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First coined by Lebanese-American thought leader Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the term “black swan” refers to unexpected global events that have a profound effect on society. Some are beneficial, like the invention of the printing press; and others are destructive, such as the subprime crisis in 2008. But they have all altered the course of history.
In recent years, we have bore witness to a surge of black swan events, and they continue to emerge in real time. They have affected every facet of our lives, and this rings true in the world of cybersecurity. By analyzing these recent events, we can better map out our industry’s evolutionary processes to predict where cybersecurity is heading next. 
It’s unquestionable that one of the most significant black swans of recent memory was the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. One of the direct results of this global crisis was the transition to work-from-home practices, and with it came an overwhelming incentive to migrate a significant portion of our digital activity away from physical data centers to the virtual cloud workspace.
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This was a matter of decentralization versus centralization. Prior to the pandemic, centralizing an organization’s digital assets in one physical location that could be protected with a traditional security perimeter was considered standard practice. But during the pandemic, it became a liability, and organizations rapidly decentralized to move assets like business-critical applications and databases to the cloud. But this adjustment altered hackers’ attack vectors, requiring completely different defenses.
The decentralization of digital assets introduced new security vulnerabilities, both in the workplace and in employees’ homes, creating a significant hurdle to protecting against cyber criminals who were only growing more sophisticated and well-funded. These hackers developed new methods, known as 5th generation (Gen V) attacks, which were multidimensional and allowed the threat actors to hit from many different angles simultaneously.
As these new cyber threats emerged, the newly-developed cloud environments also demanded security products that were easier and quicker to install, activate and maintain. All of these elements combined to create the perfect conditions for a new approach to cybersecurity, one that would require record-breaking funding.
The next black swan in cybersecurity came on the heels of the pandemic’s effective end (also known as the COVID-cyber-boom). The combination of the need to protect decentralized digital assets from Gen V attacks with the need to develop new products for today’s modern environments was a powerful incentive for innovation, fostered by a macroeconomic environment where interest rates were low and liquidity was high. It’s unsurprising that in 2021, more than $20 billion in venture funding was invested in cybersecurity companies globally, a new record. Venture capital firms were eager to get involved in this expanding industry.
As a result of this free flow of cash, cybersecurity start-ups experienced meteoric market valuations, resulting in the emergence of many unicorns. While these valuations certainly represented their potential, they were often inaccurate representations of the companies’ actual worth. And with these investments came an onslaught of new cybersecurity products available to CISOs, providing a level of variety previously unheard of. But as the market was flooded by companies with inaccurate valuations, a bubble was created. And unfortunately, we know how bubbles end.
The final black swan actually involved three events in 2022: an increase in interest rates, a global supply chain crisis, and the war in Ukraine. This was a perfect storm for a worldwide recession. Capital and market valuations, which both seemed so abundant just a year before, seemed to fall off a cliff, and as a result, the growth so easily sustained in 2021 experienced a huge slowdown.
Today, we are left in a troublesome situation. Amidst a decline in innovation investments, assets continue to be decentralized, the Gen V attack surface still exists and organizations need an end-to-end solution.
As such, I predict that in the next 18 months, the industry will experience extreme consolidation to strengthen the defensive line of cybersecurity products and provide a comprehensive solution. This means consolidating similar products under one roof to create an end-to-end solution that empowers CISOs to deliver a layered model of protection. Rather than relying on the founding of new companies, this will be accomplished through mergers, acquisitions, or partnerships.
The challenge here is one of execution, and the gravity of these sorts of integrations for large organizations looms large. There are real and valid concerns around these sorts of unifications. What if large organizations with deep pockets absorb start-ups and rob them of their agency and agility, essentially stamping out any capacity for innovation before they can hit their stride? Any advantages to be gained by the acquisition will be lost if they effectively squash these competitive differentiators.
To prevent this, organizations must tread carefully to grant the acquired start-ups a high degree of autonomy without any added bureaucracy or friction. Only by guaranteeing these freedoms can large organizations harness start-ups’ ability to develop, test, and deploy solutions with advanced precision and speed. This will likely require strategic organizational restructuring, wherein an individual who understands how to balance the needs of a start-up with the wealth, size and goals of a large organization can act as a trusted go-between between leadership and the start-up team. This is how larger organizations can reinvent themselves to rise to the occasion brought about by a series of black swans.
On the start-up side, these entrepreneurs need to ensure that their new parent organization aligns with their vision for growth. They should establish a roadmap for the next two or three fiscal years to set expectations on both sides. With all parties united in their goals, cybersecurity organizations can provide a modern, end-to-end solution to decentralization without forcing the industry to rely on venture funding that simply no longer exists.
The digital decentralization of 2020, industry growth of 2021 and inevitable bust of 2022 have been a whirlwind of events in just three short years. But their challenges and opportunities will move us forward to a more cyber secure world. After a rapid succession of black swans that have irreversibly shifted the course of our industry, the technological and economic evolution of cybersecurity is progressing in a positive direction toward a brighter future.
Moshe Lipsker is SVP of product development at Imperva.
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Different mindsets can bring new and better solutions to the table that can mitigate advanced cyberthreats, Google Cloud’s director of the office of the CISO writes.
Editor’s note: This article is from MK Palmore, director of the office of the CISO at Google Cloud. If you would like to submit a guest article, you can submit it here.  
With recent cyberattacks against organizations of all sizes and governments alike, the importance of sharpening cybersecurity across sectors has been recognized globally as a top concern.
However, according to research published by security industry nonprofit ISC(2), while the global cybersecurity workforce added 464,000 jobs over the past year, there is still an employment gap of more than 3.4 million positions. While cybersecurity remains one of the most critical challenges organizations are facing, roles continue to go unfilled. 
So, how do we address this disparity? One solution is to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion, and recognize how it can impact an organization’s security posture for the better. 
While some industry professionals actively pursue diversity in tech, the numbers show that the majority of security teams fail to put ideas around DEI into practice. Recent findings from the Aspen Digital Tech Policy report note only 4% of cybersecurity workers self-identify as Hispanic, 9% as Black, and 24% as women. Collective cybersecurity ultimately depends on having a diverse, skilled workforce that can implement and transform it. 
As leaders align on their focus for 2023, CISOs should prioritize increasing diversity on their teams and finding new ways to reach untapped talent.
Software supply chain security remains a critical national security risk. Financially-motivated attacks like ransomware have been studied and documented for decades. Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are increasing in frequency and growing in size. 
Threat actors continue to act on poor cyber hygiene and use social engineering to capitalize on our own human vulnerability. 
These are just a few of the top concerns across our industry and yet, while these issues are top of mind and widely agreed upon, the solutions to these challenges over the past few decades remain the same.
This is why diversity in cybersecurity is so critical. CISOs need to stop thinking about how we can solve cybersecurity issues in silo, and instead consider how embracing diverse perspectives may prompt more creative solutions. 
Different mindsets can bring new and better solutions to the table that can mitigate advanced cyberthreats. In security, we work to solve complex problems that often don’t have a clear solution. Addressing the diversity issue in cybersecurity will help us move to the next stage of security itself. 
As cyberattacks increase in frequency and complexity, organizations need unique ideas to detect and defend against emerging threats. Organizations need to embrace individuals from non-traditional talent pools to stay one step ahead.
With new talent comes new ideas and solutions – and embracing perspectives from people with different backgrounds will help organizations anticipate future threats, build solutions in preparation, and avoid potential large scale attacks. 
There are several steps security leaders can take to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in their organizations this coming year and beyond. 
We must broaden the scope in which talent is identified. This starts with building job descriptions that provide more detail, and are focused on the requirements necessary for success in the role.
Is a traditional four-year college degree necessary, for instance? Challenge the listed bullet points.
The interview process should not just focus on the technical skills a candidate might have, but also take into account a candidate’s level of interest and overall aptitude to be successful.
In doing so, this allows for non-traditional applicants – like those making a career change – to be considered for roles where they bring experience and innovative thinking that may not have traditionally been considered. 
Industry leaders need to build training programs that are targeted for their existing workforce but also provide assistance for those wanting to break into the industry.
Training shouldn’t stop after the initial onboarding process, or be closed off to members of the security organization we must be open to implementing training and development programs that can help anyone sharpen their cybersecurity skillset, no matter their level of proficiency.
For the security industry to scale and evolve, CISOs and security leaders must communicate externally that security is an industry of opportunity even for those interested in topics outside of traditional computer science.
Organizations should consider finding ways to engage with college and even high school students to challenge the traditional perception of a career in technology, and help them understand that, in many cases, it is a more viable career path than they may perceive. 
It is crucial for organizations to continuously train and mentor their current employee base in order to enable additional growth.
Community-based mentor/mentee relationships are important for information sharing and brainstorming out-of-the-box ways to tackle emerging threats – and a key component to retaining diverse industry talent. 
Networking has long been the immeasurable social component to a successful career trajectory. Building a successful network can be challenging, but there are tools and organizations available to help drive the desired outcomes.
Those hoping to enter the field should continue to build an individual brand with tools like LinkedIn and other professional social media platforms, consider blogging or writing thought leadership on areas of passion or expertise, and explore one of the many nonprofits focused on supporting diverse career goers in all phases of their cybersecurity journey.
As CISOs look to navigate cybersecurity challenges in 2023, it will be essential for leaders to provide fresh perspectives and solutions.
Cybersecurity is a team sport, so it’s important that CISOs create a diverse team of players that can help tackle these challenges and contribute to the industry’s overall progression.
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Everyone wants to stay on good terms with their employer. Threat actors know this too, and they exploit this weakness accordingly. Don’t fall for it.
The password manager warned customers to lookout for brute force attacks, phishing or credential stuffing.
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Everyone wants to stay on good terms with their employer. Threat actors know this too, and they exploit this weakness accordingly. Don’t fall for it.
The password manager warned customers to lookout for brute force attacks, phishing or credential stuffing.
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Karen D. Schwartz | Dec 02, 2022
In many ways, IT security professionals today know they are in the driver’s seat. Shortages of cybersecurity skills plague modern businesses. If you’re a security pro, it’s easy to think that you can call your own shots.
And you can, to a point. That’s one takeaways from ITPro Today’s latest salary survey, which interviewed IT security professionals on a variety of topics, including job satisfaction, compensation, and perks.
Related: ITPro Today’s 2022 Salary Survey Report
The survey found that while most IT security professionals are satisfied with both their current positions and their total compensation, satisfaction numbers were only 67% and 64%, respectively. In fact, 22% said they are dissatisfied with their total compensation.
Those numbers aren’t at all surprising, given the proliferation of unfilled cybersecurity positions, said Ken Coffman, an IT systems administrator and engineer who participated in the survey. Coffman works directly with the security team at Tri-Tech Medical, a medical equipment manufacturer in Avon, Ohio.

