Andrew Panetta

CrowdStrike combined with Microsoft caused the largest tech outage in history last week and decapitated some very major brands. And this issue is probably still going to take larger corporations another week or two (at least) to stabilize. That means a lot Fortune 500 CEOs are very upset right now. You can blame CrowdStrike of course and their shoddy testing practices that caused them to release a bug to more than 8M computers & servers worldwide. Or you can blame Microsoft for building an operating system that is so fragile that it gets taken down so easily by 1 bug in the security layer. You can also blame the complex interdependencies within the global technology infrastructure which can result in these unforeseen scenarios. But it’s businesses themselves that have set up single points of failure (such as CrowdStrike) because they rarely want to pay for redundancy when it comes to security. If one bug can have such a profound and immediate impact on businesses across the world then security leaders, CEOs and ELTs have a lot of thinking to do about their security investment strategy. This was truly a legendary screw up by not just CrowdStrike or Microsoft but also their customers. #crowdstrike

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Immediate Steps to Take After a Cyber Breach When a cyber breach hits, time is money—and every second you lose could cost your business thousands. So, what's the game plan? First, isolate the breach to prevent further damage. Next, protect your data by locking down sensitive systems and begin assessing the scope of the attack. Don't waste time—speed is everything here. If your business isn't prepared to respond within minutes, you're already behind. Does your company have a clear post-breach response plan? Let's get one in place before it's too late. #PostBreach #IncidentResponse #CyberSecurity

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Great insights from Andrew Green on this emerging security category

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Let me get this straight: everyone is outraged the FBI bought location data that is sold to everyone else willing to pay for it? Really? Let me tell you something, they did not buy "special" data that no other marketing firm or foreign "interest" can't buy. The companies who collect this data sell it to anyone who can pay. Where is the outrage at that? What we need is a law making all such sales illegal, rather than pandering to just the anti big government lobby. https://lnkd.in/gXtUR6uh

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Pop Quiz: If you start getting rapid pop-ups on your computer that won’t close out, your network is suddenly slower than molasses, and your desktop is filling up with “files” you didn’t put there, what would you do? 🧐 If you guessed the answer that ~95% of the population would guess, you could actually make the problem WORSE. In today’s blog, we’ll tell you what you should never do if you suspect your computer has been compromised, plus the 5 steps you must take immediately to contain the issue. Click here to find out what they are -https://lnkd.in/e4ViU-Mu #cybersecurity #techtips #bestpractices #IT #technology #hackers

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Last night I spent some time talking to a few dear friends calming them down, helping them to sanity check, and navigate evacuating the fires in SOCAL. Though they don't work in our industry, several of you have met these friends over the years. It reminded me of the principles that I keep in working incident response. I leaned on: 1. Being the most calm. 2. Being empathetic. It's ok for people to feel negative emotions, especially during events, I lean on understanding and channeling those emotions. 3. Assist in making action-oriented decisions smaller and more numerous. People, including you, make mistakes in responding to events, making decisions smaller and incremental gives people the opportunity to make smaller mistakes. In this case this meant asking questions about their driving, their speed, their gas situation, their fog lights, etc. Each of these are small decisions that can help people calm down and focus, as well as keep them safe. 4. Helping them avoid pitfalls. 5. Being honest. If I didn't know things I told them. If I knew things, I told them why (experience, news article, whatever). I also follow a mantra of: 1. Manage safety first. 2. Manage convenience second. 3. Manage emotions third. Getting folks to a safe spot is obvious, managing convenience to reduce the immediate challenges is important, but people often confuse this for the first priority. Knowing that it comes second enhances the first priority. Having emotions come last allows people to feel but also let's them know that their feelings don't influence what keeps them safe and what is most convenient. Always remember to communicate, even over communicate, your thoughts and focus on a mantra, your underlying focus is on their long-term well-being. Be flexible for people, but stringent on your principles. I remind folks that this is what I do. For 20+ years now, helping folks in situations, at it's core, is what I do. In professional terms since Blaster and MyDoom. Over that time, it became ingrained in who I am. Let them know that you're honored you could be on the other end of the phone in that situation with them. You're there for it. And lastly, maybe the most important. When everything is all said and done, whether it's a week, a month, whatever. Ask if they're ok. Over the years I've played virtually every role in industry in events (interim CISO, response commander, responder, SME, whatever), as I reflect on that, I recognize that these principles and steps have helped from all of those angles. My heart goes out to everyone affected by the fires in SOCAL. Be safe and take care of each other.

