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The East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment Created a Perfect TikTok Storm

By Amanda Hoover
The social media platform helped push the story into the mainstream while also fueling misinformation and conspiracy theories.

Get Ready: Top Security Trends For 2023 That You Need To Know About

By Richard Archdeacon

We recently had the chance to discuss the top trend predictions for 2023, issued by Gartner®, and what these may mean for CISOs. The trends are below:

  1. Consumer privacy rights will cover 5 billion citizens and more than 70% of global GDP.
  2. Most enterprises will adopt a strategy to unify web, cloud services and private application access from a single vendor’s SSE platform.
  3. 60% of organizations will embrace zero trust as a starting point for security by 2025. More than half will fail to realize the benefits.
  4. By 2025, 60% of organizations will use cybersecurity risk as a primary determinant in conducting third-party transactions and business engagements.
  5. Through 2025, 30% of nation-states will pass legislation that regulates ransomware payments, fines and negotiations.
  6. By 2025, threat actors will have weaponized operational technology environments successfully to cause human casualties.
  7. By 2025, 70% of CEOs will mandate a culture of organizational resilience to survive.
  8. By 2026, 50% of C-level executives will have performance requirements related to risk built into their employment contracts.

These showed several themes: internal pressures, external changes and solution adoption.

CISOs need to be aware of the pressures that may come from inside the business.  C Level executives having risk related elements in their employment contracts (8) may result in a higher focus on Risk management. This may benefit CISOs to position cyber security as part of the Risk calculation and perhaps unlock more support for risk reduction initiatives.

Aligned is the concept of a culture of organisational resilience being mandated by CEOs (7).  CISOs now talk about culture change in cyber security, making business colleagues identify as part of the overall security of the organisation.  This may now include resilience.  Again, this may provide a vehicle for change for CISOs.

Risk as a factor when assessing whether to do business with third parties (4) will highlight the third-party dependency issues that now concern CISOs.  The perimeter is now long gone; security extends beyond the organisational remit of the CISO.  The ability to understand and collaborate with third party security will become n increasing requirement. There is a downside for CISOs.  Many are already burdened with the need to report on compliance and audits. This may increase as requests come in from business partners, current and potential, on the organisation’s cyber security posture.

Related to compliance and reporting is the issue of Privacy. It is predicted the consumer privacy will increase to cover most countries (1). This may require additional focus on the extent and scope to which Privacy is reported. Many CISOs address this already due to requirements such as GDPR. This may provide a strong basis to move forward. CISOs have seen Privacy as a positive.  “Do you really need that data?” is a question often asked. Organisations can reduce the amount of unwanted data stored and needing security.

Responding to attacks and the relentless change in tactics is an additional trend.  Payments for ransomware is contentious.  From the morale, legal and practical aspects of making payments. If this becomes regulated (5) it may provide a clearer basis for decision making.   Perhaps it may provide a for of deterrent for attacks.  If the victim cannot pay why attack them? Perhaps this is just wishful thinking. On the negative side attackers may increase the capability of their tools in the operational technology environment with extreme impact (6).  A current area of concern for CISOs that may increase in focus.

On a positive side a majority of organisation will adopt zero trust as a starting point for their security (3).  However, many will not gain the benefits.  CISOs are now increasing addressing the organisational and cultural change required to make Zero Trust succeed and realising it is not just about the technology.  There are clear benefits that have been identified in Cisco research papers1. CISOs are looking to introduce new consolidated technologies in web, cloud services and private application access (3). This may reduce tech debt, enable smoother operational management, centralised policy control and better reporting.

https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/products/collateral/security/zero-trust-field-guide.pdf

Source: https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/the-top-8-cybersecurity-predictions-for-2021-2022

https://www.gartner.com/en/information-technology/insights/leadership-vision-for-security-and-risk-management


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Preparing for 2023 and what lies in store for Endpoint Security

By Pat Correia

A new year is almost upon us and as we look back on our accomplishments in 2022, we also look forward to helping our customers become more security resilient and be better prepared for 2023. As part of this forward-looking process, and with the help of Gartner Peer Insights, we surveyed 100 Security and IT professionals to understand their level of security maturity and obtain their perspective on the future.