“I see a lot of crazy-high offers coming through just in my daily emails from recruiters who have found my resume online,” Coffman said. “It’s pretty much ‘Name your price’ from a lot of them, but it’s really a [‘Let the buyer beware’] situation. It might be good for three to six months, but how long is that gig actually going to last? Will it be better for you in the long run?”
Pam Nigro, vice president of security for health management company Medecision and an ISACA board chair, noted the current economic conditions, with its rising inflation rates, has made some IT security professionals more flexible.
“Before, [when] I offered someone a position, they came back with a counter, I met their counter, and then they came back with another counter,” Nigro said. “But when I spoke with someone more recently about a different position, I mentioned that we could meet their salary expectations and they were fine with that. They wanted other things,” such as the ability to work from home and avoid travel.
The survey also found that about one in four IT security professionals are likely to seek alternative employment in the next 12 months. Twenty-six percent of respondents said they would seek new jobs outside their current organization, while 24% said they would look within their current organization. Those results make sense to Keatron Evans, principal security researcher and cybersecurity expert at Infosec Institute.
“Those who have tangible, marketable, demonstrable skills can pretty much write their own ticket and move either horizontally or vertically as they see fit,” Evans said.
However, there aren’t many professionals at that level, and Evans suspected that most of the survey-takers were IT security professionals that have years of experience. “Those people are definitely looking to make moves,” he said. Indeed, about 93% of the security pros that took the survey said they have 10 or more years of experience in tech.

