Last year was particularly challenging for security professionals. In addition to the global pandemic, we saw more data breaches and cyberattacks than ever before, costing organizations millions. As businesses are focused on implementing their 2021 cybersecurity programs and initiatives, there is some security news might have been missed, so we’ve gathered the top cybersecurity-related news that occurred in the month of January that you need to know.
3 Million Users Infected with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge Extensions
Threat Intelligence researchers from Avast identified malware hidden in at least 28 third-party extensions associated with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. The malware that affected 3 million users redirected traffic to ads and phishing sites to steal people’s personal information such as birth dates and email addresses.
45 Million Medical Images Leaked
Analyst Team, CybelAngel, discovered that more than 45 million medical image files were accessible on unprotected servers. Images included x-rays and CT scans. The analysts also discovered millions of sensitives images that included personal healthcare information that were not encrypted.
FireEye Releases Free Tool to Detect Signs of Intrusion
FireEye, which suffered an attack of their own last year, released a whitepaper detailing how to search logs to see if accounts have been compromised with step-by-step instructions for how to cut access and provide additional protection. They have also released a free tool on GitHub that will warn organizations if there are signs their networks were compromised during the SolarWinds’ attack as well.
Biden’s $10B Plan
President Joe Biden announced a series of cybersecurity initiatives at his inauguration, including a $10b plan to tackle various cybersecurity defense programs. The program includes hiring key security personnel to support the initiatives.
Investments to Increase by 10%
Security experts predict that investments will increase by 10% worldwide in 2021 as information and data security remains a high priority and the frequency of attacks is unlikely to subside. While COVID-19 will continue to affect the first half of the year’s budgets, experts predict that vaccine approvals have set a timeframe for sustained growth starting mid-year.
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