No one is immune from cyber attacks; just ask the Vatican which was hit with a denial-of-Service attack (DDoS). Even the Holy See could fall prey to such attacks.

On November 30, 2022, an attack took place against Vatican.va and rendered all other Vatican websites unavailable for several hours.

The hack allegedly occurred a day after Pope Francis denounced Russia's invasion in Ukraine and specifically named specific troops for their "cruelty".

Although your company might think it's doing nothing to spark Russian cyber-reaction, becoming vulnerable to cyberattack is still possible.

Online vulnerabilities are a serious security risk

Hackers use vulnerabilities in order to gain entry and compromise systems and data privacy. Common examples of online vulnerabilities are websites hosting adult content or using Flash Player as they contain vulnerabilities that allow access.

• Operating system flaws


• Network misconfigurations


• Unpatched software Weak access credentials


• Information that Cannot be Exploited

Some vulnerabilities cannot be exploited due to lack of public information available for exploit. Your existing security controls may also help shield this weakness or an attacker may need access or authentication into the local system in order to exploit the vulnerability.

Notwithstanding, any vulnerability can put your technology in jeopardy.

Vulnerabilities IT vulnerabilities can stem from various sources

One of the greatest challenges associated with cybersecurity is detecting them early enough. Take time as your business moves into 2023 to check for signs like:

• Complex systems are more prone to flaws and misconfigurations.


• Operating systems without adequate security measures are vulnerable to viruses and malware attacks, while employees often use weak passwords or reuse credentials without changing them regularly.


• Connectivity Sprawl - Each connected endpoint expands your attack surface.


• Assuming user input is secure could have unexpected repercussions. Instead, configure your systems so they confirm before access is granted.

Discover vulnerabilities by scanning your network and reviewing firewall logs, mapping all endpoints and technology that requires protection, and reviewing firewall logs. Otherwise, protecting it would simply be futile.

Update your software and hardware as quickly as possible, while checking for vulnerabilities with high levels of risk and developing countermeasures and patches to increase security.

Protect against cyberattack

In 2022, the Vatican budget totalled $887 million and some of this sum should have gone toward cybersecurity efforts - although not enough; Holy See still rebounded after being targeted by Chinese hackers for 2020 attacks.

Cyberattacks and unexpected outages can have serious repercussions for any business, no matter their budget. NuWaveIT C's IT experts are here to assist in strengthening cybersecurity by strengthening your defenses against attacks - contact us at (404) 932 5940 or info@nuwaveITC.com today and find out how they can help protect you.