The results of the survey, called “Gartner Peer Insights – Future of Endpoint Security” can be found here in Infographic form.

Key insights from the Survey:

  • Many organizations are employing EDR and XDR capabilities, but few have reached full maturity.
  • Organizations are looking for integrated platforms that support hybrid workforces while simplifying vendor management.
  • In anticipation of the ever-increasing threat landscape, organizations are looking to highly integrated and automated endpoint security solutions.
  • Organizations want future-proof endpoint security solutions that bolster their security resilience.

Insight Example

Regarding the first key insight, approximately two-thirds of the organizations surveyed have implemented EDR and XDR capabilities. These two capabilities are critical to detecting and eliminating threats, either before a breach has occurred or before a breach has had an opportunity to create damage.

Figure 1: Deployed endpoint security capabilities

Insight Example

Another key insight is related to endpoint vendor selection. In the survey, it’s noted that the top criterion organizations are looking for when selecting an endpoint security solution is the ability to support a hybrid workforce. This isn’t surprising given the events that have occurred over the last few years and the mix of remote workers expanding to working from home. Many organizations feel that the hybrid workforce is here to stay, in varying levels of remote workforce vs. on-premises workforce. The obvious implications directly related to the endpoint solutions are flexibility (e.g., deployment options), scalability, efficacy, resilience, and manageability, as a few examples.

Endpoint Security
Figure 2: Top Motivations when considering endpoint security

Summary

The survey infographic provides much more insights than these two examples. The good news is that Cisco Secure Endpoint meets the challenges ahead for 2023 and beyond. If you haven’t researched Secure Endpoint lately, go here to see What’s New.

To find out more insights from the 100 Security and IT professionals we surveyed, please read the “Gartner Peer Insights – Future of Endpoint Security” survey.


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Setting Up Parental Controls in TikTok, Instagram & Snapchat

By Toni Birdsong

It’s a question we get a lot from parents: “How can I keep my kids safe when they are constantly hopping between so many different apps?” We get it, there’s a lot to stay on top and all of it changes constantly. Unfortunately, that question doesn’t have a simple answer. But there are some baseline actions every parent can take to boost their child’s safety on popular apps like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.  

The safety equation is threefold, with every piece as important to your child’s overall safety as the next.  

  1. Connection and conversation. The first part of the safety equation is maintaining a strong relationship with your child so that dialogue (two-way; no lectures) on digital safety and wellbeing becomes commonplace and they know they can come to you if they have a problem. One way to keep those conversations rolling is to download your child’s favorite apps so that you understand first-hand how the communities work and the type of content that’s being shared. 
  2. Install parental controls. The second part of the safety equation is to add parental controls. Do we have an agenda here? You betcha! For decades, we’ve put some of the world’s brightest engineering minds into designing digital tools that allow families to enjoy the best of the Internet without giving them the rest of the Internet that could put their emotional and physical wellbeing at risk. McAfee’s targeted software helps parents monitor and filter web searches and content, set time limits, and view daily activity reports.  
  3. Access platform tools. The third way is to take a few minutes to ensure your kids are using the platform-level tools available on both their devices and within the apps. Both Apple and Android phones have basic safety and wellbeing features. Additionally, the apps your kids likely love—Tik Tok, Snapchat, and Instagram—have their own set of safety tools.  

Screentime is Climbing 

A report released in 2021 by Common Sense Media found that teenagers (ages 13-18) use an average of nine hours of entertainment media per day and that tweens (ages 8-12) use an average of six hours a day, not including time spent using media for school or homework. The report also found that boys spend more time on gaming devices while girls spend more time on social media and that mobile devices now account for 41% of all screen time among tweens and 46% among teens. 

