From disclosure to disaster: An 11-Day wake-up call for our industry

A recent advisory from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) shared a story that resonated with me and probably with every organisation in the UK. It detailed a breach where a federal agency was compromised just 11 days after a critical patch was made available.

While this incident occurred in the US, the fundamental principles behind the breach are global. The vulnerabilities, the speed of attackers, and the common pitfalls in security processes are the same threats we face here in the UK. The NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) and CISA frequently share intelligence and warnings because cyber threats don't respect borders. This incident holds a mirror up to our entire industry, highlighting crucial lessons we all need to take to heart.

The Need for Speed in Patching

The first and most obvious lesson is about the speed of our response. Attackers are not waiting around. When a new vulnerability is disclosed, they are already on the clock. This specific exploit was weaponised and used within days of its public release.

This means that simply knowing about a vulnerability is not enough. We must have a process in place to prioritise and deploy critical patches as soon as they're released, especially for public-facing systems. The old practice of waiting for scheduled maintenance windows is a high-risk gamble we can no longer afford.

Incident Response is More Than a Document

The advisory also pointed out that the breached agency's incident response plan was not well-practiced. It didn't have clear procedures for engaging third-party experts or for granting them necessary access to resources. This delayed the response and allowed the threat to persist for weeks.

An incident response plan is not something that should sit on a shelf. It needs to be a living, breathing part of your security program. You have to practice the plan regularly, almost like a fire drill. This ensures that when a real event occurs, everyone knows their roles, communication channels are clear, and you can act quickly to contain the damage.

Continuous Monitoring is Non-Negotiable

Another key failing was that while the agency had endpoint detection and response tools, their security alerts weren't reviewed continuously. The initial malicious activity went unnoticed for weeks. The breach was only discovered after a separate, more suspicious file transfer triggered an alert that someone finally saw and acted on.

This highlights the importance of continuous, vigilant monitoring. It's not enough to just have security tools; you must have the processes and people in place to actively monitor the output of those tools and act on alerts. Without that human element of review and response, even the most advanced technology can become a passive security layer.

This incident serves as a stark reminder that while technology is a critical part of cybersecurity, our focus must be on the entire ecosystem: people, processes, and technology. The 11-day window is a powerful metric that should compel us to look at our own response times and ask, "Are we moving fast enough?"

Methods we specialise in helping organisations close these types of security gaps. As an NCSC Assured Cyber Security Consultancy our team can help you proactively identify and mitigate vulnerabilities before they are exploited.

To learn more about how our assured services can help you strengthen your security posture and address the very real threats highlighted in this advisory, please visit our website to speak with one of our experts.

For those whole who love the detail take a look here.