Recent Federal Guidance Highlights Critical Need for Encrypted Communications
In an unprecedented move, both FBI and CISA officials are actively recommending encrypted messaging applications following one of the largest telecommunications compromises in U.S. history. The breach, affecting major providers like AT&T and Verizon, reveals critical vulnerabilities in traditional communication methods. While federal guidance is clear on the need for encryption, organizations face complex challenges in implementation. North Star Strategies helps bridge the gap between these security requirements and practical business operations, ensuring your organization can respond effectively to evolving threats while maintaining operational efficiency.
Iranian Cyber Threats to Critical Infrastructure: A Security Professional's Perspective on Protection
Recent intelligence from FBI, CISA, and international partners reveals Iranian threat actors are targeting critical infrastructure through sophisticated password attacks and MFA bombing campaigns. While your security teams may be tracking this, the techniques being used highlight an important shift in cyber tactics - one that relies less on technical exploitation and more on human behavior.
What's particularly concerning isn't just the initial breach methods, but what happens after: patient, methodical network reconnaissance and the sale of access to other threat actors. As a security professional, one detection strategy caught my eye: monitoring for "impossible travel" patterns in authentication logs. When an account logs in from New York, then Singapore 30 minutes later, it's not just a technical signal - it's a story of compromise that often goes unnoticed.
In this article, we break down the advisory's key findings and offer practical steps for organizations of any size to enhance their security posture...