With those numbers increasing each year, it’s even more important to understand the different ways parents can help kids stay safe. Let’s break down a few safety basics on each app that are easy to access and use.    

Tik Tok Safety 

TikTok has some impressive safety guidelines broken down into topics parents could easily use as a springboard for some great family discussions. The guidelines and the Safety Center cover issues such as dangerous TikTok challenges and how to deal with other digital threats such as bullying, sexual content, fake news, and hateful behavior. You can increase safeguards using TikTok’s: 

  • Family Pairing. TikTok offers Family Pairing that allows parents to link their account with their child’s to co-control settings on privacy and content. This TikTok feature allows a parent to monitor and manage screen time, direct messages, set restrictions, and control friend and comment filters.  
  • Restricted Mode. There is a Restricted mode for accounts that can help filter basic mature content on TikTok. 
  • Privacy Settings. To ensure your child isn’t connecting with unknown people on TikTok, you can go into the settings and make their account private.  
  • Digital Wellbeing. We all know how easy it is to get sucked into spending hours on an app without even getting up to stretch or give our eyes or minds a break. Turning this function on will send alerts to users who have been on the app for more than two hours.  

Snapchat Safety 

Every app functions differently and thus, offers different ways to boost security. Snapchat provides a helpful guide for parents and educators, including safety tips and conversation starters. You can increase safeguards using Snapchat’s: 

  • Privacy Settings. Sit down with your child to ensure their privacy settings are adjusted to choose who can send them Snaps, view their Stories, or see their location on Snap Map. They can also manage who views your child’s content with My Story. 
  • Friends Only Feature. Snapchat was made for keeping in touch with your close friends, so the app Safety Center recommends users “only friend or accepts friend requests from people that you know in real life.” 
  • Report Abuse Feature. Ensure your kids understand how to report abuse on Snapchat, including harassment, bullying, or other safety concerns. If someone makes them uncomfortable, they can block that Snapchatter and leave any group chat. Here’s more on reporting abuse or safety concerns. 
  • Think before you share. Snaps are designed to delete by default within 24 hours. However, remind your kids that people who send Snaps can still take a screenshot or take a picture of the Snap with another device. Therefore, on Snapchat especially, advise your kids to think before sharing. 

Instagram Safety 

Instagram offers parents and minor users a library of safety and mental health resources accessible via the app’s Community Tab at the bottom of its home page. You can increase safeguards using Instagram’s: 

  • Family Center. A parent or guardian can supervise a teen’s Instagram account, provide extra support, and help balance their time. Parents of teens can remove supervision anytime, and the tool is automatically removed when the teen turns 18. 
  • Privacy Controls. Your teen’s account can be set to private, which means their content will only be seen by approved followers. In addition, they can also block and report abusive accounts.  
  • Comment Controls. Avoid unwanted interactions by encouraging your child to use “Comment Controls.” In addition, reporting and blocking tools also allow them to manage who can comment on their posts.  
  • Direct Message Safeguards. Instagram restricts Direct Messages (DMs) between teens (under 18) and adults they don’t follow. When an adult tries to message a teen who doesn’t follow them, they receive a notification that DM’ing that teen isn’t an option. For adults and teens already connected (i.e., one account follows the other), Instagram sends safety notices encouraging teens to be cautious in conversations with adults who have exhibited potentially suspicious behavior. (Note: This feature does not protect kids from connecting with fraudulent catfish accounts created using false profile and age information). 

One of the most powerful safety features is you—a child’s mom, dad, or guardian. Your face-to-face, heart-to-heart connection will speak loudest in your child’s life. If you haven’t lately, ask your child what’s going on in their digital life, who their friends are, what they’ve created to share, and what’s new, hilarious, or trending. You may get some resistance now and then but don’t let that discourage you from pressing in and doing all the things that help keep them as safe as possible online.   

The post Setting Up Parental Controls in TikTok, Instagram & Snapchat appeared first on McAfee Blog.

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