Intelligence in Defensive Security

2025 was a defining year for cybersecurity, and this article brings together the insights that mattered most. Inside, you’ll find Echelon’s top reports and articles covering real-world threats, defensive gaps, compliance shifts, and lessons learned across industries. It’s a guided entry point into the stories and strategies worth revisiting as you plan what comes next.

A critical Microsoft 365 misconfiguration is enabling untraceable internal phishing. Learn how Echelon’s experts uncovered the issue and how to fix it fast.

Download the OWASP LLM Security Checklist to evaluate and secure your AI systems. Covers threat modeling, dependency checks, deployment protections, and continuous governance for LLMs.

Download the NIST AI RMF (AI 600-1) Security & Risk Mitigation Checklist to safeguard your AI systems. Evaluate readiness, manage bias, privacy, and security risks with clear, actionable checkpoints.

On June 20, 2025, Governor Greg Abbott signed the Texas Cybersecurity Safe Harbor Law (SB 2610). This law takes effect on September 1, 2025, and brings major changes for small and mid-sized Texas businesses that handle sensitive personal information.If your organization has fewer than 250 employees, this law could protect you from punitive damages after a data breach—but only if you maintain a documented, compliant cybersecurity program.

Gain a clear view of 2025’s evolving cyber threats with real-world breach insights and a practical defense roadmap for security leaders.

This article outlines the major 2024 updates to the ISA/IEC 62443 standards, focusing on changes to governance, supply chain security, monitoring practices, and workforce training. It highlights how Echelon’s Risk and Audit Assessment services can help organizations in manufacturing and the defense industrial base understand and implement these updates effectively. 

Learn service account and PAM best practices to reduce risk, prevent privilege abuse, and improve security with actionable strategies and tools. 

Learn how threat actors exploit AZUREADSSOACC to pivot from on-premises Active Directory to Azure. Get actionable defenses to secure your hybrid identity environment. 

Discover how Managed Firewall Services enhance cybersecurity, reduce complexity, and ensure compliance with 24/7 expert management and proactive threat prevention. 

Learn how Zero Trust enhances Identity and Access Management (IAM) with best practices, real-world challenges, and practical steps for a seamless implementation. Secure your organization with Echelon's expertise. 

Discover how sophisticated social engineering attacks are leveraging legitimate Microsoft tools and services to deploy ransomware. Learn about recent phishing campaigns, Microsoft Teams vishing and effective cybersecurity measures to protect your organization. 

DeepSeek R1’s security flaws highlight critical AI safety risks, from data exposure to adversarial attacks. Learn how vulnerabilities in open-source AI models compromise cybersecurity and what mitigation strategies organizations should adopt. 

Explore Echelon Risk + Cyber's Managed Defensive Security Services, a comprehensive suite protecting your organization with expert-led solutions for Microsoft 365, cloud security, threat management, and firewalls. Download checklists and capabilities overview briefs to strengthen your defenses. 

We’re excited to share the 5 most-read articles of the year. These articles stand out for their relevance, depth, and impact on the ongoing cybersecurity dialogue. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting to dive into the world of cybersecurity, these pieces offer valuable perspectives on the challenges and solutions facing today’s digital landscape.

Learn more about the critical vulnerability found recently in the PAN-OS management interface by the CISA. 

In today’s digital world, managing access is essential for security, efficiency, and compliance. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) simplifies this by assigning roles and granting access based on those roles, rather than individual permissions. This ensures consistent, well-managed access across the organization, making RBAC one of the most effective security methods. In this article, we'll explore RBAC, its implementation challenges, and practical tips for maintaining an effective system as organizations scale. 

Discover expert strategies from Echelon to enhance your organization's cybersecurity during Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Learn about training enhancements, cyber exercise benefits, internal testing, and building a culture of awareness to strengthen cyber defenses. 

The OSI Model, or Open Systems Interconnection Model, is a way to break down how networked devices communicate into seven layers. It was developed in the late ‘70s and published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1984.  This article details the vulnerabilities and recommended remediations of each layer of the OSI model. It will be helpful for anyone just starting their cybersecurity career, as well as a refresher for our long timers.

In this article, Renata Uribe Sánchez explores the transformative impact of large language models (LLMs) in the field of cybersecurity. LLMs, particularly Transformers, are powerful tools within deep neural networks that can interpret and generate natural language, making them invaluable in various applications. The article discusses the benefits of integrating LLMs into cybersecurity, including advanced threat detection, phishing prevention, malware detection, and investigative data analysis. It also highlights the challenges associated with biases, AI-driven hacking, and data privacy.

Uncover the truth about Microsoft 365 security in healthcare organizations. Learn why myths about security tools, Microsoft's default settings, third-party filters, and HIPAA certification can leave your organization vulnerable.

Healthcare organizations should assess their Microsoft 365 environment to protect sensitive data and reduce cyber threats. Read on to learn more.

Learn how to locate and exploit Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in modern web applications by understanding client-side and server-side code interactions, CSRF tokens, and SameSite cookie policies.