March 28, 2024 at 07:06AM
2023 was challenging for cybersecurity, and 2024 looks worse with notable increases in data breaches and ransomware attacks. Flashpoint recorded significant rises in major threat indicators within the first two months of 2024. Their intelligence is gathered from publicly available information, monitored by teams of analysts including Dark Web activities and known vulnerabilities. Flashpoint recommends using a Venn diagram analysis to prioritize patching vulnerabilities and has a limited role for AI in their future operations.
From the meeting notes, the key takeaways are:
1. Cybersecurity challenges are expected to worsen in 2024, with dramatic increases in all major threat indicators in just the first two months of the year.
2. Flashpoint’s data shows a significant increase in data breaches and ransomware attacks in 2024 compared to 2023, with the US being a major target.
3. The MOVEit attacks and LockBit ransomware group were notable in 2023, and while LockBit’s operations were disrupted in February 2024, uncertainty remains regarding their potential resurfacing.
4. Flashpoint’s intelligence gathering methodology involves monitoring the Dark Web, leak sites, ransomware blogs, public disclosures, and known vulnerabilities from various sources, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive data collection for threat analysis.
5. The report highlights the limitations and blind spots of relying solely on the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure (CVE) database, urging a more comprehensive approach to identifying and prioritizing vulnerabilities for remediation.
6. Flashpoint believes in the effectiveness of human intelligence in identifying future threats, with limited use of AI primarily for summarization of human intelligence.
7. The firm’s unique selling proposition (USP) lies in their thorough and intelligent gathering and analysis of publicly available data, providing curated and vetted insights to address cybersecurity challenges.
These takeaways, derived from the meeting notes, provide a comprehensive overview of the cybersecurity landscape and Flashpoint’s approach to intelligence gathering and threat analysis.