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Is your IT and security team stretched thin? Feeling the pressure to do more with less? You're not alone. IT and security teams are bursting at the seams. You need more resources—now.    Here’s my 3-step action plan for how I get leadership buy-in:    1. Supply Tangible Metrics  2. Build a Business Case  3. Highlight Collaboration    1. Supply Tangible Metrics  Show, don't just tell. Frame requests by connecting them directly to business outcomes.     2. Build a Business Case  Demonstrate how additional resources (human or technology) enable success.     3. Highlighting Collaboration  IT does not operate in isolation. From security certifications to supporting the sales cycle, your team actively contributes to building trust and driving business forward, even if it is outside the traditional IT scope.    It’s no mystery that security and IT departments are stretched thin, balancing critical daily tasks with broader responsibilities like security certifications, reporting, and supporting sales cycles.     The reality is you need people. You need technology. Investments in both yield returns and prevent costly gaps when neglected. #IT #CISO #CIO #InformationSecurity #BusinessCollaboration #Security

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💡 it really is that simple… Most IT Departments spend hours upon hours looking for the right solution. * Upgrade VM? * Network Upgrade? * Purchase of NVR/DVR’s * Cloud Licensing * Pay walls?? The list goes on… Purchasing Physical Security at Verkada is made easy. No NVR/DVR needed No time wasted 1. Pick your hardware 2. Pick your Cloud UI license(1,3,5,10YR) 3. Install it ( our partner installers can help or chances are your expert IT techs know how to operate a PoE enabled camera 😉 ) 24/7 Support via our support engineers ✅ 10YR Manufacture Warranty ✅ Unlimited Users ✅ Mobile Friendly ✅ Simple Install ✅ Auto Firmware/Software Updates ✅ Also our frontend and UX teams kill it with the command UI 🌱 …. ✅ so… anyone can navigate their sites and cameras & don’t even get me started on features …. Curious to learn more? Visit our website www.verkada.com or directly reach out 😊

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The September edition of Portland's CISO Friends Dinner brought out some verbal fisticuffs and a first - we were tossed out of a dive bar! During these dinners, we try to have some very real conversations with security professionals on the state of the industry. That said, I felt that my conversation initiating question to the group was a little clumsy... Is Cybersecurity getting to be considered a luxury? Have we seen a bias towards compliance-based project budgeting? Are factors like profit sensitivity, a push towards resilience vs prevention and perhaps a movement to shinier objects (hello AI!) reducing budgets, visibility and importance? We used to be so sexy and now... The group pushed back and we defined "luxury" as going beyond the needs of HIPAA, PCI, governmental, etc standards. We do see signs of cyber morphing in new ways. For example, moving it out from its provincial silo and into the field. So then redefinition - will "luxury" be seen as a separate siloed cyber org vs cross departmental integration with overall direction from the top? Lots of arguing and interaction. This is good. Once we had circled the table (and the restaurant closed), we went back around again for more clarification and thought. (Once we got kicked out, we took it to a local dive bar and the bartender didn't like the looks of our group and pretty much asked us to leave. So we did and showed those 20 somethings how cool we are to hang out late and talk about the integrity of the electric grid! 😎) Thank you guests for a great night and conversation. Many thanks to Cyera and Armis for their sponsorship and participation. We can't have these evenings and deep discussions without your support! Chris Floyd David Kremer Maryann Mooney Michael F. RJ Belles #cybersecurity #CISO. #CISOFriends #toocoolforadivebar

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I have a similar methodology when it comes to Password cracking using Hashcat. The only difference is, I use https://lnkd.in/dCkeKXGq password rules.