Marketing and press can also influence security professionals into thinking there is always someplace where the grass is greener. “Everybody has the Hollywood view of cybersecurity, where you’re a hacker who does exciting work, but cybersecurity is really boring if you’re doing it right,” Nigro said. “It’s about looking at controls and doing assessments, not looking for bad guys on the dark web. It’s easy to think that the next job will be more exciting.”
At the same time, most of the survey respondents had a positive view of their current jobs. When asked if they love their job, 39% of respondents said they strongly agreed and 40% said they somewhat agreed.
“You can love your job and still be seeking better opportunities,” Evans noted. “The market for people with the right skills is so ripe and favorable that you can love your job and the people you work with and still want to explore new opportunities.”
In addition to compensation and basic benefits like insurance and vacation time, IT security professionals value having the right tools, access to enough training, and, increasingly, the ability to work from home.
Twenty-six percent of respondents strongly agreed they have all the tools they need to perform their jobs, while 49% only somewhat agreed. About a quarter of respondents were either neutral or said they lacked the necessary tools.
As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, attitudes toward the tools are bound to change.
“Cybersecurity professionals will never have all the tools they want,” Nigro said. “During my entire career, I’ve focused on the process, with tools enabling the process. That’s a better method than building your process on the tool. But then people will go to conferences and see a shiny new tool, and [they will] find out that it’s way over [their] budget. But as a manager, I try to ask them what they liked about the tool and find a way to get them those capabilities.”
Meanwhile, about two-thirds of survey respondents said they have all the training they need to do a good job.
Training is a complicated issue, Nigro noted. Training budgets can be limited, but there are other ways to get training. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and many security-focused vendors will provide free training for their platforms. She added that while her company can’t send everyone to the RSA Conference, for example, it does occasionally give staff a few hours off to attend a security association meeting or training session.
When companies offer training, it sometimes comes with strings attached, however. “I’ve been burned in the past where the company paid for training but then makes you sign something saying that you would remain with the company for the next three to five years or would have to pay them back,” Coffman said. “That actually happened to me, and I had to pay it all back. Now I just pay for my own training.”

To ensure that you get the training you expect, Evans recommended pushing for it in your contract negotiations.
And then there are the intangible job benefits, which make a big difference to all employees. One of the most important of these today is the ability to work from home. In general, younger employees are more eager to work remotely. That’s fine, but they must be flexible, Nigro noted.

“The job of a security professional isn’t 9 to 5. Sometimes it can be 24/7,” Nigro said. “If something blows up, you have to be there on the front lines. Flexibility and trust are key.”
Less experienced IT security professionals can have unrealistic expectations for their employers, according to Evans.
“Some people are being sold a bill of goods indicating that they can go through a quick [educational] process and make $200,000 a year, but that’s clearly not true,” Evans said. “Sure, the security field needs people, but they still need experience and training. The people going through those [IT security] bootcamps can still get good jobs, but it’s nowhere what they thought they were going to get.”
It’s also important to understand the culture of the company, Coffman added. “When you’re looking for your next job, make sure it’s a good fit, because once you get in, it’s hard to get the company to change.”

At the same time, hirers should cast a wider net for job candidates, Evans said. “People in charge of hiring need to stop thinking the way we thought 30 years ago, where people needed a computer science degree or an IT background to be a good cybersecurity person,” he said. “It just isn’t true today.”

