Actarpluctess.com can lead people to shady sites by displaying annoying pop-up ads. Actarpluctess.com is a bogus website that uses social engineering methods to trick people

Following Google’s decision to remove a bogus website from its Chrome browser, the BBC has learned how to fix the problem.

Naar aanleiding van het besluit van Google om een nepwebsite uit zijn Chrome-browser te verwijderen, heeft de BBC geleerd hoe het probleem kan worden opgelost.

Intego scanner and manual repair option is free. More information about Reimаge and Uninstall Instructions . Reimаge scanner and manual repair option is free.

Intego scanner en handmatige reparatie optie is gratis. Meer informatie over Reimаge en Uninstall Instructies . Reimаge scanner en handmatige reparatie optie is gratis.

More information about Intego and Uninstall Instructions . Please review Intego EULA and Privacy Policy . Intego scanner and manual repair option is free. An advanced version must be purchased.

More information about Reimаge and Uninstall Instructions . Please review Reimаge EULA and Privacy Policy . Reimаge scanner and manual repair option is free. An advanced version must be purchased.

Actarpluctess.com can trick users into allowing push notifications. People may start getting spammed with annoying pop-up ads that appear even when the browser is closed. They can promote other scams, fake surveys, giveaways, etc. Read our guide to learn more.

Actarpluctess.com can lead people to shady sites by displaying annoying pop-up ads

Actarpluctess.com can trick users into agreeing to receive spam

Actarpluctess.com is a bogus website that uses social engineering methods to trick people into subscribing to push notifications. It asks users to press the “Allow” button to proceed further to the site. However, when people press the button, they start getting spammed with annoying pop-up ads that can appear even when the browser is closed.

Unfortunately, crooks may use rogue advertising networks[1] that place ads leading to dangerous sites. People can end up on scam pages that try to trick them into providing personal information, downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs),[2] and even malware.

Users report seeing advertisements promoting fake antivirus programs, software deals, surveys, giveaways, etc. If you were tricked by this site you should disable the pop-ups as soon as possible, especially if there are other individuals using the affected machine.

Pages, like Actarpluctess.com rarely appear in the search results. Usually, they hide on other shady sites that are full of deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. In most cases, these are pages that are unregulated, for example, illegal streaming sites. Even though Google said it would get rid of fake “Download” and “Play” buttons, they still exist.

They can redirect people to these spam pages. It is best to only visit websites that you know and trust. Do not click on random links, and ads even if they seem to be promoting legitimate products and services. Use official streaming services, like Netflix or Hulu. They require only a small monthly subscription fee.

Almost every website you visit and every browser plugin uses cookies to track your online behavior. Cookies are small data files that can store data such as your IP address, geolocation, links you click on, things you purchase online, etc. Normally, this information is used to personalize the user experience.

However, we notice that more and more often they are used to monetize user activity. The collected data can be sold to advertising networks or other third parties. There have also been instances when cookies were hijacked and used for malicious purposes.

That is why we recommend clearing your browsers regularly. You may use a maintenance tool like ReimageIntego that can perform this task automatically. This powerful software can also fix various system errors, BSODs, corrupted files, and registry issues which is especially helpful after a virus infection.

If you allowed the website to show you push notifications, all you have to do is go to your browser settings and block Actarpluctess.com permissions:
• Open Google Chrome browser and go to Menu > Settings.
• Scroll down and click on Advanced.
• Locate the Privacy and security section and pick Site Settings > Notifications.
• Look at the Allow section and look for a suspicious URL.
• Click the three vertical dots next to it and pick Block. This should remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome.
• Open Google Chrome and tap on Settings (three vertical dots).
• Locate the unwanted URL and toggle the button to the left (Off setting).
• Open Mozilla Firefox and go to Menu > Options.
• Under Permissions, you should be able to see Notifications. Click Settings button next to it.
• In the Settings – Notification Permissions window, click on the drop-down menu by the URL in question.
• Select Block and then click on Save Changes. This should remove unwanted notifications from Mozilla Firefox.
• Go to Websites tab and, under General, select Notifications.
• Select the web address in question, click the drop-down menu and select Deny.
• Open Microsoft Edge, and click the Settings and more button (three horizontal dots) at the top-right of the window.
• Select Settings and then go to Advanced.
• Under Website permissions, pick Manage permissions and select the URL in question.
• Toggle the switch to the left to turn notifications off on Microsoft Edge.
• Open Microsoft Edge, and go to Settings.
• Go to Notifications on the right.
• Under Allow, you will find the unwanted entry.
• Click on More actions and select Block.

Freeware[3] is not the best option if you want to download software. They often come bundled with adware and other types of PUAs. To make freeware distribution activities profitable, their creators must monetize them by adding additional programs to the installation files without the users' knowledge.

You might experience a constant display of ads, like pop-ups, banners, and redirects. Random pages or bookmarks can also open unexpectedly. Adware developers also often sell the user’s ad profile that contains browsing history and includes other data such as the IP address, performed searches, and visited websites.

To prevent this from happening, always choose the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation method, read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The most important part is to check the file list and untick the boxes next to any unrelated programs that you do not want to install.

