Threat Stack’s 2018 New Year’s Security Resolutions

Security Research & Strategy
4 Min Read •

Insights from
Chris Ford, VP of Product, and Pete Cheslock, Senior Director of Operations and Support

Instead of the “predictions” that are usually offered up at this time of year, we decided to focus on security resolutions. So rather than surveying a variety of issues that might (or might not) affect your security operations in the coming year, we want to talk about resolutions that, if you put them into play and follow through rigorously, will offer a sure way of strengthening your organization’s security habits and posture.

Security should never be thought of as a one-and-done proposition. It’s an ongoing, evolving process, and instead of “getting secure,” smart organizations focus on continuously improving their security postures. As with any other type of improvements you want to make, it can be helpful to take a moment to pause and consider your goals for the coming year. Instead of good intentions that don’t translate into action, make resolutions around the reality of today’s security landscape and the very real challenges that are likely to arise in your organization in 2018.

To help you do this, we sat down with two of our cloud security experts, Chris Ford, VP of Product, and Pete Cheslock, Senior Director of Operations and Support, to ask them what resolutions they recommend companies make regarding security in 2018. Here’s what they had to say. Read more “Threat Stack’s 2018 New Year’s Security Resolutions”

Is Your Infrastructure Too Unique for a Cloud Security Tool?

Security Research & Strategy
3 Min Read •

Every organization orchestrates their infrastructure in their own way, but more often than not, most cloud environments have a lot in common. Since infrastructure security is embedded at the technology layer of your stack, many security tools on the market today can meet the needs of even the most unique cloud configurations. In this post, we’ll explain why that is. Read more “Is Your Infrastructure Too Unique for a Cloud Security Tool?”

How to Work Backwards to Develop a Sound Security Strategy

Security Research & Strategy
3 Min Read •

In today’s cloud-based environments, security threats can move faster and do more damage than ever before. To avoid a financial and technological repercussions, companies must be proactive with their security strategies and have the ability to act fast.

A common approach is to “over-secure” company systems, but this can unnecessarily limit employee access to important tools and hinder productivity. Alternatively, those who know security well realize that if you offer employees too much access, it can open your business to security vulnerabilities.

A better approach centers on striking the right balance between security and practicality, and the way companies can achieve this is by working backwards from the ideal security scenario to formulate their strategy.

In this post, we’ll explore ways that security leaders can approach technology in a manner that is both usable for employees but also secure for the company. To do this, they must begin with an analysis of the risks and the needs of their employees. Let’s dive in. Read more “How to Work Backwards to Develop a Sound Security Strategy”

People, Processes, & Technology: The 3 Elements of a Rockstar Security Organization

Security Research & Strategy
4 Min Read •

In our recent webinar, Automating Security & Compliance for Your Cloud Deployment, we explored ways that firms can scale their cloud security strategies through visibility and intrusion detection, security and compliance automation, and low-cost security practices.

Some organizations are especially successful when it comes to security preparedness. In the webinar, we discussed what makes the strongest teams stand out. It boils down to their unique approaches to people, processes, and technology and how these elements are bound together by a common set of goals.

In this post, we’ll dig further into these three areas and define what you really need to create a rockstar security organization.
Read more “People, Processes, & Technology: The 3 Elements of a Rockstar Security Organization”

Velocity and Security: 5 Posts to Help You Get Security Up to Speed

Security Research & Strategy
3 Min Read •

There’s a lot of talk in the business world — especially the software-driven side of it — about achieving and maintaining velocity. The ability to continuously release new code can be the difference between winning and losing.

But as Threat Stack’s CSO, Sam Bisbee, recently pointed out in InfoSecurity magazine, “The market’s investment in services and tools to automate business processes without incurring heavy maintenance costs has outpaced investment in the methods to secure them.” Sometimes we forget that, if security can’t keep up, it won’t matter how fast you get that new app out there. You’ll eventually be faced with a mountain of security-related headaches — or at least the stress of increased risk. Read more “Velocity and Security: 5 Posts to Help You Get Security Up to Speed”

Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services, Introduces New and Enhanced AWS Services at re:Invent

Threat Stack Use Cases
5 Min Read •

Las Vegas — Wednesday, November 29, 2017

It was 8:00 a.m. when AWS CEO Andy Jassy took to the stage to offer up the latest AWS news and announcements. And offer up he did. To my recollection, the number of services announced today dwarfed anything unveiled at any previous AWS re:Invent show. (To see the ever-growing list of services debuted this year, head over to the AWS blog.)

The sheer number of new services blew away all expectations. Not only did Amazon announce new compute instances and enhancements to some of their existing services, but the big news was their flurry of announcements about new services that continue down the path of Serverless and Machine Learning.

Here are some of the highlights, along with my points of view from a DevOps perspective. Read more “Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services, Introduces New and Enhanced AWS Services at re:Invent”

Enhancing the Power of Your SIEM With Threat Stack’s Intrusion Detection Platform

Security Research & Strategy, Threat Stack Use Cases
4 Min Read •

Trying to manage security with only one security tool (or, for example, having to use log files alone) can be a major headache. The right combination, however — like a SIEM coupled with an intrusion detection platform — can produce great results, including better data, smaller amounts of data, shorter processing times, and lower operating costs. Read more “Enhancing the Power of Your SIEM With Threat Stack’s Intrusion Detection Platform”

Your Personal Guide to AWS re:Invent 2017

AWS Security, Threat Stack Use Cases
5 Min Read •

Secure the Strange Things Happening in Your Cloud

Booth #204 | November 27 – December 1 | Las Vegas, NV

Are you attending the AWS re:Invent conference next week?

There’s a lot happening this year, so we thought we’d publish a brief guide to help you get the most out of it.

If you’re not able to attend, stay tuned to our blog. We’ll be providing updates in real time and after the event, we’ll be sharing highlights as well as a few additional goodies. Read more “Your Personal Guide to AWS re:Invent 2017”

The 7 Key Functions of a Modern Intrusion Detection Platform

Security Research & Strategy
3 Min Read •

When you’re making a mental shift away from legacy, on-prem security thinking, you may be wondering what an effective, modern security solution looks like. You may already know that you should prioritize detection and not focus solely on prevention, but what exactly goes into a best-case intrusion detection solution?

The graphic below should help you understand the five key components of intrusion detection. When considering what types of solutions to invest in, you want to make sure you have all of these bases covered from a technical point of view:

Beyond these core capabilities, we recommend that you keep the following  seven major requirements in mind in order to focus on the holistic goals of an IDP. Read more “The 7 Key Functions of a Modern Intrusion Detection Platform”