Some of the best cybersecurity professionals that Evans has hired have no security or IT background whatsoever. “It’s more about the way they problem-solve and their ability to learn new information,” he explained. “Allow some room for some people with nontraditional backgrounds. I think you might find some value there.”
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When we think of cybercrime, we tend to think of hackers breaking into confidential files, scammers conning innocent civilians, or sophisticated gangs targeting multinational companies – or even government departments.
The flip side of this is a soaring demand for cybersecurity jobs to keep on top of the well-documented rise in cybercrime affecting businesses and consumers.
According to The CyberEdge 2022 Cyberthreat Defense Report (CDR) 81.4% of organisations in the UK experienced at least one cyber attack in 2021, compared to 71.1% in the previous annual findings.
According to government reports, there are now over 1,800 cybersecurity firms with operations in the UK. This includes tech and professional services giants such as Darktrace, EY, and Sophos, as well as smaller firms like 10Duke, Becrypt, and Activereach.
In the last 12 months, the sector’s revenue has grown to more than £10bn for the first time. But what is driving this growth aside from the growing number of cyberattacks?
First up is investment. Last year was a record for external investment into the sector – with over £1bn raised by firms across the UK.
In addition to this, the UK government is championing cybersecurity across the board with various initiatives. These include Cyber ASAP, which supports academics to commercialise their research, and Tech Nation Cyber, which is the UK’s first cyber scale-up programme. It supports companies poised for substantial growth at home and abroad. The Cyber101 programme delivers bootcamps around the country to help cyber SMEs develop essential business skills.
The biggest contributing factor is probably the UK’s highly educated workforce. According to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, more than 6,000 new jobs were added to the UK’s 50,000-strong cyber workforce over the last few years. It looks like this acceleration won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
The global cybersecurity market is projected to bring in over $500bn by 2030, according to a new study by Grand View Research Inc. So, if you want a career that’s got great earning potential (£46,255 average salary according to Indeed), sound job prospects, and plenty of room for growth then consider cybersecurity.
But, where are the top cybersecurity cities in the UK, and what companies are hiring at the moment? Let’s take a look.
According to the United Nations Global Cybersecurity Index, London is the best city in Europe for cybersecurity professionals. But why?
London is home to defence companies including BAE Systems, Thales, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Northrop Grumman. Along with these well-known companies comes a huge amount of investment and networking opportunities.
The city also has a steady pipeline of talent from top universities such as King’s College and nearby Cambridge. In fact, 27% of the UK’s cybersecurity workforce is based here.
If you’d like to join them, there is a compliance officer, VP role available at investment bank Citi. The right candidate will need a bachelor’s degree, knowledge of compliance laws, and strong interpersonal skills.
Reading’s proximity to London and Heathrow airport has long attracted major multinationals, including Microsoft and Oracle. However, its startup community is also growing.
One of Reading’s big homegrown cybersecurity success stories is Datasift. Founded in 2010, Datasift is a privacy-by-design data and analytics platform. It was acquired by San Francisco-based Meltwater in March 2018, helping to cement the city’s cybersecurity bona fides.
The University of Reading has also been instrumental in encouraging tech companies and startups. In 2018, the university established the Thames Valley Science Park.
If you’d like to work in Reading, Liberty Global is on the hunt for a senior cybersecurity analyst who can demonstrate taking ownership of, and responsibility for resolving issues. To apply, you’ll need experience working within a security operations centre, Splunk reporting and analysis, as well as experience in SIEM operation and configuration.
Wales has a thriving cybersecurity sector. The country has two universities, Cardiff and USW, that are recognised by the National Cyber Security Centre as Academic Centres of Excellence in either research or teaching.
Earlier this year, the Welsh government announced that a new cyber innovation hub to help Wales become a global leader in this sector will be launched, thanks to £3m investment from the Welsh Government.
The hub is being led by Cardiff University with partners including Airbus, Alacrity Cyber, CGI, Thales NDEC, and Tramshed Tech, and will train more than 1,000 cyber-skilled individuals by 2030.
Starling Bank is hiring in Cardiff for a senior penetration tester. You’ll work with some of the industry’s most talented cybersecurity professionals to protect customers, company assets, and systems using the latest technologies and techniques.
Want to work in the burgeoning cybersecurity sector? Find your next role on the UKTN Job Board
This article is part of a paid partnership with careers marketplace Jobbio to share the most exciting UK tech jobs with UKTN readers.

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By Nihal Krishan
August 24, 2022
The Commerce Department has been forced to poach cybersecurity employees from other agencies in the federal government, the agency’s CIO André Mendes said.
“We’re basically hiring people from one federal agency to another. We’re stealing people from each other, that’s what it’s come down to,” Mendes told FedScoop.
“It’s a very, very tough situation with cybersecurity hiring. It’s extremely difficult getting the right people with the right skills right now,” said Mendes who spoke at the FedTalks tech conference on Wednesday, hosted by FedScoop.
The hiring challenges are likely due to a tight labor market and a severe shortage of skilled cyber engineers and analysts.
CyberSeek, a recruiting website for cybersecurity jobs in the U.S., funded by the Commerce Department, estimates there are currently 714,548 open cybersecurity jobs nationwide, which includes positions in the public and private sector. 
In the public sector or the government, the website estimates there are almost 39,000 vacant cyber jobs and 69,322 cybersecurity experts currently employed.
There has been a huge surge in cybersecurity job openings in the past year, following a series of massive attacks in the the last two years on the computer systems of the federal government, the Colonial Pipeline, and the meat producer JBS that have brought mainstream awareness to the need for increased cybersecurity within the government and the private sector.
Alongside difficulties hiring cybersecurity experts, Mendes also said the federal government has struggled with holding its tech vendors and contractors accountable for cybersecurity flaws and issues.
“All federal agencies have to hold their vendors accountable in terms of susceptibilities. So that when you sell a product to the federal government, you have to give some assurances that the product performs as indicated, and does not unduly expose you to cybersecurity attacks because of flaws that are inherent in its scope,” Mendes said.
The President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) on Tuesday put forward proposals that would require all executive civilian branch agencies to monitor operational technology systems in real-time.
Mendes said the presidential proposals would help improve cybersecurity but would receive strong pushback from the tech industry and IT vendors.
“The administration has just started with the process and there will be an enormous amount of lobbying against it by vendors trying to minimize its effect. Vendors will do their best to minimize their exposure to change because they don’t want to have the accountability, they haven’t had accountability in the past, so why should they have it now? But the reality is that in the current environment, we can’t afford not to have accountability,” Mendes said.
Shortly after becoming the Commerce Department CIO in 2020, Mendes said that he would like to see greater accountability within the federal government regarding agency IT budgets due to “black hole” spending related to regulatory frameworks or modernization.
Mendes said he has worked in the past few years to use his almost $4.0 billion a year budget in a more efficient manner with less spending on IT tools and resources.
“We can show definite cost avoidance to a large degree by virtue of more collaboration within the agency in the past couple of years,” Mendes said.
“We’re leveraging those dollars elsewhere, where they’re more driven towards the mission of the Commerce bureaus and official business and less towards IT infrastructure,” he added.
Commerce spends approximately 30% of its budget on IT driven by heavy users like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and Census Bureau. 
Mendes, however, drove the International Trade Administration, where he served previously as CIO, to spend only 10% of its budget on IT because of its cloud-first environments and abstraction layers. 
This allowed the agency to automate more processes and freed up employees for work more tied to mission areas like tariffs.