Manual removal of PUPs can be quite tricky. Crooks often disguise PUPs as “handy” tools to avoid causing suspicion. We recommended using an anti-malware tool like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes to eliminate the infection together with all the related files and entries. There are endless possibilities of what the program could be called. Manual removal can also sometimes result in the renewal of the infection as users fail to remove everything.

If you recently installed freeware and think it is causing the unwanted symptoms, you can try removing it yourself. You can follow the instructions below for guidance:
• Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
• From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
• Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
• If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
• Wait till the uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
• From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
• In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
• Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)

To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
• Select Go > Go to Folder.
• Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
• In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
• Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.

Remove Actarpluctess.com ads (spam) - Free Guide

Omouswomani.xyz is a scam website that encourages users to enable push notifications to show ads later. Omouswomani.xyz is a fake website created by unfair individuals

Warning: This article contains a full text of information about scams.

Waarschuwing: Dit artikel bevat een volledige tekst met informatie over oplichting.

More information about Intego and Uninstall Instructions . Please review Intego EULA and Privacy Policy . Intego scanner and manual repair option is free. An advanced version must be purchased.

More information about Reimаge and Uninstall Instructions . Please review Reimаge EULA and Privacy Policy . Reimаge scanner and manual repair option is free. An advanced version must be purchased.

Omouswomani.xyz is a malicious website that tries to push intrusive ads directly on your screen. Stop this activity by accessing your browser's settings and then check your device for adware and malware infection

Omouswomani.xyz is a scam website that encourages users to enable push notifications to show ads later

Omouswomani.xyz is a malicious website that might initiate intrusive ads

Omouswomani.xyz is a fake website created by unfair individuals in order to proliferate malicious ads directly to users' screens. After being tricked into subscribing, users would later start seeing suspicious pop-ups showing up on the bottom or top right of their screens.

These notifications include misleading content, including fake virus infection messages, fraudulent giveaways, and more. When interacting with content promoted by Omouswomani.xyz, users risk disclosing their personal information to unknown sources, installing potentially unwanted or malicious software, or losing money to fake services.

How the scam convinces people to subscribe

It is evident that not many users would intentionally compromise their online tine with intrusive ads coming out of nowhere. There is a whole scheme that crooks operate in order to make users subscribe to these push notifications, however, and it starts with a suspicious redirect from another website – after clicking a booby-trapped link or encountering a malicious script. Unexpected redirect ads to the element of surprise, which works very well with phishing[1] content, as the more off guard people are caught, the more likely they are to make mistakes.

Upon entering Omouswomani.xyz site, users are immediately presented with a message which might initially seem quite innocent and would look like something that they have previously seen. For example, users might see something similar to captcha verification or that they need to confirm their age:
• If you are 18+, click Allow
• Click “Allow” to win a prize and get it in our shop!
• Click Allow to confirm that you are not a robot

Obviously, these messages are fabricated, and their only goal is to make people click the “Allow” button within the notification prompt. Once people do, nothing much happens, and they usually forget about the ordeal. Only later would users start seeing Omouswomani.xyz ads, which they would be surprised about. These exact techniques are used by thousands of other websites, including Hehighursoo.com, Trk-click.pshtrk.com, News-muhayo.cc, and many others.

While in most cases, users would get redirected to Omouswomani.xyz and similar malicious websites after clicking on some fake link, it is also possible that adware installed on the device is causing these redirects. Adware is a type of software considered to be deceptive – it spreads using dubious methods and then inserts intrusive ads everywhere users go. Adware also commonly fails to provide many useful features that were initially promised, and ads become its main trait.

In order to check your system and ensure it is free from adware, you should scan it with SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes, or another powerful security software. This can also remove any other malicious programs that would otherwise remain undetected. Anti-malware is also your main tool to repel attacks of devastating malware, including ransomware.[2]

Finally, you should perform a scan with ReimageIntego to clean your browsers from trackers and the system from leftover files. Malware can cause serious system damage, later causing system crashes, errors, and other issues.

Many users, upon seeing suspicious pop-up ads on their screens, automatically assume that their systems are infected – and it's understandable why some would come to this conclusion. Shown ads within push notifications from scam sites commonly include misleading statements, show get-rich-quick schemes[3] claim that users won some expensive gifts, and similar.

Usually, malicious ads do come from some type of infection; it is not the case here and this is why scanning the system with security software would not help here. Since one accepts notifications via the prompt, the cancellation should be made via the settings menu as explained below:
• Open the Google Chrome browser and go to Menu > Settings.
• Scroll down and click on Advanced.
• Locate the Privacy and security section and pick Site Settings > Notifications.
• Look at the Allow section and look for a suspicious URL.
• Click the three vertical dots next to it and pick Block. This should remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome.
• Open Google Chrome and tap on Settings (three vertical dots).
• Scroll down to the Sites section.
• Locate the unwanted URL and toggle the button to the left (Off position).
• Open Mozilla Firefox and go to Menu > Options.
• Under Permissions, you should be able to see Notifications. Click the Settings button next to it.
• In the Settings – Notification Permissions window, click on the drop-down menu by the URL in question.
• Select Block and then click on Save Changes. This should remove unwanted notifications from Mozilla Firefox.
• Go to the Websites tab and, under General, select Notifications.
• Select the web address in question, click the drop-down menu and select Deny.
• Open Microsoft Edge, and click the Settings and more button (three horizontal dots) at the top-right of the window.
• Select Settings and then go to Advanced.
• Under Website permissions, pick Manage permissions and select the URL in question.
• Toggle the switch to the left to turn notifications off on Microsoft Edge.
• Open Microsoft Edge, and go to Settings.
• Go to Notifications on the right.
• Under Allow, you will find the unwanted entry.
• Click on More actions and select Block.
• Open Internet Explorer, and click on the Gear icon at the top-right of the window.
• Select Internet options and go to the Privacy tab.
• In the Pop-up Blocker section, click on Settings.
• Locate the web address in question under Allowed sites and pick Remove.

