It’s certainly been an eventful year with such exceptional circumstances throwing curveballs in the cybersecurity industry – and our team at Samurai Security has been up to the challenge. The continued effects of the pandemic have meant that organisations across many different sectors globally were forced to ramp up their cybersecurity protocols as they adapted their business model to minimise business operations.
Samurai Security has undoubtedly been at the forefront as a flurry of organisations hastily sought to provide their employees with the proper tools and cybersecurity measures to work remotely. Incredibly, cybercriminals have exploited this with a 600% increase in cybercrime since the advent of the pandemic. 2021 has been no different and our team at Samurai Security have grabbed the bull by the horns. Let’s take a look at some of the noteworthy cyber security issues that Samurai Security addressed in the past 12 months.
1st Quarter
We kicked off the year with a fascinating discussion about Quantum Cybersecurity in February where our resident expert, Brad Thomas, interviewed Dr David Day on how quantum physics may impact computing, data privacy and cybersecurity. We felt that this was a great way to educate the public on an issue that has the potential to devastate many organisations globally. This topic was even more relevant when considering the Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities that affected businesses, institutions, and government organisations with a wave of cyber-attacks and data breaches in January 2021.
As we rolled into March with the threat of COVID-19 still rife around the world, Brad once again took the mantle as he discussed working from home cybersecurity with David. It was a fascinating conversation that explored the risks of working from home and provided insightful tips on how companies can be safer – certainly a topic that resonated with the majority of our clients.
2nd Quarter
As we approached April, Brad and David unpacked Brain-Computer Interfaces and its implications for cybersecurity. In addition, they explored the topic of Hacking the Brain and how vulnerable we are to information sources around us.
Kieran Twidale-Smith joined Dr. David Day at the tail-end of April to dissect the problem with SMS. The pair provided some deep analysis into how mobile technology has improved immensely while the underlying infrastructure used for SMS has remained relatively static – something that could prove to be fatal for organisations in the event of a data breach or cybercrime.
As we entered into May, Brad returned to the fray and joined David as they went into a deep-dive on the importance of risk assessments for organisations. Later on in May, David gave us a rundown on Cybersecurity Pillars – with a special focus on the basic tenets of cybersecurity and how it relates to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. These discussions in May were particularly relevant when considering the US Colonial Pipeline ransomware attacks that caused the US Colonial Pipeline to shut down entirely on 7 May 2021 for 6 whole days.
With June on the horizon, Brad probed David on penetration testing with some great insight into red, blue, and purple teaming – offering details on how vulnerabilities are exposed as well as evaluating detection and prevention tools. Later in June, Brad and David invited the owner of Black Hills Information Security, John Strand, to discuss some of the best approaches to protecting your organisation from cybercrime.
3rd Quarter
As we strode into July, David took us through the importance of cyber insurance and why all organisations can benefit from it. This topic was even more relevant when considering that during July 2021, cybercriminals attacked many technology companies with malware – most notably, IT managed service provider, Kaseya – and successfully managed to compromise their corporate clients.
It is estimated that more than 2000 companies across the globe were affected by the attack, costing tens of millions of dollars in the process. Incidents such as this are exactly why cyber insurance remains a critical component of any organisation.
As we waded into August, David gave us some incredible analysis on Breach Prevention, Detection and Response, and why businesses must make provision for this in order to provide the best protection against external threats. This was a poignant discussion, especially in the wake of widespread phishing scams in the second half of the year – notably where cybercriminals impersonated MaltaPost, DHL and LESA, and targeted victims with unclaimed parcel notifications.
Towards the end of August, David gave us some wonderful insight into rebooting a compromised machine and why we shouldn’t restart infected machines. Our in-house expert, Luke Hill, also highlighted why cyber awareness training is so important for organisations and what cyber awareness training for your organisation entails.
With September on the horizon, Luke took us through investigating the source of a cyber-attack and how a business should manage expectations in an incident response investigation. He also went into in-depth analysis with the importance of preventative cybersecurity measures.
4th Quarter
In October, our expert team touched on the concept of quantum physics and its relationship, and possible implications, to computing, cybersecurity and data privacy. We also explored the drawbacks of increased computing power and how quantum computing can benefit humankind. As October drew to a close, Brad and David took us through the risks of working from home and dived into how companies can improve their cybersecurity in such circumstances.
As November approached, David gave us his expert analysis on Brain Computing Interfaces and their implications for cybersecurity. He also gave us his thoughts on brain hacking and how vulnerable we are to information sources around us. With November in full swing, our expert team delved into the major problems with SMS and why we should be concerned about using it – considering its underlying infrastructure has not matched the evolution of mobile technology.
November also saw the start of another one of our CREST Penetration Testing Courses that gave attendees the experience needed to pass the CRT practical exam. The course started on 29 November 2021 and we were delighted with the response. The tail-end of November also saw our expert team discuss the importance of risk assessment and our Cyber Security as a Service (CSaaS) platform.
With the final month of 2021 here, we kicked off December by exploring the pillars of cybersecurity and what it means for your business. As December rolled along, we did a deep dive into penetration testing and how it helps identify vulnerabilities within a network – a relevant topic when considering the shutdown of the BlackMatter ransomware gang a few weeks prior. We closed December off with a fascinating discussion with Brad, David, and John Strand – owner of Black Hills Information Security – about making the world a safer place as well as John’s experience in the industry over the past two decades.
Final thoughts
It really has been an eventful year at Samurai Security and we hope to continue adding tremendous value in 2022. Cyber-attacks will undoubtedly continue to increase as the world becomes more dependent on technology. As society becomes more interconnected, so too will the creativity of hackers and cybercriminals. The good news is that our team at Samurai Security is well equipped for the challenge.
From all of us at Samurai Security, we wish you and your loved ones everything of the best for the festive season and look forward to welcoming you back to a stronger and more resilient 2022!