Insights

We're pleased to share that Patrick Kelley, CEO of Critical Path Security and Léargas Security, will be speaking at the 2025 GTBA Annual Meeting of the Membership, hosted by the Georgia Rural Telephone and Broadband Association. 📍 Location: Hammock Beach, Daytona Beach, FL 📅 Dates: June 15-19, 2025 🗣 Topic: Ransomware in Telecom and Broadband: Real-World Impact and Response Strategies Why This Talk Matters Rural telecommunications and broadband providers have become prime targets for ransomware groups seeking to exploit infrastructure gaps and critical service dependencies. As attackers refine their tactics-often hitting operations where recovery is slow and costly-preparedness is no longer optional. Patrick will dive into the latest ransomware attack trends, walk through recent case studies, and outline actionable steps for detection, response, and prevention tailored for rural ISPs and telcos. What Attendees Will Gain A clearer understanding of ransomware attack vectors in telecom infrastructure Guidance on securing legacy and…

We're proud to announce that Patrick Kelley, CEO of Critical Path Security and Léargas Security, will be speaking once again at GridSecCon 2025. His breakout session, titled "Mental Health in Cybersecurity: Leveraging the Maslach Burnout Inventory," will take place on October 8, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM PT. Why This Talk Matters Cybersecurity is more than threat detection and response-it's a high-pressure profession where burnout, imposter syndrome, and emotional fatigue are common, yet rarely discussed. The stakes are high, the expectations relentless, and the human toll is real. In this session, Patrick will offer a brutally honest and personal look at the psychological cost of doing this work, the systemic flaws that exacerbate mental strain, and how the Maslach Burnout Inventory can be used as a tangible tool to assess and manage burnout. What Attendees Will Learn How to recognize the warning signs of burnout before they escalate…

Discovery Highlights Common Data Handling Gaps In May 2025, cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler identified an unsecured ElasticSearch database that had been left publicly accessible. The dataset included over 184 million records, many containing usernames and plaintext passwords associated with popular platforms such as Apple, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. While there is no confirmation that this data has been actively exploited, the discovery underscores the ongoing need to review how credentials are managed, stored, and potentially aggregated without oversight. What Was Found The database entries included an ID tag indicating the type of account, the associated URL, and plaintext credentials. The use of the Portuguese word "Senha" for "password" may point to the original source or intended users of the system. A small sample of 10,000 records showed the following: Facebook: 479 Google: 475 Instagram: 240 Roblox: 227 Discord: 209 Additional records from Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal, Apple, Amazon, and others A…

Most industrial networks aren't taken down by ransomware. They fall because no one's watching the protocols that matter-the ENIP chatter between PLCs, the CIP commands altering logic, the silent changes that don't set off antivirus, but still shut down production. That's why Critical Path Security built its Managed Security Operations Center (MSOC) offering around one principle: You can't defend what you can't see. And now, powered by the Léargas Security platform, our MSOC provides not just visibility-but AI-enriched analytics, real-time behavioral monitoring, and a purpose-built MDR stack designed specifically for OT and ICS environments. Real Detection in the Field: AI + ACID in Action Last week, our team caught what others missed. During our real-time analysis of a mid-sized manufacturing client, our MSOC detected an unauthorized CIP Write Request (0x4D)-a command type typically reserved for changes to programmable logic. Detection wasn't luck. It was a combination of three key layers:…