Latest news with #EPSS
Techday NZ
22-05-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Picus launches tool for real-time validation of exploitable risks
Picus Security has introduced a new capability designed to help security teams determine which vulnerabilities in their environments are actually exploitable. The new feature, called Picus Exposure Validation, uses real-time attack simulations to provide evidence-based assessments of vulnerability risks within a specific organisation's environment. This approach aims to address the challenge of large numbers of vulnerabilities that are often identified but not all requiring immediate attention or remediation. With more than 40,000 new Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) disclosed in 2024 - with 61% ranked as high or critical - security teams often struggle to respond effectively, as traditional vulnerability management methods can lead to inefficient allocation of resources. Picus Security says the new capability assists security teams in distinguishing between vulnerabilities that can actually be exploited in their unique systems and those that can be safely deprioritised. Traditional vulnerability management is typically driven by severity metrics such as Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) and Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), which provide generalised risk indicators but may not account for an individual organisation's existing security controls and asset criticality. Picus Exposure Validation aims to fill this gap with the Picus Exposure Score, an evidence-based, context-aware metric intended to reflect actual risk, according to the company. The system continuously tests security controls using real-world attack techniques to determine whether known vulnerabilities can be exploited given the organisation's current defences. The findings are automatically updated and presented in transparent reports, enabling quicker and more confident decision-making in response to new security threats. Volkan Ertürk, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Picus Security, commented: "The challenge today isn't finding vulnerabilities, it's knowing which ones matter in your unique environment. CVSS, EPSS and KEV offer theoretical risk signals. Picus Exposure Validation delivers proof by testing threats against your production defenses in real time. It replaces assumptions with evidence so security teams can focus on vulnerabilities that are actually exploitable." Key features highlighted by the company include the ability for security teams to more accurately prioritise remediation work, safely deprioritise less urgent vulnerabilities, and reduce manual workloads through the use of automated validation processes. The solution is said to include tailored recommendations to quickly improve the effectiveness of security controls, offering an alternative when immediate patching is not feasible. A global industrial firm reported that, upon deploying Picus Exposure Validation, it was able to reduce its list of critical patches by 85%. Based solely on CVSS ratings, 63% of the vulnerabilities in the organisation's systems were initially classified as critical. However, after applying Picus Exposure Validation, it was found that only 9% of those were truly high risk and required prioritisation. This reduction reportedly saved the organisation thousands of hours on patching activity and allowed the security team to focus resources more efficiently. The company positions Picus Exposure Validation as a new methodology for combining data about vulnerabilities with automated attack simulation to create an organisation-specific analysis of exploitability. This approach, according to Picus, offers security teams a more focused view on where to deploy efforts for mitigation and remediation and thereby enables more effective closing of security gaps. The Picus Exposure Validation feature is now available to organisations seeking enhanced vulnerability validation for their own environments. Follow us on: Share on:
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
High winds lead to power outages across Denver metro area to reduce wildfire risk
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — High wind on Tuesday could mean power outages for people in parts of the Denver metro area and foothills. On Tuesday, Core Electric Cooperative engaged alternate relay settings on its lines in Castle Rock, Bennett and Conifer service areas. FOX31 Weather: View the latest Denver forecasts, maps and radar 'We reprogram our system so if a tree or an animal were to get into our lines, the line automatically de-energizes and does not automatically reenergize,' Amber King, spokesperson for Core Electric Cooperative said. Without power running through the lines, they can't create a spark to ignite a wildfire. 'What that can do is cause some outages because what we then do is have our crews go inspect the line to ensure there's no fire risk before we reenergize,' King said. According to King, power outages due to the alternate relay settings happened across their service area on Monday. Tuesday afternoon, an outage impacting more than 1,000 customers was reported. Core sent linemen to inspect the equipment but it was not immediately clear if the outage was due to the wildfire safety setting. Xcel Energy has a similar system to protect against wildfire, called Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings. 