Remove Omouswomani.xyz ads (Free Guide)

Atos en IBM gaan hun partnerschap rondom IBM Cloud for Financial Services uitbreiden. Klanten van deze cloud-dienst kunnen een beroep doen op de security-expertise van ...

Financial services giant IBM has announced a joint venture with French security firm Atos.

Financiële-dienstengigant IBM heeft een joint venture aangekondigd met het Franse beveiligingsbedrijf Atos.

Klanten van deze cloud-dienst kunnen een beroep doen op de security-expertise van Atos. Dankzij het security operations center (soc) van Atos in Frankrijk kan er permanent toezicht worden gehouden op deze cloud-infrastructuur en de netwerkonderdelen data plane en control plane. Hierdoor krijgen klanten een totaaloplossing aangeboden die is gebaseerd op meerdere scenario's die de detectie-strategieën van IBM aanvullen om nog meer veiligheid te bieden.

Atos and IBM will expand their partnership around IBM Cloud for Financial Services. Atos' security operations center (soc) in France enables permanent monitoring of this cloud infrastructure and the network components data plane and control plane. As a result of the collaboration, all data and systems are under protection and supervision in accordance with, among others, the EU Directive on Network and Information Security (NIS).

Atos en IBM gaan hun partnerschap rondom IBM Cloud for Financial Services uitbreiden. Klanten van deze cloud-dienst kunnen een beroep doen op de security-expertise van Atos.

Dankzij het security operations center (soc) van Atos in Frankrijk kan er permanent toezicht worden gehouden op deze cloud-infrastructuur en de netwerkonderdelen data plane en control plane. Hierdoor krijgen klanten een totaaloplossing aangeboden die is gebaseerd op meerdere scenario's die de detectie-strategieën van IBM aanvullen om nog meer veiligheid te bieden.

Door de samenwerking staan alle gegevens en systemen onder bescherming en toezicht in overeenstemming met onder meer de EU-richtlijn inzake netwerk- en informatiebeveiliging (NIB).

Volgens IBM en Atos is er veel behoefte aan zo'n totaaloplossing. De vraag naar innovatieve en gepersonaliseerde producten en diensten neemt namelijk toe. Veel financiële organisaties willen hierdoor overstappen naar de cloud. Echter, die moet wel voldoen aan de strenge Europese beveiligings- en compliance-verplichtingen.

Atos beveiligt financiële-cloudomgeving IBM

BBC reports: Credit Suisse has hit out after a massive data leak has brought to light the hidden wealth of several clients of the bank. Data on more than...

Credit Suisse has revealed the wealth of its clients.

Credit Suisse heeft de rijkdom van haar cliënten onthuld.

Credit Suisse heeft een klap uitgedeeld nadat een enorm gegevenslek de verborgen rijkdom van verschillende cliënten van de bank aan het licht heeft gebracht.

Credit Suisse has hit out after a massive data leak has brought to light the hidden wealth of several clients of the bank.

Credit Suisse denies wrongdoing after big banking data leak

In this interview, a VP of Internal Security and IT discusses the challenges of the cloud and why you should get your cloud security certificate from CSA.

When it comes to cybersecurity, there is a growing number of IT professionals getting their certificates.

Op het gebied van cyberbeveiliging halen steeds meer IT'ers hun certificaat.

This is part of a blog series interviewing cybersecurity professionals who have earned their Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK). In this blog, we'll be interviewing Nikolay Akatyev, VP of Internal Security and IT, Horangi Cyber Security. In your current role at Horangi Cyber Security, you oversee corporate and application security, as well as IT.

Dit maakt deel uit van een blogreeks waarin cyberbeveiligingsprofessionals worden geïnterviewd die hun Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK) hebben behaald. In deze blog interviewen we Nikolay Akatyev, VP van Internal Security en IT, Horangi Cyber Security. In uw huidige rol bij Horangi Cyber Security houdt u toezicht op bedrijfs- en applicatiebeveiliging, evenals op IT.

This is part of a blog series interviewing cybersecurity professionals who have earned their Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK). In these blogs we invite individuals to share some of the challenges they face in managing security for cloud computing and how they were able to leverage knowledge from the CCSK in their current roles. In this blog, we'll be interviewing Nikolay Akatyev, VP of Internal Security and IT, Horangi Cyber Security.

1. In your current role at Horangi Cyber Security, you oversee corporate and application security, as well as IT. Can you tell us more about what your job involves?

Let me focus on the cybersecurity side of my role. Our company is a cybersecurity company providing both professional cybersecurity services and a multi-cloud security product. So internal security has strategic importance at Horangi. As our company sees security as a business enabler for our clients, we mirror that mentality internally. We build and operate internal security in a way that allows our employees to innovate without fear. They can deliver business without continuously looking over their shoulders, fearing whether they are doing something wrong from the security point of view.

