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On 17 July 2024, cybersecurity experts gathered at Cecil College[1] for the Cyber Security in Agriculture Forum to discuss the escalating threats to digital information and privacy across all sectors, specifically agriculture.  Panelists unanimously agreed that cyber threats are increasing in frequency and sophistication, posing significant risks to individuals, small businesses, corporations, and large public entities.

The forum began with an overview of the current cybersecurity landscape, hig

Recently, executives from SentinelOne, Protect AI and IBM Consulting provided lawmakers on the cybersecurity and infrastructure protection subcommittee with a laundry list of recommendations to better combat AI threats.  Attacks by malicious hackers using artificial intelligence could swamp smaller companies that are already overwhelmed by cybercrime, experts warned lawmakers during a congressional hearing on 26 December 2023.[1]

Testifying before the House Homeland Security and Governmental Aff

This joint Cybersecurity Advisory was developed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Security Agency (NSA) to provide information on BlackMatter ransomware.  Since July 2021, BlackMatter ransomware has targeted multiple US critical infrastructure entities, including two US Food and Agriculture Sector organizations.  This advisory provides information on cyber actor tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) ob

Cyber threat analysts have stated that 50% to 70% of all ransomware attacks in the U.S. are targeting small and medium-sized businesses, costing the victims an estimated total of $350 million in the last year, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said Wednesday in a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  "The losses from ransomware are staggering. And the pace at which those losses are being realized is equally staggering," Mayorkas said, noting this is why DHS has made battling r

Cybersecurity threats are more prevalent than ever. As of 2020, 67% of small businesses (those with less than 1,000 employees) were targeted. More than half of all small businesses have been breached. As a small business owner, you have to be aware of the dangers lurking on the web.

Red Sky Alliance offers a suite of Intelligence Services that revolve around cyber threat analysis. Today’s post is aimed at small business owners that need a quick primer on the threats streaming into their organiza

The COVID-19 pandemic is now a year old and has forced businesses to quickly support remote working practices, often without proper security measures in place.  The Verizon Business Mobile Security Index (MSI) 2021 reveals that many businesses may have left themselves vulnerable and open to cybercriminals in the rush to ensure their workforce could operate remotely.  Forty-nine (49) percent of businesses surveyed in the latest edition of Verizon's MSI stressed that changes made to remote working

Cyberattacks on Small to Medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are continuing at a relentless pace for 2020, with most data breaches coming from outside the organization.  Cyber-attacks are up and average 75% since the Corona pandemic.  Cybersecurity analysts believe hackers are specifically targeting these smaller firms because they know SMBs lack adequate resources and enterprise-grade security tools, making them easier prey than larger businesses.

A new report from Cisco counters this misconception.

Researchers say it is estimated that more than 70 percent of cyberattacks target hit small businesses, many resulting in the demise of the business.

Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are often easy targets for hackers.  A smaller company, with a limited cyber threat defense budget, is less likely it to use multi-layered defenses that block hackers in today’s cyber environment.  SMBs often think they are protected with one layer of security, such as a firewall, anti-virus, or a simple backup. 

By Mac McKee – Red Sky Alliance (photo by protonmail)

There is a common misconception among small and midsize businesses (SMBs) that hackers target only large organizations.  Unfortunately, this belief is completely inaccurate.  According to the most recent Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, more than 70 percent of cyberattacks target small businesses.  Additionally, many attacks are now shifting to target managed service providers (MSPs), specifically because breaching an MSP can give h

Does your company have $50 million to spare? That is how much a ransomware attack cost Norsk Hydro in the first quarter of 2019.  A total of 22,000 computers had their files forcibly encrypted across 40 countries in which the aluminum producer operates. Employees were using typewriters and manual production lines where possible to operate the business.  Norsk Hydro did not pay the hackers’ ransom and was completely honest about what happened. Its approach was praised by both law enforcement and