Towerwall's InfoSec Blog

Online security trends continue to evolve. This year, online extortion will become more prevalent. We also expect that at least one consumer-grade IoT smart device failure will be lethal. Ransomware will make further inroads, since the majority go unreported. China will drive mobile malware growth to 20M, and cybercrime legislation will take a significant step towards becoming a truly global movement. Here are five information security trends on track for the New Year:

10. Everything is connected. As the Internet of Things adds more and more devices to our networks, it creates more doors and windows for cyber criminals. Keep them locked.

The ISSA of New England's 2nd annual virtual chapter meeting will be on: Thursday, January 21 at 12:00 Noon. ( Yes, while you eat lunch you can join us online. ) Careers in Cyber Security is the theme of this meeting. The most pressing problem in security is for sure the lack of qualified people to fill the number of open roles. If you or your firm are looking for people to hire, this session is for you. If you are looking for a new and better role in 2016, this session is for you.

Hacking and data breaches weren’t just the norm, but they reached far and wide, hitting victims of all kinds, from regular consumers, to government employees, and even children and cheaters. It seemed like no one was spared. The Worst Hacks of 2015…drum roll please!

A "ransomware" segment was recently on NBC's Today featuring our security partner Sophos. To learn more about ransomware. click the thumbnail below:

Another staple in a series examining the Center for Internet Security's best practices. Our last article looked at applying Critical Security Controls 4, 5, and 6 to your organization, covering vulnerability assessment, administrative privileges, and audit logs. Now it’s time to move on to CSCs 7, 8, and 9. Email programs and web browsers are still the most common points of entry for attackers, too many companies have woefully inadequate malware defenses, and a failure to control ports andfalse

The last time we looked at how Critical Security Controls (CSC) can help you build your InfoSec framework, we covered getting a handle on your software and your hardware inventories. Today, we're going to discuss the importance of continually assessing and remediating vulnerabilities, keeping a tight control of administrative privileges, and monitoring your audit logs. These concepts are encapsulated in CSCs 4, 5, and 6. You should develop stringent policies, consider devoting resources tofalse

Originally posted on MetroWest Daily News. Towerwall, a Framingham-based network security and policy management company, donated $7,000 to the MassBay Foundation to sponsor student scholarships. Towerwall CEO Michelle Drolet, who is also a board member of the MassBay Foundation, presented MassBay interim president Yves Salomon-Fernandez, MassBay chief information officer Michael Lyons and MassBay vice president for institutional advancement and alumni relations Mary Shia with a gift of $7,000.false

How can you make sure the mobile apps you access are secure? A security profile should be at the top of the developer’s list when compiling a mobile app but that’s hardly the case. That’s a pity, because building a profile is easier to do during the dev phase. Are most mobile apps putting your data at risk? Most likely so. According to the most recent report from Lookout, the number of Android devices affected by malware is more than 6 million. Luckily, there are telltale signs that indicate anfalse

Vendors and other third parties should be treated with the same level of intense scrutiny as your own in-house risk compliance mandates. How seriously is your company treating the risk of a data breach? Have you done due diligence on all of your vendors and third-party partners? Cyberattacks can have a devastating impact in terms of reputation and customer trust. It takes time and resources to deal with the fall out. The true cost of a serious data breach is hard to calculate.