To be more specific, we deploy and run a lot of cloud security tools, as Horangi is a cloud-native business, and both our consultants and software engineers run their workloads in the cloud. So, internally, we establish policies and processes. We also deploy and operate cloud-native security tools and our product, Warden.

2. Can you share with us some complexities in managing cloud computing projects?

The ease of deployment and scaling in the cloud is its main advantage as well as a challenge. Implementing projects along with providing their security in the cloud needs a different mindset. The security team needs to partner with the implementers of the cloud projects so they can have full visibility and the ability to react fast. The security team should not prohibit the implementers from moving fast and innovating. The security team needs to understand the cloud well, observe, react quickly, and guide the implementers about the security aspects of their implementations in the cloud.

3. In managing cloud projects, what are useful tips you could share with IT professionals to avoid common pitfalls?

IT professionals need to focus on two things: learn the cloud and use the right tools.
• Learn the cloud. It’s easy to start using the cloud. But when using the cloud professionally and at scale in production, the complexity can become overwhelming without doing it in a cloud-native and platform-specific way. Fortunately, major cloud service providers (CSPs), as well as reputable organizations like CSA, have good documentation and tutorials on how to use it correctly. I recommend that after finishing research or running a POC, IT professionals need to step back, reflect, learn the documentation in-depth and rebuild their product in a proper cloud-native way. And security should be a natural part, not an afterthought, of this process. The documentation of CSPs and other relevant organizations always has a security part. Don’t skip it; learn it as a part of learning the whole platform.
• Use the right tools. I observe that CSPs provide a lot of services. They have core services that they implement well in scalable and usable ways. But other services they implement just to have, and I don’t find them easy to use or have deep specific functionality. Usually, security services and tools by CSPs have such characteristics. Find tools that are solving your specific problem, easy to use for that problem, and integrate well with the chosen cloud platform.

4. What made you decide to earn your CCSK? What part of the material from the CCSK has been the most relevant in your work and why?

My principle is to let professionals do the job they do the best. CSA is focusing on the cloud. I consider their work and research very focused and professional, so I decided that undertaking training and exams from them would be very beneficial for me. Moreover, CSA has had a proven history, while other organizations have just started adding cloud-related topics.

To prepare for the exam, I took an online training course from CSA. That alone was generally enough, maybe because I already had hands-on experience with development in the cloud and securing it. For those preparing for the CCSK, I recommend practicing first with the cloud, deploying workflows with your own hands and experiencing what an end-to-end solution looks like, then taking a CCSK training and reviewing all referenced materials. And you should be good to go.

5. How does the CCM help communicate with customers?

We work with many mature clients, and they always have a due diligence process. In one instance, our client explicitly asked to fill the CCM as a part of the due diligence process. So, having the CCM ready would help shorten the procurement cycle and enable scaling the response to due diligence requests.

6. What’s the value in a vendor-neutral certificate like the CCSK or CCSP versus getting certified by AWS? In what scenario are the different certificates important?

All of them have value, but in different ways. Vendor-specific certificates are hands-on. They bring value when you want to prove your experience with specific technologies. They also enable the company to establish partnerships with CSPs.

The CCSK sits at a higher level. It summarizes knowledge across domains, gives value to managers and consultants who work with a broader range of technologies, and covers such aspects as risk management, vendor management, architecture, and multi-cloud.

7. Would you encourage your staff and/or colleagues to obtain CCSK or other CSA qualifications? Why?

Yes. Particularly, I would recommend it to my colleagues from the professional cybersecurity services business unit and my team members responsible for cybersecurity compliance. As I mentioned earlier, it is useful to refer to risk management and other higher-level knowledge in the CCSK when advising the clients or managing our own internal multi-cloud requirements.

8. What is the best advice you will give to IT professionals in order for them to scale new heights in their careers?

Prepare, or, even better, get proven experience, to be able to enable the business. We believe that security is a business enabler, and this is how we communicate internally and to the clients. So if an IT professional can obtain business acumen, they can become invaluable to a company. They will then be able to be more flexible when requesting a budget for IT and security, as IT and security would be seen not just as a commodity or blocker, but as a business enabler. It enables the company to work with more mature clients, deliver higher quality service faster, and have better visibility and understanding of the market through data.

The CCSK can help with that direction. IT professionals can have proven knowledge and membership in a relevant community, enabling them to guide the business towards new partnerships and markets.

CCSK Success Stories: From the VP of Internal Security | CSA

Network segmentation is a best practice and when done correctly it improves network security and

The SolarWinds breach has been linked to a massive cyber-attack that has left more than 100 people dead.

De inbreuk bij SolarWinds is in verband gebracht met een grootschalige cyberaanval waarbij meer dan 100 mensen om het leven zijn gekomen.

Every organization is at risk for cyberattacks, and it’s unsettling that the attackers are so good at maximizing the damage to their victims. The time an attacker spends inside a network is referred to as ‘dwell time,’ and it’s measured from the point of intrusion to the point of detection. Long dwell times increase the damage of an attack, often in ways that can’t be measured.