'When EPSS is activated, power lines are more sensitive and can instantly stop the flow of energy if an object touches the line,' Xcel said in a statement. Evacuations lifted, wildfire north of Dry Creek Reservoir 100% contained In cases of extreme wildfire danger, Xcel can proactively turn off the power by employing a Public Safety Power Shutoff. The utility company said it has no plans to employ the PSPS protocol during this week's weather event. 'These are some of the hottest, driest, windiest days on record the last couple of days,' West Metro Fire Rescue Lieutenant Rhett Blackmer said. Blackmer is part of WMFR's wildland fire response team. He says sparks from power lines are a big concern during red flag conditions. 'Anything that is small that we're going to go to can pretty quickly become a large incident,' Blackmer said. WMFR's protocol during periods of increased fire danger is to automatically upgrade all calls for vegetation fires to a 'large' response to ensure there are enough resources on-site to handle a rapidly spreading fire. The specialized brush truck also follows traditional engines on every call. 'Time is of the essence on a windy day like today,' Blackmer said. 'As the Denver metro area grows and we move further into these wildland-urban interface areas, more and more homes are at risk in wildfire type areas.' Denver weather: Pinpoint Weather Alert Day for strong wind, snow chances South Metro Fire Rescue employs a similar technique to WMFR. On red flag days, brush trucks follow along on all engine calls until 9 p.m. 'We do this so that if a vegetation fire breaks out while our responders are not at the station, all resources will be together and ready to respond without unnecessary delay,' SMFR spokesperson Tate Owen said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Texas, New Mexico Xcel customers may be without power for days. Here's what to know.
More than 65,000 Xcel Energy customers across the Texas Panhandle, South Plains and New Mexico may be without power "for several days," according to a Friday afternoon update from Xcel. High winds, which brought gusts of up to 80 mph and low visibility, started to sweep through the area early Friday. This event has led to crashes and power outages across the region. Ahead of the event, Xcel Energy warned customers that there could be Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) and a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) in the Panhandle area. These were implemented early Friday and cut power to 17,000 customers. However, outages have reached 67,639 by 3:43 p.m., according to Xcel's outage map. "Extreme winds have caused significant damage to power lines in our Texas and New Mexico service areas, leaving about 65,000 Xcel Energy customers without power as of 2:30 p.m.," Xcel said in a 3 p.m. release on Friday. "High winds and wildfire risks are expected to continue, and crews are ready to restore power once it's safe. Restoration may take several days due to the damage." After the winds have subsided, Xcel's crews need to inspect the entire length of their lines and make repairs before the power can return. Crews will be working through the weekend on the 2,500 miles of lines. Xcel's outage map is updated every 10 minutes, and customers can check it for estimated restoration times at "We understand outages are challenging, and we appreciate your patience as crews continue to work to restore power to areas affected by this significant windstorm," Xcel said in the release. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Panhandle, Amarillo Xcel customers may be without power for days
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
High winds, fire danger to hit Amarillo area Friday. Here's what to expect
Wind gusts of up to 80 mph are expected to hit Amarillo and the surrounding area Friday, prompting closures, warnings and shut downs across the area. Here's what we know ahead of the storm. A Red Flag Warning alerts people that conditions are "highly unfavorable for prescribed burns and may lead to especially dangerous wildfire growth," according to the National Weather Service. The warning, as of Thursday afternoon, was active in the Amarillo area. It will continue into Friday, which is compounded with a High Wind Warning. "Critical fire weather conditions will be found across the Panhandles on Friday," reads a statement from the weather service in Amarillo. "West winds will gust from 60 to more than 70 mph at times. Lowest relative humidity values are expected to fall into the 10 to 15 percent range. High winds can make it difficult to travel and lightweight objects left outside could be blown around. People should secure objects. Friday will see widespread blowing dust after 7 a.m., with western wind gusts as high as 80 mph and sustained winds between 40-50 mph. The high will be near 63 degrees, with low humidity and extreme fire danger. Blowing dust is expected to continue until 10 p.m., and the gusts could reach up to 35 mph through the