December 18, 2023 at 01:24AM
The U.S. CISA stresses eliminating default passwords on internet-exposed systems due to severe risks exploited by Iranian threat actors. Mitigation measures include utilizing unique setup passwords or enabling multi-factor authentication. CISA advises strong passwords, network segregation, and encryption to enhance security. Additionally, recommendations for hardening software supply chains have been provided by NSA, ODNI, and CISA.
Key takeaways from the meeting notes include:
– The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is highlighting the dangers of default passwords on internet-exposed systems, particularly in the context of Iranian threat actors exploiting these defaults to access critical infrastructure in the U.S.
– Mitigation measures suggested by CISA include the use of secure by design principles, unique setup passwords, or the disabling of default passwords after a preset time period, accompanied by the implementation of phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods.
– Israeli-made Unitronics Vision Series programmable logic controllers (PLCs) have been targeted by IRGC-affiliated cyber actors, emphasizing the need for manufacturers to enhance security measures and for users to change default passwords.
– CISA is advising healthcare and critical infrastructure entities to enforce strong passwords, implement phishing-resistant MFA, manage patches consistently, evaluate the use of unsupported hardware and software, and encrypt sensitive data to fortify their networks against potential malicious activity.
– Additionally, the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and CISA have published a list of recommended practices for organizations to improve the safety of their open-source software management processes.
If you need more detailed information on any of these points, please let me know.