Network Security, Threat Management, Vulnerability Management

Microsoft report: 9.4 percent increase in vulnerability disclosures

Microsoft noted a 9.4 percent increase in vulnerability disclosures between the first and second half of 2015, with more than 3,300 disclosures during that time period, according to the latest Microsoft Security Intelligence Report (MSIR).  

High-severity vulnerabilities – those with Common Vulnerability Scoring System scores of 7 and above —increased by 41.7 percent across the industry in the second half of 2015, the report said.

One of the most concerning findings was that the most commonly targeted individual vulnerability in the latter half of 2015 was CVE-2010-2568 in Windows Shell, according to Tenable Network Security EMEA Technical Director Gavin Millard.

“CVE-2010-2568, a vulnerability well known for its usage in the Stuxnet malware family in June 2010, has had a patch available since August 2nd 2010 but many systems are still being successfully targeted,” Millard told SCMagazine.com in emailed comments.

Organizations must remember to patch “forgotten vulnerabilities” that are still lingering and are easily exploitable, he said.

The report also found that malware attacks flourished across the globe with Pakistan, Indonesia, the Palestinian territories, Bangladesh, and Nepal target most frequently, while Japan, Finland, Norway and Sweden were targeted the least.

Users in North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia were most likely to encounter malware attacks and 18 percent of computers worldwide encountered malware and unwanted software in 2015, the report said.

The report's findings leave something to be desired in today's world of connected devices, prpl Foundation Chief Security Strategist Cesare Garlati told SCMagazine.com via emailed comments.

Information security breaches may result in monetary losses, he explained, but Internet of Thing (IoT) breaches can result in the loss of human life if vehicles, airlines and critical infrastructure are compromises.

“I would like to see more industry focus on discovering and remediating vulnerabilities in connected embedded devices,” Garlati said.

Lieberman Software President Philip Lieberman said that in most cyberattacks covered in the report; the customer faces a no-win situation that guarantees their protection against a successful cyber attack.

“The truth be told, it is virtually impossible to detect competent attackers, so modern and effective methodologies implement automatic sweeping and reset of key systems assuming compromise, rather than relying on detection (a naive concept),” Lieberman said in comments emailed to SCMagazine.com.

He said the next phase of security is loss mitigation and the reduction of consequences that result from inevitable breaches.

“Few organizations consider this eventuality and rely on perimeter defenses and end point protection without realizing that they are ineffective and will ultimately result in a complete loss of control of the environment,” Lieberman said.

Get daily email updates

SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news

By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.