night. Isolated, extreme wind gusts up to 90 mph will be possible across portions of the Caprock escarpment Friday. People should obey fire restrictions, avoid using charcoal grills, not drive or park vehicles on grassy areas and avoid activities that may cause sparks, according to NWS. Saturday has a 20% chance of showers with a high around 56 degrees, a low around 33 degrees, and winds between 5-10 mph. School closures include: Childress ISD. New Deal ISD. Does your school or organization have a closure or update? Let us know by emailing the A-J newsroom at newmedia@ The latest update from Xcel Energy stated that there may be Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) and a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) in the Panhandle area. It is not expected in the Lubbock area as of 2:30 p.m. Thursday. EPSS means that if something touches the line, Xcel can stop the power. "Power will remain off until our crews can visually inspect power lines to make sure it is safe to turn them back on," Xcel stated in a release. "This may mean that if an outage occurs, it could last longer." Xcel Energy's website has an outage map at where people can also report and track outages. Customers can also use the app, call 1-800-895-1999, or text OUT to 98936 to report an outage or text STAT to the same number to check the status of a power outage. Preparations begin: Xcel Energy readies for power outages during peak fire risk Friday Palo Duro Canyon State Park in the Panhandle released a statement Thursday after it was notified the park is located within the planned Xcel Energy outage zone planned for Friday. The statement reads: As part of Xcel's efforts to reduce fire risk during the high winds expected to hit the Panhandle tomorrow, the park will be without electricity from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. This will lead to significant changes in park operations. If you decide to brave the hurricane-force winds and visit the park tomorrow, please be aware that there will be limited offerings at the Trading Post and Visitor Center, and they may close due to the power outage. Restroom facilities will also be impacted. Without electricity to power lift stations, the only restrooms available will be at Juniper and Soapberry. These restrooms will have water but will not have power for lights. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause during your visit. Please stay tuned to our Facebook page and website for further updates. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area school closures, services planned ahead of Friday storm
Observer
13-02-2025
- Health
- Observer
Mobile testing lab to detect poliovirus in wastewater launches
MUSCAT: Acting in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health (MoH), on Thursday celebrated the opening of a mobile standard laboratory for environmental diagnostic testing of poliovirus. The ministry was represented at the event by the Public Health Laboratories at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. In a speech on the occasion, Dr Said bin Harib al Lamki, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Health for Health Affairs (the chief guest), stressed the significance of cooperation and strategic partnership between the MoH and the WHO in conducting many health programmes and initiatives, including efforts to monitor and eradicate polio. For his part, Dr Jean Yaacoub Jabbour, WHO Representative in the Sultanate of Oman, said that the opening of the laboratory reflects the Sultanate of Oman's commitment to eradicate poliovirus worldwide. He added that Oman joined the ranks of countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region that implement environmental monitoring. Jabbour pointed out that the laboratory not only helps in detecting poliovirus in wastewater, but also acts as an early warning system for poliovirus transmission. Oman's Poliovirus Standard Environmental Diagnostic Laboratory is a WHO-accredited laboratory that forms part of environmental surveillance systems and detects poliovirus in environmental water samples like wastewater. The establishment of the new lab represents a step forward in enhancing the quality of health services in the Sultanate of Oman. Its opening underlines the Health Ministry's ongoing efforts to improve diagnostic and epidemiological surveillance capabilities in a manner that improves community health. The lab tests stool samples from children with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) or show polio-like symptoms from countries in the region. Health laboratories constitute the cornerstone of efforts to combat infectious diseases and enhance rapid response to epidemics and health challenges. Through this project, the Ministry of Health seeks to establish a modern infrastructure equipped with the latest technologies and international standards that would provide accurate, high-quality laboratory services. The Environmental Poliovirus Surveillance System (EPSS) is intended to enhance polio surveillance in the Sultanate of Oman. Its establishment will complement the AFP surveillance system aimed to enhance polio surveillance and ensure early detection of poliovirus in humans or the environment. — ONA
