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We are sitting at the intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence in the enterprise, and there is much to know and do. Our goal is not just to keep you updated with the latest AI, cybersecurity, and other crucial tech trends and breakthroughs that may matter to you, but also to feed your curiosity.
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Welcome to the first edition of our new format aimed at providing you more value:
Did You Know - The OAuth Backdoor: Is Your MFA Broken
Strategic Brief - The Identity Siege
Threat Radar
The Toolkit
AI & Cybersecurity News & Bytes
C-Suite Signal
Byte-Sized fact
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💡 Did You Know - 7 Key Facts About the Identity & Non-Human Identity (NHI) crisis.
Did you know that Non-Human Identities (service accounts, bots, tokens) now outnumber human employees by a ratio of 144:1 in the average enterprise?
Did you know that 97% of these non-human identities have excessive privileges, often granting "Shadow Admin" rights that security teams are unaware of?
Did you know that 43% of all exposed secrets (API keys, tokens) are found outside of source code, buried in places like SharePoint, Slack, and spreadsheets?
Did you know that malicious OAuth applications are now being sold on hacking forums as "phishing-as-a-service" kits (e.g., SquarePhish2, Graphish) to automate token theft?
Did you know that attackers are increasingly using QR codes ("Quishing") to deliver these OAuth lures, forcing users onto mobile devices where URL inspection is difficult?
Did you know that the North Korean (DPRK) cyber units stole over $2.02 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, largely by exploiting identity and social engineering vectors?
Did you know that device code phishing campaigns have shifted from "password reset" lures to highly contextual "salary bonus" and "HR benefit" themes to trigger urgency?
🎯 STRATEGIC BRIEF:
The OAuth Backdoor: Is Your MFA Broken
The Identity Siege
The Issue: A massive surge in phishing campaigns (tracked as Storm-2372 and TA2723) is abusing a legitimate Microsoft 365 feature: the OAuth 2.0 Device Code Flow. Designed for smart TVs and kiosks, this flow allows attackers to generate a code, trick a user into entering it at microsoft.com/devicelogin, and instantly hijack the session tokens.
The Opportunity: Security leaders must shift focus from "preventing unauthorized logins" (Authentication) to "governing session behavior" (Authorization). MFA is no longer a silver bullet; it is being bypassed because the user is successfully authenticating, just for the wrong device.
Why It Matters: This technique bypasses MFA entirely. The attacker doesn't steal the password; they steal the Refresh Token, granting persistent, long-term access (often 90+ days) to mailboxes and data without triggering new alerts. It bridges the gap between low-skilled criminals and high-level espionage.
The Playbook:
Block the Flow: Configure Entra ID (Azure AD) Conditional Access policies to block the "Device Code Flow" for all users unless explicitly required (e.g., for conference room devices).
Restrict to Managed Devices: If the flow is necessary, enforce a policy that requires the authenticating device to be "Compliant" or "Hybrid Azure AD Joined."
Hunt for Indicators: Look for sign-ins to Microsoft Authentication Broker or Microsoft Device Login originating from non-standard geolocations.
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We help you take control of identity and access, fortify every device and network, and build recovery systems that support the business by minimizing downtime and data loss. With our layered strategy, you’re not just securing against attacks—you’re ensuring business continuity with confidence.
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📡 THREAT RADAR - Rapid intelligence on active threats
React2Shell (CVE-2025-55182):
Risk: Critical (CVSS 10.0). Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution.
Impact: A flaw in React Server Components allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a single HTTP request. Active exploitation confirmed.
Action: Patch
reactto v19.0.1+ andnextto v15.0.5+ immediately. This is a "drop everything" patch.
WatchGuard Firebox (CVE-2025-14733):
Risk: Critical (CVSS 9.3). Unauthenticated RCE.
Impact: Exploits a buffer overflow in the
ikedprocess, allowing attackers to take full control of the firewall. Added to CISA KEV.Action: Upgrade Fireware OS immediately. If you have exposed management interfaces, assume compromise.
Array Networks VPN (CVE-2025-66644):
Risk: Critical. OS Command Injection.
Impact: Attackers are using this to plant webshells on VPN gateways, maintaining persistent access even after reboots.
Action: Update ArrayOS AG to 9.4.5.9 or later. This is a primary vector for initial access right now.
🛠️ THE TOOLKIT - Solutions to modern problems
The SaaS Watchdog: Valence Security
Problem: You have thousands of "Shadow" OAuth integrations connected to M365 and Salesforce that you can't see.
Solution: An SSPM (SaaS Security Posture Management) tool that discovers and remediates over-privileged third-party integrations and non-human identities.
The Configuration Scanner: Mondoo
cnspecProblem: Manual audits of cloud infrastructure take too long and are outdated instantly.
Solution: An open-source, policy-as-code scanner that audits AWS, Azure, and Kubernetes fleets for misconfigurations (like open device code flows) in real-time.
The AI Analyst: CrowdStrike Charlotte AI
Problem: Tier 1 analysts are drowning in alerts and cannot triage fast enough.
Solution: A Generative AI security analyst that automates the "grunt work" of log correlation and initial triage, allowing human staff to focus on complex identity threats.
Artificial Intelligence News & Bytes 🧠
Cybersecurity News & Bytes 🛡️
Get Content Workflows Right - Best Practices from Media Execs
The explosion of visual content is almost unbelievable, and creative, marketing, and ad teams are struggling to keep up.
The question is: How can you find, use, and monetize your content to the fullest?
Find out on January 14th as industry pioneers from Forrester Research and media executives reveal how the industry can better manage and monetize their content in the era of AI.
Save your spot to learn:
What is reshaping content operations
Where current systems fall short
How leading orgs are using multimodal AI to extend their platforms
What deeper image and video understanding unlocks
Get your content right in 2026 with actionable insights from the researchers and practitioners on the cutting edge of content operations.
Join VP Principal Analyst Phyllis Davidson (Forrester Research) and media innovation leader Oke Okaro (ex-Reuters, Disney, ESPN) for a spirited discussion moderated by Coactive’s GM of Media and Entertainment, Kevin Hill.
📊 C-SUITE SIGNAL - Key talking points for leadership
The "Identity Maturity" Mandate: Cyber insurance carriers for 2026 renewals are demanding proof of "Identity Maturity." Why: It's no longer enough to have MFA; you must demonstrate automated offboarding and governance of service accounts to get coverage.
SEC Enforcement Shift: The SEC has released its 2026 examination priorities, focusing heavily on Third-Party Risk Management. Why: Boards will be held accountable for the security of their vendors (like the SitusAMC breach), not just their own networks.
🧠 BYTE-SIZED FACT
This week marks the anniversary of the Target Data Breach (Dec 2013), where attackers stole 40 million credit card numbers. They didn't hack Target directly; they stole the credentials of a third-party HVAC vendor.
The Lesson: Twelve years later, Identity (specifically third-party non-human identity) remains the single most dangerous attack vector.
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