Elke organisatie loopt het risico op cyberaanvallen, en het is verontrustend dat de aanvallers zo goed zijn in het maximaliseren van de schade aan hun slachtoffers. Aanvallers die de bedrijfsverdediging omzeilen, zullen zich zo lang mogelijk in het netwerk verbergen, zelfs als ze van plan zijn een ransomware-aanval uit te voeren. Lange verblijftijden verhogen de schade van een aanval, vaak op een manier die niet kan worden gemeten.

Every organization is at risk for cyberattacks, and it’s unsettling that the attackers are so good at maximizing the damage to their victims. Their tactics are increasingly sophisticated and often involve some type of email attack, bot attack, or even just old-school social engineering. Attackers who bypass company defenses will hide inside the network as long as possible, even if they’re planning to launch a ransomware attack. They use this time to explore the network, steal data and user credentials, destroy backups, and do anything else they can do to set themselves up for future attacks.

The time an attacker spends inside a network is referred to as ‘dwell time,’ and it’s measured from the point of intrusion to the point of detection. Long dwell times increase the damage of an attack, often in ways that can’t be measured. The SolarWinds breach is the perfect example of this. The intruders entered the network in early 2019 and were not discovered until December 2020. The exact number of victims and costs associated with the attack remain unknown.

Network segmentation is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce dwell time. For those of you not familiar with this practice, it’s just like it sounds: You divide your network into different sections (segments) and you ‘lock the doors’ between them.

You’ve seen this concept at work in high-security buildings that restrict access to certain parts of the facility to people who have been granted permission to enter that restricted section. This keeps people from wandering around and exploring areas that are critical to operations or contain sensitive information. Segmentation does something similar for your network.

There are immediate security benefits to separating your network into multiple contained segments:
• Segmentation creates a smaller attack surface within the network. An intruder will be limited to the segment that was breached. The attacker can go no further unless they successfully breach another segment. Isolating your mission-critical servers and data can prevent an intruder from gaining access to your resources through a neglected printer or rogue smart device.
• Segmentation makes it easier to detect and isolate security incidents. The division between the segments helps contain the spread of malware and viruses. It limits the areas where the intruder can hide, and it can improve the efficiency of security monitoring.

There are non-security benefits as well. For example, POS devices fall under strict compliance rules. Assigning POS devices their own segment helps companies by limiting the cardholder data environment (CDE) and reducing the scope of PCI DSS compliance.

Segmentation also improves network performance by separating traffic. A good example of improving both security and performance is the separation of a public network from private resources. A shopping center or school campus that offers free wireless access to guests would want that traffic separated from the line-of-business applications. This keeps the potential traffic congestion of public wireless access isolated to assigned segments.

Gartner analysts have warned against over-segmentation, which can complicate the management and use of the network. One Gartner study found that over 70% of segmentation projects had to be re-architected because the segmentation made it too difficult for authorized users to access what they needed to perform their work.

“A principle of network segmentation is to group like resources together, to minimize security overhead: Build a fence around the car park, not a fence and gate around every car. ~Gartner”

Barracuda can help you secure your network while making it easier to manage. Visit our website for more information on Barracuda CloudGen Firewall, secure SD-WAN, and other network security solutions.

How network segmentation can help secure your business

Pursuing a SOC 2 audit is a multi-step process. This blog clarifies the SOC 2 audit process and explains the role of SOC 2 auditors and compliance software.

When it comes to cybersecurity, companies need to demonstrate their ability to protect data and information.

Als het om cyberbeveiliging gaat, moeten bedrijven aantonen dat zij in staat zijn gegevens en informatie te beschermen.

Pursuing a SOC 2 audit is a multi-step process, which can seem confusing at first glance given the fact that there are vendors that provide compliance software, and other vendors who are themselves certified SOC 2 auditors. This blog will clarify the SOC 2 audit process, as well as explain the role of SOC 2 auditors and compliance software. When and How to Use SOC 2 Software ToolsThere are multiple steps to completing a SOC 2 audit.

Enter, SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2), een populaire audit die getuigt van het vermogen van een bedrijf om gegevens en informatie te beschermen. Het nastreven van een SOC 2-audit is een proces dat uit verschillende stappen bestaat, wat op het eerste gezicht verwarrend kan lijken, gezien het feit dat er verkopers zijn die nalevingssoftware leveren, en andere verkopers die zelf gecertificeerde SOC 2-auditors zijn. Wanneer en hoe SOC 2-softwaretools gebruikenEr zijn verschillende stappen om een SOC 2-audit te voltooien.

Data breaches and ransomware attacks continue to dominate the news cycle. To protect data, and position themselves favorably among prospects and customers, companies need to demonstrate a commitment to cybersecurity.

Enter, SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2), a popular audit that attests to a company’s ability to protect data and information. It’s a strong validator for any company looking to demonstrate its commitment to cybersecurity to partners and customers.

Pursuing a SOC 2 audit is a multi-step process, which can seem confusing at first glance given the fact that there are vendors that provide compliance software, and other vendors who are themselves certified SOC 2 auditors.

This blog will clarify the SOC 2 audit process, as well as explain the role of SOC 2 auditors and compliance software.

When and How to Use SOC 2 Software Tools

There are multiple steps to completing a SOC 2 audit. Many companies start with a readiness/gap assessment, which is the process of reviewing existing controls in place and identifying those that need to be improved or implemented. This process can be executed via an audit consultant, or through specialized software tools that help simplify this process (like A-SCEND).