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While Microsoft is planning to widely deploy the AI chatbot within its product portfolio, some cybersecurity professionals are already tying together ChatGPT with the Microsoft Sentinel security analytics platform.
While OpenAI backer Microsoft has very been clear that it has big plans for integrating its platforms with ChatGPT, some cybersecurity pros aren’t waiting on Microsoft.
In recent days, several cybersecurity professionals have published information online about how to integrate the AI-powered chatbot with Microsoft Sentinel, the widely used Microsoft cybersecurity analytics platform.
[Related: 5 Big Pros And Cons Of ChatGPT For Cybersecurity]
“By harnessing the power of ChatGPT, I believe it is possible to speed up and simplify the incident handling process, making it more efficient and effective for all involved,” wrote IT security pro Antonio Formato in a post on Medium Monday.
Another recent Medium post by cyber pro Zubair Rahim included step-by-step instructions for connecting ChatGPT with Microsoft Sentinel. “Integrating ChatGPT with Microsoft Sentinel for incident management offers numerous benefits such as automating responses, providing accurate and timely answers, and streamlining incident management workflow,” Rahim wrote.
Microsoft Sentinel is among the company’s key cybersecurity offerings and now has more than 20,000 customers, up from 15,000 a year ago, Microsoft disclosed last week.
The potential is definitely there for OpenAI’s ChatGPT to help security analysts, who work with SIEM (security information and event management) tools like Microsoft Sentinel, to help automate and expedite some of the typically manual analysis of security incidents, according to Michael Montagliano, CISO at Atlanta-based solution provider ProArch.
At this early stage, though, more testing of the types of integration methods that are now being posted online is definitely necessary, which ProArch plans to do, Montagliano told CRN.
“We are going to test that integration into Sentinel in a lab environment,” he said. “One of the things you have to be cautious about is is that accurate? Is it dependable?”
Robert Boyce, Accenture’s global lead for cyber resilience services, told CRN last week that Accenture Security sees major potential in using ChatGPT’s capabilities for automating some of the work involved in cyberdefense. While there has been major attention paid to the possible nefarious uses of the chatbot by hackers, it’s clear that the tool “helps reduce the barrier to entry with getting into the defensive side as well,” Boyce said.
Last week, Microsoft said it’s making a new “multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment” into OpenAI, which reportedly amounts to $10 billion. Microsoft had previously invested more than $3 billion into OpenAI starting in 2019, and OpenAI uses Microsoft Azure for its cloud infrastructure.
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced the general availability of its Azure OpenAI Service, which leverages OpenAI technologies including GPT-3.5. The company noted that “customers will also be able to access ChatGPT—a fine-tuned version of GPT-3.5 that has been trained and runs inference on Azure AI infrastructure—through Azure OpenAI Service soon.”
During Microsoft’s quarterly call with analysts last week, Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said that the company plans to deploy OpenAI technology “across our consumer and enterprise products as we continue to push the state of the art in AI.”
OpenAI, which is also behind the DALL-E 2 image generator, and whose backers include Microsoft, first introduced ChatGPT in late November. While it’s been massively popular among users, it’s come under fire from a number of critics, including some of Microsoft’s competitors. For instance, Amazon Web Services CTO Werner Vogels Tuesday slammed ChatGPT as being “not concerned about the truth.”
Kyle Alspach is a Senior Editor at CRN focused on cybersecurity. His coverage spans news, analysis and deep dives on the cybersecurity industry, with a focus on fast-growing segments such as cloud security, application security and identity security.  He can be reached at kalspach@thechannelcompany.com.

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A man looking tired and stressed out while sitting at his computer.
Cybersecurity staff are feeling burnout and stressed to the extent that many are considering leaving their jobs. 
According to research by VMware, 47% of cybersecurity incident responders say they’ve experienced burnout or extreme stress over the past 12 months.  
While that’s slightly down compared with 51% the previous year, unsurprisingly the percentage of people who say the stress of working in cybersecurity has made them think about leaving their jobs has slightly increased. 
Of this group, 69% say stress and burnout has resulted in them considering their position, compared with 65% in 2021. 
Cybersecurity can be stressful work; not only do staff need to stay on top of threats posed by cyber criminals, ransomware gangs and even nation-state sponsored hacking campaigns, they also need to ensure their users are equipped with the right tools needed to stay safe – often while working with a restricted cybersecurity budget and a wider team who don’t always understand what they do.
On top of that, there’s also the challenge of managing security vulnerabilities, particularly when significant new zero-day exploits emerge and get used by hackers – according to the survey, 62% of respondents encountered a zero-day exploit in the last 12 months, compared to 51% during the previous year. 
Meanwhile, two thirds said the number of cyber attacks has increased since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – something which cybersecurity agencies warned was a possibility when the war started.   
SEE: A winning strategy for cybersecurity (ZDNET special report) 
And all of this is happening while many cybersecurity teams are still dealing with the shift towards hybrid working, which while beneficial for many, also brings additional cybersecurity challenges which criminals will attempt to exploit. 
If these pressures are pushing cybersecurity employees away from their jobs, that could have negative repercussions for everyone because fewer cybersecurity staff means it could make it easier for cyber criminals to breach networks – and remain inside them without being detected.  
In order to help combat burnout, many businesses are implementing strategies designed to help cybersecurity personnel manage the balance between their work life and their home life.  According to 72% of respondents, the most helpful one of these is flexible hours, while investment in further education and access to therapy and coaching are also listed as helpful. 
“Broadly speaking, companies are taking the right steps when it comes to easing burnout among cybersecurity professionals,” said Rick McElroy, principal cybersecurity strategist at VMware 
“But solving this issue isn’t a simple, one-time fix. Now is the time to really double down on wellness efforts, such as flexible hours, more education, and coaching and therapy,” he added. 
MORE ON CYBERSECURITY