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Woo Skimmer - An exploit that steals credit card numbers using style tags. While security is fundamental, I seldom see any kind of security on WordPress sites I am hired to audit. That would be like leaving the back door of a store open, lights on and the cash register open, full of cash. It isn't just casual WordPress users that don't think about! I have recently finished or repaired sites that were started by developers who advertise WordPress design as their primary business. I have been keeping count. Of the ten finish/repair projects I have taken over this year, only one had any security. Security is one of the first things I configure on a new WordPress website. A security plugin is installed before any other plugin, theme or design. I want to be able to scan anything I add to a new website as opposed to discover a Trojan ticking time bomb later. This article by the Sucuri team, also offers some tips in checking for the malware. https://lnkd.in/g6iR35Nc

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How secure is your business? Do you have firewall? Do you have AV? It’s a question we ask everyday. But what happens if someone pulls a Mitnick as I call it and goes old school (for those who don’t know Kevin Mitnick was an infamous hacker). And just show up at your business and infiltrate it just by walking in. Why do I raise this you ask? I actually accidentally did it. Turns out an accident was a highly educational moment and showed me how easily it can be achieved. I was doing work for a client in legal space. They had just aquired a business in a town I don’t normally do work in so I punched the address into the gps and off I set to conduct a site audit in preperation for the acquisition. I pulled up when “you have reached you destination” and was presented with a nice neat little office building that I didn’t read the sign I just assumed it was right cos you know….the gps said so. In I went and up to reception I headed and a lovely lady treated me and I introduced myself and said I was from IT and this person had sent me over to take a look at things and do an audit. Without blinking she says “oh ok go ahead everything is in the room through that door there” and off I went unsupervised. Got in the room. Took photos. Made notes. Wandering around no one batted an eye at me being there. It wasn’t until I hit an office and stuck my head in the door and I talk to the young lady and repeat that I’m from IT and just doing a quick audit for the acquisition and she looks at me funny and says “what acquisition” and I repeat the buying company and at this point it dawns on me I might be in the wrong building and I say “this is (insert business name here)” and she laughs and says “oh no your in the wrong building they are two doors down”. We have a laugh about it and I head out red faced I went in the wrong building but it does highlight a serious issue on reflection. I was let in. I was left unsupervised. I was given access to critical infrastructure all because I had a convincing story when I walked in. How are you training people to make sure this doesn’t happen at your business? Sure it’s old school and sure it wouldn’t work everywhere. I got into an accounting firm, unsupervised and let into critical infrastructure that I could have had a free run at. We train our people not to be fooled by a malicious email but what if the threat actor literally walks through the front door. How are you vetting people and making sure they are who they are who they say they are? It’s a funny story but it highlights how old school methods are still effective today. Don’t think it would happen to you? Ask a mate to show up to your work and run the same scenario and see how far he can get. You never know you might be suprised. How are you training your people? #CyberSecurity #InfoSec #PhysicalSecurity #DataProtection #NetworkSecurity #SecurityAwareness #RiskManagement #BusinessContinuity #CyberThreat #SecurityTraining

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🚨 BSOD Alert! 🚨 Many faced the dreaded Blue Screen of Death due to a faulty CrowdStrike Falcon sensor update, causing boot loops. CrowdStrike released a fix, but manual steps are needed: Fix Instructions: 1. Boot Windows into Safe Mode or WRE. 2. Go to `C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike`. 3. Locate and delete the file matching "C-00000291*.sys". 4. Boot normally. 🔧 If this doesn't work, grab a sledgehammer, smash your Windows, and install Linux! 🛠️😂 #TechSupport #CrowdStrike #BSOD #TechHumor #Microsoft #Outage