Compliance software tools typically provide automated workflows and compliance templates, comparing your existing controls against the controls within a selected compliance framework — which, in this case, would be the SOC 2 framework.

Typically, this software allows you to visualize progress toward compliance goals, assign tasks related to evidence collection or policy updates, and collaborate all in one dashboard. Software tools provide a simple way to understand the framework requirements, assess them against your existing policies and procedures, and manage the process of updating policies. While these tools help to better prepare for an audit and streamline the assessment process, an experienced auditor is still a critical component of compliance.

When and How to Use SOC 2 Auditors

Software tools can only take you so far with SOC 2. They can help prepare a company for a SOC 2 audit, but not complete the audit itself. When the actual audit takes place, companies must turn to a SOC auditor.

SOC 2 audits are regulated by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and must be completed by an external auditor from a licensed CPA firm. This is the only way a company can receive an official SOC 2 report, whether it’s a Type 1 or Type 2 report.

An official SOC 2 report is valid for one year following the date the report was issued. Future annual audits must also be completed by an external auditor from a licensed CPA firm.

If your organization plans to use software to prepare for an audit, it’s helpful to work with a software partner who can also conduct the official audit (as a certified CPA) because it provides an added layer of convenience throughout the SOC 2 process and results in a reputable report. 



Organizations need to go beyond the data collection by their compliance software tool and conduct further due diligence, such as observations and walkthroughs (conversations) between the audit team and the client. SOC 2 auditors may also find that they need additional data or evidence necessary to validate the design and operating effectiveness of a complete control set. When you use the same company for a technology-enabled audit, and a SOC 2 report, the software is designed to request all audit materials needed, including manually operated controls and supporting evidence. In this convenient scenario, you can save time, resources, and money.

Stephanie Oyler is the Vice President of Attestation Services at A-LIGN focused on overseeing a variation of many assessments within the SOC practice. Stephanie’s responsibilities include managing key service delivery leadership teams, maintaining auditing standards and methodologies, and analyzing business unit metrics. Stephanie has spent several years at A-LIGN in service delivery roles from auditing and managing client engagements to overseeing audit teams and providing quality reviews of reports. Prior to joining A-LIGN, Stephanie worked for CBIZ, the tenth largest accounting firm in the U.S., providing auditing services in the financial accounting spectrum for various industries including automobile, hospitality, not-for-profit, real estate, and cloud architecture. Stephanie graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree of Science in Accounting. During her time at the University of South Florida, Stephanie was an active member of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honor society for Accounting, Finance, and Information Systems students and professionals.

Who Performs a SOC 2 Audit? The Role of SOC 2 Auditors | CSA

By Guy Rosefelt, CPO, Sangfor Technologies NFTs have become very popular with collectors and are more ubiquitous every day.  The idea of owning a one-of-a-kind object even in the digital world is very attractive.  The

In our series of letters from African journalists, novelist and writer Jonathan Marcus looks at how security issues affect crypto-wallets.

In onze reeks brieven van Afrikaanse journalisten bekijkt romanschrijver en schrijver Jonathan Marcus hoe veiligheidskwesties crypto-wallets beïnvloeden.

The idea of owning a one-of-a-kind object even in the digital world is very attractive. But artists and creatives of all types, be it painting and graphics, music, photography, and even video can now create and sell unique works that cannot be replicated. Besides security issues, they are being used by criminals for money laundering of cryptocurrency, and I do not see the value in something that will immediately become worthless when the internet apocalypse happens and your NFT wallet is no longer accessible.

Het idee is niet nieuw, aangezien het kopen van unieke voorwerpen in games al tientallen jaren bestaat. Maar kunstenaars en creatieven van alle soorten, of het nu gaat om schilderen en grafiek, muziek, fotografie, en zelfs video, kunnen nu unieke werken maken en verkopen die niet kunnen worden nagemaakt. Naast beveiligingsproblemen worden ze door criminelen gebruikt voor het witwassen van cryptocurrency, en ik zie de waarde niet in van iets dat onmiddellijk waardeloos wordt als de internetapocalyps gebeurt en je NFT wallet niet meer toegankelijk is.

NFTs have become very popular with collectors and are more ubiquitous every day. The idea of owning a one-of-a-kind object even in the digital world is very attractive. The idea is not new as buying unique items inside games has been around for decades. But artists and creatives of all types, be it painting and graphics, music, photography, and even video can now create and sell unique works that cannot be replicated.

First, I need to disclose I am not a huge fan of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Besides security issues, they are being used by criminals for money laundering of cryptocurrency, and I do not see the value in something that will immediately become worthless when the internet apocalypse happens and your NFT wallet is no longer accessible. But that is just me. Until that happens let’s talk about the security issues. Security issues include phishing scams to access crypto-wallets and steal NFTs, and selling counterfeit items, but the issue I want to discuss is using NFTs to distribute malware.

VIA, a company that specializes in solutions for infrastructure and government, reported that they discovered instances of malware being injected into NFTs and demonstrated how easy it is. It makes sense as NFTs are normally media files that have historically been used to inject code or embed malicious software that runs when open. All being an NFT does is verify that it is the only file of its kind using blockchain. But it does nothing to verify the safety of the file. VIA has even created an open-source tool to scan NFTs to look for malicious code or software in the file.