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Kurt Baker – February 13, 2023
A cyber attack is an attempt by cybercriminals, hackers or other digital adversaries to access a computer network or system, usually for the purpose of altering, stealing, destroying or exposing information.
Cyberattacks can target a wide range of victims from individual users to enterprises or even governments. When targeting businesses or other organizations, the hacker’s goal is usually to access sensitive and valuable company resources, such as intellectual property (IP), customer data or payment details.
Malware — or malicious software — is any program or code that is created with the intent to do harm to a computer, network or server. Malware is the most common type of cyberattack, mostly because this term encompasses many subsets such as ransomware, trojans, spyware, viruses, worms, keyloggers, bots, cryptojacking, and any other type of malware attack that leverages software in a malicious way.
A Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack is a malicious, targeted attack that floods a network with false requests in order to disrupt business operations.
In a DoS attack, users are unable to perform routine and necessary tasks, such as accessing email, websites, online accounts or other resources that are operated by a compromised computer or network. While most DoS attacks do not result in lost data and are typically resolved without paying a ransom, they cost the organization time, money and other resources in order to restore critical business operations.
The difference between DoS and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks has to do with the origin of the attack. DoS attacks originate from just one system while DDoS attacks are launched from multiple systems. DDoS attacks are faster and harder to block than DOS attacks because multiple systems must be identified and neutralized to halt the attack.
Phishing is a type of cyberattack that uses email, SMS, phone, social media, and social engineering techniques to entice a victim to share sensitive information — such as passwords or account numbers — or to download a malicious file that will install viruses on their computer or phone.
Common phishing attacks include:
Spoofing is a technique through which a cybercriminal disguises themselves as a known or trusted source. In so doing, the adversary is able to engage with the target and access their systems or devices with the ultimate goal of stealing information, extorting money or installing malware or other harmful software on the device.
Spoofing can take different forms, which include:
CrowdStrike’s findings show that 80% of all breaches use compromised identities and can take up to 250 days to identify.
Identity-driven attacks are extremely hard to detect. When a valid user’s credentials have been compromised and an adversary is masquerading as that user, it is often very difficult to differentiate between the user’s typical behavior and that of the hacker using traditional security measures and tools.
Some on the most common identity-based attacks include:
Code injection attacks consist of an attacker injecting malicious code into a vulnerable computer or network to change its course of action. There are multiple types of code injection attacks:
A supply chain attack is a type of cyberattack that targets a trusted third-party vendor who offers services or software vital to the supply chain. Software supply chain attacks inject malicious code into an application in order to infect all users of an app, while hardware supply chain attacks compromise physical components for the same purpose. Software supply chains are particularly vulnerable because modern software is not written from scratch: rather, it involves many off-the-shelf components, such as third-party APIs, open source code and proprietary code from software vendors.
IT teams that solely focus on finding adversaries external to the organization only get half the picture. Insider threats are internal actors such as current or former employees that pose danger to an organization because they have direct access to the company network, sensitive data, and intellectual property (IP), as well as knowledge of business processes, company policies or other information that would help carry out such an attack.
Internal actors that pose a threat to an organization tend to be malicious in nature. Some motivators include financial gains in exchange for selling confidential information on the dark web, and/or emotional coercion using social engineering tactics. On the other hand, some insider threat actors are not malicious in nature but instead are negligent in nature. To combat this, organizations should implement a comprehensive cybersecurity training program that teaches stakeholders to be aware of any potential attacks, including those potentially performed by an insider.
Learn more about the different types of social engineering attacks to better understand how to prevent and remediate against each one. Read: 10 Types of Social Engineering Attacks
DNS Tunneling is a type of cyberattack that leverages domain name system (DNS) queries and responses to bypass traditional security measures and transmit data and code within the network.
Once infected, the hacker can freely engage in command-and-control activities. This tunnel gives the hacker a route to unleash malware and/or to extract data, IP or other sensitive information by encoding it bit by bit in a series of DNS responses.
DNS tunneling attacks have increased in recent years, in part because they are relatively simple to deploy. Tunneling toolkits and guides are even readily accessible online through mainstream sites like YouTube.
An IoT attack is any cyberattack that targets an Internet of Things (IoT) device or network. Once compromised, the hacker can assume control of the device, steal data, or join a group of infected devices to create a botnet to launch DoS or DDoS attacks.
[According to the Nokia Threat Intelligence Lab, connected devices are responsible for nearly one-third of mobile network infections – more than double the amount in 2019.]
Given that the number of connected devices is expected to grow rapidly over the next several years, cybersecurity experts expect IoT infections to grow as well. Further, the deployment of 5G networks, which will further fuel the use of connected devices, may also lead to an uptick in attacks.
What are Internet of Things (IoT) Devices?
Devices include traditional endpoints, such as computers, laptops, mobile phones, tablets and servers, as well as non-traditional items, such as printers, cameras, appliances, smart watches, health trackers, navigation systems, smart locks or smart thermostats.

