacks
- Cybersecurity 202: MGM, Caesars casino hacks point to an alliance of teens and ransomware gangs
- From ScreenConnect to Hive Ransomware in 61 hours
- RANSOMEDVC Ransomware Group Claims Breach of Sony Corporation
- Almost 900 US Schools Breached Via MOVEit
- Dallas says Royal ransomware breached its network using stolen account
- Pain Care Specialists may be feeling the pain of a ransomware attack
- PhilHealth hit by Medusa ransomware, aims for site restoration by Monday
- Ransomware group claimed to have hit a New Jersey cardiology group. Did they?
- Growing Ransomware Threats: Looming Danger for ICS, Industrial Companies
- DoppelPaymer ransomware group suspects identified
- Donut ransomware gang claims attack on UK IT services provider
- FBI and CISA Release Advisory on Snatch Ransomware
- LockBit Is Using RMMs to Spread Its Ransomware
- Schools Are the Most Targeted Industry by Ransomware Gangs
- Who’s Behind the 8Base Ransomware Website?
- RANSOMWARE GROUPS PIVOTING AWAY FROM ENCRYPTION
Dave talked on Morocco disaster scams & misinformation on social media
- NEW! The Gate 15 Interview: Malicious Info Operations & MDM, the Space Sector, supply chain resilience, the City of Light, and nudging the world in a better direction.Misinformation research is buckling under GOP legal attacksGOP legal attacks create a chilling effect on misinformation research
Quick Hits.
- Government Shutdown?
- Harmonization of Cyber Incident Reporting to the Federal Government. This report outlines a series of actionable recommendations on how the federal government can streamline and harmonize the reporting of cyber incidents to better protect the nation’s critical infrastructure. PDF: Harmonization of Cyber Incident Reporting to the Federal Government.
- El Nino winter
Read more about Gate 15’s full podcast menu at our Podcast page. You can subscribe and enjoy all the Gate 15 Podcasts on Spotify for Podcasters, Apple, Spotify, Google, as well as other locations accessible from the Spotify for Podcasters link. Week-to-week, you can hear and learn more about our all-hazards threats, risks, mitigation and other issues impacting homeland security risk management from our team as well as our regular and special guests. The full podcast menu includes:
- The Security Sprint is our weekly rundown of the week’s notable all-hazards security news, risks and threats and some of the key focus areas for organizations to consider behind the headlines. Gate 15 team members discuss physical security, cybersecurity, natural hazards, health threats and other issues across our environment.
- Nerd Out! Security Panel Discussion, moderated by Dave Pounder, focuses on physical security topics including terrorism, extremism, hostile events, and other pertinent topics.
- The Gate 15 Interview, is a monthly interview between Gate 15’s founder and Managing Director, Andy Jabbour and guests from throughout the homeland security risk management community addressing a wide range of all-hazards topics and issues.
- The Cybersecurity Evangelist, with Jennifer Lyn Walker, is a cybersecurity-focused discussion with Jen and invited guests. This is presently a Gate 15 special podcast and occasionally is updated on our Gate 15 podcast channel.
- The Risk Roundtable, was a monthly discussion among our team and occasional guests exploring the all-hazards threats and risks impacting the United States and internationally. This was suspended in September 2023.
We hope you’ll subscribe, listen and share your ideas and other feedback! Reach out to us on Threads, LinkedIn, via email at: [email protected], and also on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.