So, the next time you spend thousands of dollars on an NFT, make sure, even if it comes from a reputable vendor, to scan it before opening it and hope there is a return policy if you find something unexpected. Otherwise, your crypto wallet might have a surprise for you once the internet apocalypse ends.

Guy is Chief Product Officer for Sangfor Technologies. He has over 20 years experience (though some say it is one year’s experience twenty times) in application and network security, kicking it off with 10 years in the U.S. Air Force, reaching rank of captain. After his time in the USAF building the first fiber to the desktop LAN and other things you would find in Tom Clancy novels, Guy worked at NGAF, SIEM, WAF and CASB startups as well as big-name brands like Imperva and Citrix. He has spoken at numerous conferences around the world and in people’s living rooms, written articles about the coming Internet Apocalypse, and even managed to occasionally lead teams that designed and built security stuff. Guy is thrilled to be in his current position at Sangfor — partly because he was promised there would always be Coke Zero in the breakroom. His favorite cake is German Chocolate.

Guy can be reached online at guy.rosefelt@sangfor.com or on Twitter at @otto38dd and at our company website www.sangfor.com.

FAIR USE NOTICE: Under the "fair use" act, another author may make limited use of the original author's work without asking permission. Pursuant to 17 U.S. Code § 107, certain uses of copyrighted material "for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright." As a matter of policy, fair use is based on the belief that the public is entitled to freely use portions of copyrighted materials for purposes of commentary and criticism. The fair use privilege is perhaps the most significant limitation on a copyright owner's exclusive rights. Cyber Defense Media Group is a news reporting company, reporting cyber news, events, information and much more at no charge at our website Cyber Defense Magazine. All images and reporting are done exclusively under the Fair Use of the US copyright act.

NFTS Are Cool but Dangerous

By Randy Reiter CEO of Don’t Be Breached April, 2022 Microsoft reported that vulnerabilities in its Azure Database for PostgreSQL could have let Hackers gain access to other customers' databases after bypassing authentication. "By exploiting

Hackers could have exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft’s databases, according to researchers.

Hackers hebben volgens onderzoekers misbruik kunnen maken van een kwetsbaarheid in de databases van Microsoft.

By Randy Reiter CEO of Don’t Be BreachedApril, 2022 Microsoft reported that vulnerabilities in its Azure Database for PostgreSQL could have let Hackers gain access to other customers’ databases after bypassing authentication. Microsoft said its analysis showed no evidence of attackers having exploited the vulnerabilities to access customer data. Wiz said Microsoft awarded its researchers a $40,000 bug bounty — the amount can be viewed as confirmation of the vulnerability’s severity.

Door Randy Reiter CEO van Don't Be BreachedIn april 2022 meldde Microsoft dat kwetsbaarheden in zijn Azure Database voor PostgreSQL hackers toegang konden verschaffen tot de databases van andere klanten nadat ze de authenticatie hadden omzeild. Volgens Microsoft heeft zijn analyse geen aanwijzingen opgeleverd dat aanvallers de kwetsbaarheden hebben misbruikt om toegang te krijgen tot klantengegevens. Wiz zei dat Microsoft zijn onderzoekers een bounty van 40.000 dollar heeft toegekend - het bedrag kan worden gezien als een bevestiging van de ernst van de kwetsbaarheid.

By Randy Reiter CEO of Don’t Be Breached

April, 2022 Microsoft reported that vulnerabilities in its Azure Database for PostgreSQL could have let Hackers gain access to other customers’ databases after bypassing authentication. “By exploiting an elevated permissions bug in the Flexible Server authentication process for a replication user, a malicious user could leverage an improperly anchored regular expression to bypass authentication to gain access to other customers’ databases” the Microsoft Security Response Center reported.

The cloud security firm Wiz’s research team discovered the security vulnerabilities. An attacker could create a full copy of a target database in Azure PostgreSQL [Flexible Server], essentially exfiltrating all the information stored in the database, says Ami Luttwak, co-founder and CTO at Wiz.

Microsoft said it mitigated the issue on Jan. 13, 2022, less than 48 hours after Wiz had notified it of the issue. Microsoft said its analysis showed no evidence of attackers having exploited the vulnerabilities to access customer data. Wiz said Microsoft awarded its researchers a $40,000 bug bounty — the amount can be viewed as confirmation of the vulnerability’s severity.

How to Have Exploited the Database Vulnerability

As explained by Microsoft, the Wiz researchers went through the following steps to gain elevated privileges and remote code execution, which allowed them to bypass cross-account authentication using a forged certificate and access other customers’ databases:
• Retrieve the target’s common name from the Certificate Transparency feed.
• Find the target’s Azure region by resolving the database domain name and matching it to one of Azure’s public IP ranges.
• Create an attacker-controlled database in the target’s Azure region.
• Exploit vulnerability #1 on the attacker-controlled instance to escalate privileges and gain code execution.
• Scan the subnet for the target instance and exploit vulnerability #2 to gain read access!