A comprehensive cybersecurity strategy is absolutely essential in today’s connected world. From a business perspective, securing the organization’s digital assets has the obvious benefit of a reduced risk of loss, theft or destruction, as well as the potential need to pay a ransom to regain control of company data or systems. In preventing or quickly remediating cyberattacks, the organization also minimizes the impact of such events on business operations.
Finally, when an organization takes steps to deter adversaries, they are essentially protecting the brand from the reputational harm that is often associated with cyber events — especially those that involve the loss of customer data.
Below are some recommendations we offered in our 2022 Global Threat Report to help organizations improve their security posture and ensure cybersecurity readiness:
Download the 2022 Global Threat Report to find out how security teams can better protect the people, processes, and technologies of a modern enterprise in an increasingly ominous threat landscape.
Kurt Baker is the senior director of product marketing for Falcon Intelligence at CrowdStrike. He has over 25 years of experience in senior leadership positions, specializing in emerging software companies. He has expertise in cyber threat intelligence, security analytics, security management and advanced threat protection. Prior to joining CrowdStrike, Baker worked in technical roles at Tripwire and had co-founded startups in markets ranging from enterprise security solutions to mobile devices. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Washington and is now based in Boston, Massachusetts.

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Find out which are the highest-paying jobs in the cyber security industry that businesses need so desperately.

Cyber security is an ever-expanding and rapidly growing field, with no sign of slowing down anytime soon. As businesses become more reliant on online services and digital products, the need for cyber security professionals increases.  But who are these professionals? What do they do?
Experts from job aggregator Jooble affirm that there are many job opportunities in the field of cyber security which pay well. Let’s dive into the world of cybersecurity jobs to explore which job pays what.
As the highest-paid executive in the cyber security sphere, CISOs can earn up to $200k plus bonuses for their expertise. As businesses become increasingly dependent on technology, the need for strong cybersecurity strategies and solutions is more pressing than ever before.
CISOs are responsible for leading their teams to develop security policies, implement technologies, and monitor threats. They also serve as an important point of contact between organizations and the outside world, helping ensure that data and networks remain safe. With so much responsibility, it’s no surprise that CISOs are in great demand.
Cyber Security Architects are responsible for designing and implementing security plans and systems, as well as assessing potential risks. They can earn up to $150k per year depending on experience and the size of their organization.
Cyber Security Architects also ensure that all necessary safety protocols are in place and regularly review the security of their systems. They are also responsible for creating disaster recovery plans, in case of an attack or other security breach.
Cyber Security Architects have a diverse set of skills, from technical know-how to process design, that all come together to create a secure network environment. The combination of these various pieces allows them to protect a company from the ever-evolving cyber threats of today and tomorrow.

3. Security Analyst

A Security Analyst is a professional who is responsible for protecting an organization’s data, networks, and systems from security threats. They use their knowledge of information security best practices to identify potential vulnerabilities, then create and implement solutions that mitigate risk and defend against attacks.
In addition, they are often involved in developing policies and procedures that ensure compliance with government regulations related to data security. Security Analysts also monitor network traffic and audit logs for signs of malicious activity, as well as provide technical support to end-users who are experiencing security issues.
By staying up to date on the latest industry trends and tools, they can ensure that their organization’s networks remain safe from cyber threats. They can earn up to $125k plus bonuses depending on experience.
An Ethical Hacker is a computer and network security professional who helps protect organizations by identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities in the system. They use their knowledge of hacking techniques to simulate cyber-attacks and assess how secure an organization’s infrastructure is.
By doing this, they can identify areas of risk, develop appropriate countermeasures, and help prevent malicious attacks. Ethical Hackers are also known as ‘white hats’ or ‘good guys’ because they use their technical skills to protect rather than exploit networks.
They may work for organizations in-house or provide consulting services externally. As well as having a detailed understanding of hacking techniques and technologies, an Ethical Hacker must also have strong communication and problem-solving skills in order to be effective. They can earn up to $115k per year.

A Security Engineer is responsible for the implementation and maintenance of an organization’s security systems. They may also design, implement, test, and maintain security solutions to protect computer networks from unauthorized access.
Security Engineers plan and develop secure networks within their organizations, as well as review existing systems for vulnerabilities. Additionally, they are in charge of ensuring that all security systems remain up to date to protect against potential threats.
In short, Security Engineers ensure that sensitive data is kept safe and secure in the digital world. They are essential for any business wanting to stay ahead of the game when it comes to cybersecurity. Without their expertise and dedication, organizations would be at serious risk of cyber attacks and data loss. They typically make up to $110k per year.
It is a hotly discussed topic in current times. With the ever-evolving technology landscape, it is paramount that companies keep an eye on emerging cyber threats and invest in systems to effectively protect their operations. Organizations need to understand the importance of not only investing in state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions but also having the right personnel to put these solutions into action.
The cybersecurity industry has been growing exponentially in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue into the future. As new forms of technology develop, so too will cyber threats as hackers become increasingly sophisticated. Companies must be prepared to protect their data by investing in personnel with specialized skills, as well as systems that are tailored to their industry.
The future of cyber security is also dependent on government policy and regulations. As new laws are put in place, companies must comply with them or risk facing hefty fines or even criminal charges if they do not take appropriate security measures. It is therefore essential that organizations look ahead to ensure they stay up-to-date with the latest laws and regulations.

