An Indicator of Compromise (IOC) is a forensic artifact that identifies a potentially malicious activity on a system or network. IOCs are important for both prevention and detection of cyber threats. By inputting IOCs of new cyber threats into software products they can block any processes that match these IOCs and therefore detect the threat before it can get inside the network. IOCs that are used to detect an attack before it can compromise a network are also known as indicators of attack (IOA), they represent a proactive approach.

As we browse the internet we create tons of information that can be stolen and used against us for fraud or other crimes. Companies known as data brokers have a vested interest in collecting this information and selling it to other parties for a profit. It’s important that we take precautions to protect ourselves from organizations that may try to eavesdrop on our conversations or extract that information in other ways. One easy way to protect yourself while browsing the web is through the use of Virtual private networks (VPNs)

CVE stands for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures and it is a unique number assigned to a specific computer vulnerability. When someone refers to a CVE, they are referring to a security vulnerability that has been assigned a CVE number that acts as a unique identifier for that vulnerability. Most security advisories will mention at least 1 CVE, sometimes multiple CVEs when they are giving the breakdown of a new vulnerability. CVEs are assigned by a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA).

If you’re someone that accepts a lot of emails from people you don’t know you should be wary of downloading something that may contain malware. If you ever look into your spam folder you will see a lot of those emails try to get you to either download an attachment or visit a link. Email attachments are one of the main ways that people try to trick people into downloading viruses onto their machine and some of them can be very convincing. This guide will give you 7 ways you can tell if a file attachment is a computer virus. 

As you browse the internet you will notice most websites have a pop up asking you to confirm that you okay with the use of “cookies”. In fact, many websites will not allow you to use the website until you agree to the use of cookies. Simply put a web cookie is a piece of data stored on the user’s computer while browsing a website. Cookies are designed to be a reliable way for websites to remember information about your web sessions or to record your browsing activity.