How to Prevent Data Exfiltration and Data Breaches in Todays Complex Environment

Multiple layers of data protection are required today to prevent Data Exfiltration and Data Breaches. In 2020 the DHS, Department of State, U.S. Marine Corps and the Missile Defense Agency recognized this and all issued requests for proposals (RFP) for network full packet data capture for Deep Packet Inspection analysis (DPI) of network traffic. This is an important step forward protecting confidential database data and organization information.

Zero-day vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain system privileges are a major threat to all organizations encrypted and unencrypted confidential data. Confidential data includes: credit card, tax ID, medical, social media, corporate, manufacturing, trade secrets, law enforcement, defense, homeland security, power grid and public utility data. This confidential data is almost always stored in DB2, Informix, MariaDB, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL and SAP Sybase databases.

How to Stop Data Exfiltration and Data Breaches with Deep Packet Inspection

Protecting encrypted and unencrypted confidential database data is much more than securing databases, operating systems, applications and the network perimeter against Hackers, Rogue Insiders and Supply Chain Attacks.

Non-intrusive network sniffing technology can perform a real-time Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) of 100% the database activity from a network tap or proxy server with no impact on the database servers. The database SQL activity is very predictable. Database servers servicing 1,000 to 10,000 end-users typically process daily 2,000 to 10,000 unique queries or SQL commands that run millions of times a day. Deep Packet Analysis does not require logging into the monitored networks, servers or databases. This approach can provide CISOs with what they can rarely achieve. Total visibility into the database activity 24×7 and 100% protection of confidential database data.

Advanced SQL Behavioral Analysis of 100% of the real-time database SQL packets can learn what the normal database activity is. Now the database query and SQL activity can be non-intrusively monitored in real-time with DPI and non-normal SQL activity immediately pinpointed. This approach is inexpensive to setup and has a low cost of operation. Now non-normal database activity from Hackers, Rogue Insiders or and Supply Chain Attacks can be detected in a few milli seconds. The Security Team can be immediately notified and the Hacker session terminated so that confidential database data is not stolen, ransomed or sold on the Dark Web.

Reiter is the CEO of Don’t Be Breached a Sql Power Tools company. He is the architect of the Database Cyber Security Guard product, a database Data Breach prevention product for DB2, Informix, MariaDB, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, and SAP Sybase databases. He has a Master’s Degree in Computer Science and has worked extensively over the past 25 years with real-time network sniffing and database security. Randy can be reached online at rreiter@DontBeBreached.com, www.DontBeBreached.com and www.SqlPower.com/Cyber-Attacks.

FAIR USE NOTICE: Under the "fair use" act, another author may make limited use of the original author's work without asking permission. Pursuant to 17 U.S. Code § 107, certain uses of copyrighted material "for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright." As a matter of policy, fair use is based on the belief that the public is entitled to freely use portions of copyrighted materials for purposes of commentary and criticism. The fair use privilege is perhaps the most significant limitation on a copyright owner's exclusive rights. Cyber Defense Media Group is a news reporting company, reporting cyber news, events, information and much more at no charge at our website Cyber Defense Magazine. All images and reporting are done exclusively under the Fair Use of the US copyright act.

Azure PostgreSQL User Databases Were Exposed Due to Critical Vulnerabilities

Sea-Doo maker BRP Inc. says work at its factories remains at a standstill following a cyberattack it reported Monday. Spokeswoman Biliana Necheva says in

A Canadian manufacturing company says it has been forced to freeze its operations following a cyber attack.

Een Canadees productiebedrijf zegt dat het gedwongen is zijn activiteiten te bevriezen na een cyberaanval.

Sea-Doo maker BRP Inc. says work at its factories remains at a standstill following a cyberattack it reported Monday. Spokeswoman Biliana Necheva says in an email operations have not resumed more than 48 hours after they were halted as a cautionary measure. It comes at a tough time for BRP, as supply chain woes weighed on sales in its first quarter, with more input obstacles expected on the powersport vehicle maker’s path for the rest of the year.

Woordvoerster Biliana Necheva zegt in een e-mail dat de operaties meer dan 48 uur nadat ze uit voorzorg waren stopgezet, nog niet zijn hervat. Dit komt op een moeilijk moment voor BRP, aangezien de problemen met de toeleveringsketen de verkoop in het eerste kwartaal hebben gedrukt. Voor de rest van het jaar worden nog meer invoerbelemmeringen verwacht voor de fabrikant van motorvoertuigen.

Sea-Doo maker BRP Inc. says work at its factories remains at a standstill following a cyberattack it reported Monday.

Spokeswoman Biliana Necheva says in an email operations have not resumed more than 48 hours after they were halted as a cautionary measure.

The Quebec-based company, which manufactures Ski-Doos and off-road vehicles, announced Monday morning it was the target of “malicious cybersecurity activity” and took “immediate measures to contain the situation.”

Deploying its own information technology staff, BRP also said it hired cybersecurity experts to help secure its systems and support an internal investigation.

The company said its freeze on operations could delay some transactions with customers and suppliers.

It comes at a tough time for BRP, as supply chain woes weighed on sales in its first quarter, with more input obstacles expected on the powersport vehicle maker’s path for the rest of the year.

Spun off from Bombardier Inc. in 2003, BRP employs nearly 20,000 workers, mainly at manufacturing and distribution sites in Mexico, Canada, Austria, the United States, Finland and Australia. Its products are sold in more than 120 countries.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2022.

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