Potential Integrated Circuit Supply Chain Impacts from Hurricane Helene
The damage caused by Hurricane Helene in Spruce Pine will likely cause disruptions at the start of the microchip and integrated circuit (IC) supply chain by preventing the mining and distribution of high purity quartz until the mines and local transportation networks are fully repaired. BACKGROUND Hurricane Helene Impacts In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene impacted the Caribbean, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and other southeastern states in the United States[1]. Its impacts varied widely depending on location and the associated exposure to the primary…
About to Post a Job Opening? Think Again – You May Reveal Sensitive Information Primed for Cybersecurity Attacks
People are always on the move, changing their homes and their workspaces. With increasing frequency, they move from their current jobs to new positions, seeking new challenges, new people and places, to higher salaries. Time and hard work bring experience and expertise, and these two qualities are what companies look for; they’re looking for skilled workers every single day, on multiple job search and recruiting platforms. However, these job postings might reveal sensitive information about the company that even the most seasoned Human Resources specialists don’t notice. Job posting websites…
Get Strategic About Cyber Risk Management
With global cybercrime damage costs exceeding $11 trillion last year and moving toward an estimated $20 trillion by 2026, robust cybersecurity risk management has never been more imperative. The interconnected nature of modern technology means that, by default, even small vulnerabilities can lead to catastrophic losses. And it’s not just about finances. Unmitigated risk raises the specter of eroded customer confidence and tainted brand reputation. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll give enterprise defenders a holistic, methodical, checklist-style approach to cybersecurity risk management. We’ll focus on…
5G vs. Wi-Fi: A Comparative Analysis of Security and Throughput Performance
Introduction In this blog post we compare the security and throughput performance of 5G cellular to that of WiFi. This work is part of the research IOActive published in a recent whitepaper (https://bit.ly/ioa-report-wifi-5g), which was commissioned by Dell. We used a Dell Latitude 7340 laptop as an end-user wireless device, a Panda Wireless® PAU06 as a WiFi access point, and an Ettus Research™ Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP™) B210 as a 5G base station to simulate a typical standalone 5G configuration and three typical WiFi network…
WiFi and 5G: Security and Performance Characteristics Whitepaper
IOActive compared the security and performance of the WiFi and 5G wireless protocols by simulating several different network types and reproducing attacks from current academic research in a Dell-commissioned study. In total, 536 hours of testing was performed between January and February 2024 comparing each technologies’ susceptibility to five categories of attack: user tracking, sensitive data interception, user impersonation, network impersonation, and denial of service. IOActive concluded that a typical standalone 5G network is more resilient against the five categories of attack than a typical WiFi network….
Recent and Upcoming Security Trends in Cloud Low-Level Hardware Devices: A survey
The rapid evolution of cloud infrastructures has introduced complex security challenges, particularly concerning all of the processing devices and peripheral components that underpin modern data centers. Recognizing the critical need for robust and consistent cloud security standards, technology firms, developers, and cybersecurity experts established the Open Compute Project Security Appraisal Framework and Enablement (OCP S.A.F.E.) Program. At the 2024 OCP Regional Summit in Lisbon, I was joined by my colleague Alfredo Pironti, Director of Services at IOActive, to present a deep dive into the security of cloud infrastructures, the threats…
The Security Imperative in Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries and everyday life, driving innovations once relegated to the realm of science fiction into modern reality. As AI technologies grow more integral to complex systems like autonomous vehicles, healthcare diagnostics, and automated financial trading platforms, the imperative for robust security measures increases exponentially. Securing AI is not only about safeguarding data but also about ensuring the core systems — in particular, the trained models that really put the “intelligence” in AI — function as intended without malicious interference. Historical lessons from earlier technologies offer…
5 Signs You’re Ready for a Red Team
We often talk about security as a continuum; a journey toward greater maturity and increased capability. Along that path, the practice of red team testing serves as an important milestone, not just for the benefits it offers, but also for what participating in red teaming says about the state of security — overall posture, culture, commitment to continuous improvement — in any organization. Red team tests remain one of the most effective ways to probe defenses and identify vulnerabilities. And unlike traditional penetration tests,
Transportation Electrification Cybersecurity Threatscape
World-Wide Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure Trends The global push to meet rising EV adoption with sufficient EV smart charger infrastructure is astoundingly challenging. Bloomberg estimates the global charging infrastructure market opportunity to be $1.9T between 2022 and 2050. That opportunity will be seized upon by a host of organizations large and small, public and private. From EV fleet depots to fast charging stations along highways, parking garages, smart chargers for employees, and home chargers,…
Field-Programmable Chips (FPGAs) in Critical Applications – What are the Risks?
What is an FPGA? Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are a type of Integrated Circuit (IC) that can be programmed or reprogrammed after manufacturing. They consist of an array of logic blocks and interconnects that can be configured to perform various digital functions. FPGAs are commonly used in applications where flexibility, speed, and parallel processing capabilities are required, such as telecommunications, automotive, aerospace, and industrial sectors. FPGAs are often found in products that are low volume or demand short turnaround time because they can be purchased off the shelf and programmed…