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A little holiday funny to brighten your Tuesday. This is all in fun, so please Sales folks dont get offended! This poem/song whatever was inspired by my rant and created by ChatGPT. 🎄🎁🎄🎁🎄🎁🎄🎁 Twas the Night Before Christmas (Sales Edition) 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the East, Not a creature was stirring, not even a beast. The inbox was bursting, my LinkedIn aflame, With messages aplenty, all sounding the same. "Just thirty quick minutes," their emails would plead, "We'll help with your goals! We know what you need! Risk management, MSSPs, or VM insight, Let’s chat for a bit—perhaps later tonight?" Some knew where I worked, others guessed in the dark, Their research half-baked, missing the mark. "Your company needs us!" they'd boldly exclaim, Forgetting I advise—not run the domain. Five DMs a day, five emails or more, All seeking my time, a relentless encore. If I gave every pitch a full thirty-minute slot, I'd lose three hours daily—now that's quite a lot. With 40-hour weeks on the job I'm employed, 20 in community work I enjoy, 10 hours of side gigs to keep life on track, And precious few moments for rest and to snack! So I flipped the script, as a good leader should, I asked for *their* help, for the greater good. "Sponsorships! Support! Your chance to give back! Help build the next gen—no talent we'll lack." Their replies trickled in, polite but aloof, Few would engage, and most were proof That spamming my inbox is their only skill, With no thought to the value they could help fulfill. "Oh, good luck with fundraising," one person said, Another just ghosted and left me on read. A rare kind soul asked for the link to the site, Their gift might help dreams take off in flight. So here’s my experiment, wrapped in a bow: If you’re in sales, take a moment to know The person you pitch, the work that they do, And how your support could help them—and you. To all who will listen, the message is clear: Spam less, care more—spread real cheer this year! For over 12 years Women + Cybersecurity = Women's Society of Cyberjutsu has been training and preparing the next group of talented professionals from entry level to leadership. On average it costs around $10,000 per person to train over the course of a year!!! Any amount helps. Help us in reaching our goals in 2025 to continue this mission!! https://lnkd.in/ed8rwNc

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After 18 months, I am still #OpenToWork. Some lessons I've learned along the way: While I have an extensive network, everyone still only remembers me for Citrix' Remote PC Access. While I am not averse to this, I have accomplished other things: I've been a Sales Engineer, a WW Technical Evangelist, a Global Technical Enablement leader, and a Product Manager for a $1 billion product. I was Subject Matter Expert for Americas SEs from Presentation Server 4.0 all the way to XenDesktop 7.6 (where I transitioned to PM). I led Waterfall-Agile on the PM side and became SAFe 4.0 certified. I helped close innumerable deals for global SEs who needed assistance with PoCs/RFPs/Production issues. I did it not for recognition (although that followed), but because I am the type of person that wants to see others succeed and win. I was criticized a couple times, as the deals weren't mine, but one example is that I covered AL, MS, TN, GA and temporarily the D.C.-area at one time. There was an SE gap in D.C. and they looked to me because I would not say no and they had confidence in me that I could handle it all. That's where I sold Bechtle their first Citrix license :) So, while yes, I was the originator and tireless champion for the Remote PC Access use case.... for my last 6 years at Citrix (2017-2023), I focused on building an ideas platform and collaborative process around customer feature product requests that funneled into Product. The goal was eliminating that so-called "black hole" around customer/CTP requests. It was an industry-leading internal platform and process (so I'm told by those familiar with the likes of Vivun and UserVoice within the ecosystem, as well as new hires into Citrix that used other companies "ideas" systems). So, I danced where the company needed someone to shine a light to have the most impact - where no one else was - a canary singing at the golden goose. That was Remote PC Access, and then RFEs (Request For Enhancements). I don't regret either, as Citrix made 100s of millions off RPCA (still are) and the RFE Platform did help field, product, support and revenue operations all come together to pull back the veil of feature/product impact. If a customer account call was happening, a simple check box and the Customer Success/Support/SE had all their feature requests and status at their fingertips on demand. PM could see if the feature helped sell a deal instantly and then future impact on recurring revenue. People have asked me: "What am I looking for?" My response is: "How can I help you, the team, and the company succeed?"

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