Risk Maturity and the Continuum GRC IRM Platform

Over the past few weeks, we’ve discussed what it means to consider risk as part of an overall compliance strategy. We’ve emphasized throughout that risk doesn’t have to be an abstract pursuit–it can be a comprehensive part of compliance and security that uses the realities of regulations and frameworks to drive decision-making (and vice-versa).  One… Read More

What is Third-Party Risk Management?

In the increasingly interconnected and complex world of business technology, many organizations are grappling with the challenges related to insecure integrations and agreements. The rise of technology service models, managed service providers (MSPs) and SaaS apps introduce compliance and risk management issues almost faster than businesses can keep up.  Thus, a new discipline has evolved:… Read More

What Is Risk Management Software, and What Should You Look For?

Risk management is quickly becoming the foundation for most security and compliance standards. And this is for good reason–complex security threats based on modern technology and the interoperability of extensive cloud-based infrastructure aren’t going to be held at bay through ad hoc implementation of technology.  Risk doesn’t have to be an amorphous and ill-defined process,… Read More

What Is SSAE 18, and How Does it Relate to SOC Reports?

SSAE 18 is a statement that sets standards for reporting on the controls and processes related to financial reporting. It comes from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, outlining the framework for reporting on internal controls. The SSAE 18 is designed to provide assurances that the reporting of service organizations is secure, thorough, and… Read More

FedRAMP and CISA: What Is Binding Operational Directive 22-01

Managing cybersecurity threats is a full-time job, and most cybersecurity specialists rely on shared knowledge between experts in the field to combat these threats. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database provides a starting point for this kind of knowledge, centralizing an index of known security vulnerabilities in the wild.  The CVE program recently joined… Read More

Social Engineering and Enterprise Security

Discussions about security and compliance disproportionately focus on businesses and enterprises, precisely because these organizations serve as central repositories for critical industrial or consumer information. Accordingly, regulations and best practices are often tied to securing this infrastructure, with consumers getting little to no attention.  However, the reality of modern cybersecurity threats is that almost all… Read More

What is IRS 1075?

The federal government has strict and comprehensive regulations on how agencies handle constituents’ personal information. This is just as true for tax information. The IRS leans on established guidelines associated with federal security to dictate regulations for agencies that handle tax information and, by and large, treats that information as a sensitive and critical part… Read More

Michael Peters, Continuum GRC: “close proximity between working and personal computing spaces has put both at risk”

Following the continuous rage of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations face a difficult task to secure the workload and devices of the employees scattered around the world. As a home has become the new office, it unveiled serious organizational cybersecurity gaps. Experts say that simply installing antivirus software or encrypting traffic on a company-issued MacBook is… Read More

What is SOX 404 Compliance?

Corporate compliance is a major undertaking for a few reasons–IT systems become complex, work forces grow to hundreds of individuals with different levels of access to information and public corporations must file difficult financial and security attestations annually to prevent fraud.  One of the essential forms of financial and IT compliance for publicly-traded companies in… Read More

What Does it Mean to be FISMA Compliant?

The Federal Information Security Act, or FISMA, is a comprehensive cybersecurity law that has a widespread impact on federal agencies, state agencies handling federal programs and contractors and service providers working with these agencies. As such, its effect is wide-ranging, and FISMA requirements often overlap or inform other, more specific compliance frameworks. However, at its… Read More

What is Application Scanning and Why Is it Important?

Security isn’t simply something to consider during audits. In today’s evolving threat landscape, new attacks are emerging every day, and security experts are racing to stay ahead of them. The best approach to mitigating security is to maintain proactive cybersecurity practices, including testing, self-assessments and application scanning.  Because many organizations are using or deploying web… Read More

How Severe Are General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Fines?

We’ve already been seeing the changes for months now: new, robust cookie acceptance disclaimers, longer and more involved data collection forms and an uptick in fines for U.S. companies operating in the European Union.  Companies in the United States are starting to understand their regulatory responsibilities under EU law, but few actually understand the scope… Read More

What Is the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)?

The California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA) was a landmark law passed in California to support data privacy and consumer rights. As time has marched onward, new technologies and insights from stakeholders have introduced new approaches to the challenges addressed by CCPA. That’s why Proposition 24, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), was drafted and passed… Read More

What Are Consent Requirements for GDPR Compliance?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a set of regulations enforced in the European Union to protect consumer data privacy and instill new controls over data ownership and use. While only having jurisdiction in the EU, this law has had a major impact on how companies do business in Europe, especially digitally.  Here, we’ll… Read More

We are the Perfect Proactive Partner

Lazarus Alliance Partnering Provides Audit & Compliance and Regulatory Support You have customers working with you today who need or demand additional support for their own compliance, risk, governance, and cybersecurity programs. Maybe your firm is a Public Accounting Firm and your clients work with you on taxation, but they also require a SOC 1… Read More

What Are Tenable and Assured Compliance Assessment Solutions?

Government agencies and contractors in the supply chain face threats every single day. If you haven’t read the news lately, our national infrastructure and data systems face significant challenges in maintaining the security and integrity of their devices, applications and network resources. When agencies and contractors want to connect to any sensitive system, the Department of… Read More