The future of cyber security is bright, with the industry offering a wealth of opportunities for those willing to invest in the training required to become an expert in this field. Cybersecurity professionals are highly sought after and can expect to be rewarded well for their knowledge and skills.
Cybersecurity is an important and growing industry, with a high demand for qualified professionals. The jobs listed in this article are some of the highest paying in the field, so if you’re looking to make a career change or upgrade your skillset, this could be the perfect time to do it.

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The war in Ukraine began during and influenced the revision process of the NSS. The war has the characteristics of a hybrid war, consisting of physical combat, information warfare, and cyber warfare, and has had a major impact on the national security discussion in Tokyo. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) proposal for the NSS revision released in April 2022 describes an urgent need to develop a posture for information warfare, as “in light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine this year, preparation for information warfare is an urgent issue.” In response to the debate on the need to deal with information warfare, the new NSS describes the creation of an organization within the government to deal with information warfare as “a new structure will be established within the Government to aggregate and analyze the situation on disinformation originated abroad.”
On December 16, 2022, the Japanese government approved a cabinet decision on security-related strategic documents: the National Security Strategy (NSS), National Defense Strategy (NDS), and Defense Buildup Program (DBP). The NSS is the principle for Japan’s national security strategy for the next 10 years, defining diplomatic and defense strategies in response to the new security environment. The NDS, renamed from the National Defense Program Guideline, defines the Japan Self-Defense Force’s (JSDF) defense strategy for the next decade, setting goals for national security and outlining approaches and means to achieve them. The DBP, renamed from the Mid-term Defense Program, indicates a medium- to long-term development plan that includes the level of defense capability and the procurement plan.
The revision of the NSS marks a major turning point in Japan’s post-World War II national security policy. The following six points are its major changes. First, it points out the fundamental changes in the security environment, especially China’s military rise becoming a threat to Japan’s security; second, it calls for raising the defense budget to 2% of GDP in FY2027; third, it plans for procuring missiles with a range of about 1,000 km and possessing a counterattack capability; fourth, in the cyber domain, it plans to introduce active cyber defense; fifth, it specifies the procurement of various types of unmanned weapons, and the sixth, it supports expanding exports of defense equipment.
In line with the revised strategy, the DBP has been completely revised, and defense expenditures of 43 trillion yen will be allocated over five years starting in 2023.
There are two significant changes in the cyber area of this new NSS: the development of a posture for information warfare and the introduction of active cyber defense in cybersecurity.
The war in Ukraine began during and influenced the revision process of the NSS. The war has the characteristics of a hybrid war, consisting of physical combat, information warfare, and cyber warfare, and has had a major impact on the national security discussion in Tokyo. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) proposal for the NSS revision released in April 2022 describes an urgent need to develop a posture for information warfare, as “in light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine this year, preparation for information warfare is an urgent issue.” In response to the debate on the need to deal with information warfare, the new NSS describes the creation of an organization within the government to deal with information warfare as “a new structure will be established within the Government to aggregate and analyze the situation on disinformation originated abroad.”
Reflecting the new NSS, in the FY2023 budget, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance monitoring of the information space and strengthen intelligence analysis. The Ministry of Defense is also planning to introduce an automatic information gathering and analysis system using AI technology to grasp the situation of information warfare.
Regarding the issue of active cyber defense, the LDP proposal, describing the cyber response strategy as “necessary to consider the implementation of active cyber defense against the attacker,” was simply carried into the NSS as follows: “Japan will introduce active cyber defense for eliminating in advance the possibility of serious cyberattacks.” To implement active cyber defense, the National center for Incident readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) will be restructured to establish a new cybersecurity organization, which will coordinate policies in the field of cybersecurity and will command the cyber units of the JSDF and the police.
The number of cyber personnel in the current MTDP is around a thousand, but in response to the direction in the DBP, the Ministry of Defense will train 4,000 cyber “warriors” and provide 16,000 JSDF personnel with cyber training in five years.
In addition, several laws will be revised to implement active cyber defense. It is likely the Telecommunications Law and the Unauthorized Computer Access Prohibition Law will be revised in the near future to enable the Japanese government to conduct administrative interception, which is allowed in Western countries but not in Japan.
Admiral Dennis Blair, the former U.S. Director of National Intelligence, described Japan’s cyber team as “minor league” at the LDP’s security subcommittee last year. If the cybersecurity posture described in the strategy documents is realized, Japan’s cyber team will be promoted to a triple-A team, if not a major league team.
The new NSS, surprisingly, sets very high goals: “the response capabilities [of Japan] in the field of cybersecurity should be strengthened equal to or surpassing the level of leading Western countries.” Once an active cyber defense system is in place, Japan, like the U.S., will be able to monitor cyberattacks, identify attackers (attribution), and take countermeasures against attacks as a series of cyber defenses.
In the DBP, it is stated that the JSDF will promote cooperation and interoperability in cross-domain operations, including space, cyber, and electromagnetic operations, to further strengthen the joint integrated deterrence capability of Japan and the United States. It also states that the cyber threat-hunting capabilities of the SDF’s cyber units will be strengthened, which means that the SDF’s cyber units will have cyber counterattack capabilities soon.
In the event of a Taiwan contingency, it is highly likely that hybrid warfare, combining military and non-military means to achieve military objectives, will be implemented. If the posture stipulated in the new strategic documents is in place within five years, Japan will have the capability and structure to fight in cyberspace. Further, the JSDF’s cyber units will share the mission with the U.S. military’s cyber command to defend cyberspace.
Jun Osawa is a Senior Research Fellow at the Nakasone Peace Institute.
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