Listen to this Post
For decades, institutions like Chatham House and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) have positioned themselves as intellectual stewards of national and global security. Yet, beneath their polished mission statements lies a damning reality: systemic, willful negligence of basic cybersecurity practices.
Despite mounting evidence and repeated warnings from independent experts, these think tanks—along with UK government departments, the UK Home Office, and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)—continue to allow insecure Internet-facing assets to persist. This negligence places sensitive and critical national security systems, personnel, and even military command infrastructure at risk.
This isn’t mere oversight; it is entrenched incompetence, bordering on complicity. The failure to enforce baseline security standards—such as patch management, asset monitoring, and encryption—is inexcusable, especially from institutions tasked with shaping national security policy.
You Should Know: Critical Cybersecurity Practices for Institutions
1. Patch Management
Unpatched systems are a primary attack vector. Institutions must enforce:
Linux: Check for and apply updates sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y Windows: Force updates via PowerShell Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate -Force Get-WindowsUpdate -Install -AcceptAll -AutoReboot
2. Asset Monitoring & Discovery
Unknown assets are a major risk. Use these tools:
Nmap for network discovery nmap -sV -O 192.168.1.0/24 Shodan CLI for exposed assets (API key required) shodan host 8.8.8.8
3. Encryption & Secure Configurations
Misconfigured services lead to breaches. Verify TLS and disable weak protocols:
Test SSL/TLS with OpenSSL openssl s_client -connect example.com:443 -tls1_2 Disable SSH weak algorithms sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config Add: Ciphers aes256-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes128-ctr MACs hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha2-256
4. Threat Intelligence Integration
Ignoring warnings is negligence. Automate threat feeds:
Use MISP (Malware Information Sharing Platform) misp-import --url https://misp.example.com --event 1234
5. DNS Security (DNSSEC & Monitoring)
DNS vulnerabilities are catastrophic. Validate DNSSEC:
Check DNSSEC validation dig example.com +dnssec
What Undercode Say
The failure to implement basic cybersecurity measures by institutions responsible for national security policy is unacceptable. Leadership must enforce:
– Mandatory penetration testing (using tools like Metasploit, Burp Suite).
– Automated compliance checks (OpenSCAP, Nessus).
– Real-time intrusion detection (Snort, Suricata).
Without urgent action, these vulnerabilities will be exploited by adversaries, leading to catastrophic breaches.
Prediction
If cybersecurity negligence continues, we will see:
- State-sponsored attacks on critical infrastructure.
- Massive data leaks exposing classified information.
- Erosion of public trust in national security institutions.
Expected Output:
- Secure configurations enforced across all government systems.
- Automated patch management eliminating unpatched vulnerabilities.
- Proactive threat hunting replacing reactive security postures.
Relevant URLs:
IT/Security Reporter URL:
Reported By: Andy Jenkinson – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
