Cybersecurity Insights with Contrast CISO David Lindner | 5/24/24

Insight #1

Tool consolidation continues, with Palo Alto’s plans to absorb IBM's QRadar software. This movement will continue and makes sense for the consumers of security software, as well. The reasons are clear: According to a recent report, 75% of IT professionals spend between at least half their day — 4-6 hours — managing their cybersecurity tools. Some — 14% — are spending more than an entire shift (7-9 hours) managing tools. There are far too many time-consuming chores, including monitoring security platforms, patching vulnerabilities, responding to high-priority alerts, responding to low-priority alerts, wasting time responding to vulnerabilities that can’t be attacked because they’re in lumps of code that never get called by the application, managing endpoint agents, integrating other security tools and analyzing alerts. This can’t go on. The future lies in consolidation. 

Insight #2

Contrast researchers found a critical vulnerability in the Netflix Genie open-source software product. It's a path traversal vulnerability that leads to remote code execution (RCE). Contrast’s Runtime Security found this bug, which has existed since Netflix outsourced Genie; has been successfully blocking it as of Version 6.5.0; and has been notifying users about it. This is why I keep stressing the need to get on board with Runtime Security: It protects running applications and APIs by stopping attacks that exploit logic flaws or zero days that would otherwise bypass other first-line defense tools.  

Insight #3

A recent report posited that the rise of zero-day exploits is forcing CISOs to switch priorities to post-exploit response. The thinking: If you can’t stop zero days, you better be ready to mop up after you’ve been eviscerated. Zero days are the blind spots. What are you doing to try to protect yourself from future zero days? You don't have to sit around with your mop. You can actually find vulnerabilities before they’re discovered and reported.