October 2022 Summaries

Security theater refers to actions that make people and organizations feel safer without actually improving their safety. It is a tendency to focus on appearance rather than substance in cybersecurity measures, often expending time, money, and effort for minimal return. Some popular items in the security theater toolbox include security awareness training, "strong" password policies, and checkbox compliance. To move beyond security theater, organizations should assess their own environment and workflows, identify the biggest risks and their likelihood, and design their security strategy accordingly. One effective way to strengthen data security is by mitigating the risk of privilege abuse through data discovery, visibility, and classification, consolidated data access controls, and regular entitlement reviews.

Teju Shyamsundar, the Head of Product Marketing at Veza, is a versatile and driven individual who has made significant contributions to the company's success. With a background in technical fields, Teju transitioned into marketing with no prior experience, but found it fulfilling. Outside of work, she enjoys running, traveling, and learning new skills like sewing and gardening. Her morning routine includes exercise and coffee, while her evening is spent with family and friends or with their German Shepherd puppy. If she won the lottery, Teju would prioritize buying things she needs, investing, and donating to charitable organizations, including those supporting underprivileged communities in India. As a leader, Teju advises others to be bold, ask for what they want, and not forget about long-term goals. What sets Veza's culture apart is its focus on making customers successful, with hands-on involvement from the team. With the company growing rapidly, Teju is now looking to collaborate with like-minded individuals, including those interested in joining her team.

Kojima Industries, a Tier1 supplier of plastic parts, was hit by a ransomware attack that forced Toyota to temporarily shut down manufacturing across Japan. The incident resulted in a loss of 13,000 vehicles due to the crippled production of critical parts at Kojima's plants. Ransomware attacks have been increasing dramatically worldwide, with over 623 million reported in 2021. Toyota's experience highlights the potential vulnerabilities that supply chains can introduce into an organization's security posture. To mitigate these risks, implementing a zero trust security approach and using authorization platforms like Veza can help organizations enforce least privilege principles and maintain robust ransomware protection.