Modern cybersecurity is about more than just reacting to threats as they emerge. Adopting proactive cybersecurity measures is not just a strategic advantage; it’s an operational necessity that can spell the difference between business as usual and breaches that erode customer trust and shareholder value. Whether you’re a cybersecurity veteran or new to the domain,… Read More
Digital payments are, for the most part, the norm for commerce in the modern world. From swiping credit cards, tapping phones, or using credit card information in digital storefronts, a lot of payment information is moving through digital networks… and potentially insecure technologies. This is why credit card networks created the PCI DSS standard to… Read More
Due to some recent actions against online medical providers like BetterHealth and GoodRX, the Department of Health and Human Services has released a new warning for covered entities regarding the tracking methods they use on their websites. While web tracking has become a typical technology for most businesses, it’s not a cut-and-dry proposition for healthcare… Read More
Government responses to evolving security threats have, to more or less a degree, started to incorporate advanced mitigation postures that reflect a world of networked systems and complex digital supply chains. To address this changing landscape, the president issued Executive Order 14028, “Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity.” This 2021 order introduced a zero-trust… Read More
On February 20th, the FedRAMP PMO announced the release of the newest design for the FedRAMP Marketplace. While this news doesn’t necessarily shake the foundations of government compliance, the Marketplace it is an essential resource for agencies looking for a trustworthy source of information regarding cloud providers. In this article, we’ll break down what kind… Read More
Man-in-the-Middle attacks, where a malicious actor secretly intercepts and possibly alters the communication between two unsuspecting parties, have significantly escalated with digital connectivity and remote work surge. While the attack method is not new, its implications have grown in magnitude in the era of widespread digital transformation. Modern businesses, from multinational corporations to small and… Read More
The Common Criteria, recognized worldwide, provides a standardized framework for evaluating the security attributes of IT products and systems. From defining security requirements to testing and verifying products against these requirements, the Common Criteria assure that the evaluation process is rigorous, repeatable, and thorough. To ensure the success of the program on a national basis,… Read More
The Service Organization Control 2 (SOC 2) report has become, for many organizations and industries, the gold standard in security and integrity. While SOC 2 can be relatively comprehensive, more than the basic SOC 2 may be needed as regulatory and industry landscapes evolve. Enter SOC 2+, also known as a SOC 2 report with… Read More
In the era of digitization, the security of cloud services, particularly those engaged with federal agencies, is paramount. The government uses the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP)–to ensure cloud services meet stringent security standards to protect federal data. This article will dig into the intricacies of the FedRAMP High Impact Level and its… Read More
In the interconnected world of digital health information, safeguarding Protected Health Information is paramount. Healthcare providers must legally follow the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect patient privacy and maintain trust, and this compliance includes understanding what it means to identify and deal with security incidents. Among these, the concepts of security… Read More
In response to changes in the medical industry due to COVID-19, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have put forth a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to streamline how doctors can access mental health information. This article will discuss this rule change and why it… Read More
As cloud computing continues gaining popularity, organizations increasingly turn to cloud services to store and process their data. However, with this increased reliance on cloud services comes a heightened risk of data breaches and cyber attacks, making cloud security a critical concern for businesses of all sizes. To address these concerns, the International Organization for… Read More
As technology advances, the need for effective cybersecurity measures becomes increasingly important. The necessity for regular testing, including penetration testing, has raised awareness of best practices and standards for such assessments. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed comprehensive guidelines and standards to help organizations safeguard their information systems from cyber threats.… Read More
We’ve previously discussed the role of risk assessment as defined by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 31000, and generally speaking, we’ve found that risk management is a key practice to supporting security and compliance. To better support organizations approaching risk assessment, ISO published the supplementary document, ISO/IEC 31010, “Risk assessment technique.” In this article,… Read More
The Internet of Things (IoT) was seen as the next big thing for the consumer market. While the impact of IoT technology is still unfolding, there is no doubt that IoT devices have made a much bigger impact in the commercial space. IoT networks are changing how we handle major industrial processes, from healthcare to… Read More
As previously discussed, ISO/IEC 27701 is a comprehensive international standard that provides specific privacy guidelines for organizations attempting to meet additional standards for handling PII in line with jurisdictions like GDPR. This document aligns ISO-compliant organizations with PII-focused standards by implementing Privacy Information Management Systems (PIMS). So far, we’ve covered how ISO 27701 refines ISO… Read More
We’ve previously discussed ISO 27701 and how it refines two essential security standards and control libraries (ISO 27001 and ISO 27002). But, the entire purpose of ISO 27701 is to align IT systems with privacy requirements found under GDPR. Here, we’ll discuss the third section of this document that defines additional guidelines for organizations acting… Read More
Private security standards like those from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) generally seek some alignment with major regulations so that certified organizations can effectively adapt to new and rigorous standards. Accordingly, the ISO 27701 standard seeks to refine the standard ISO cybersecurity certifications to match evolving security laws in jurisdictions like the EU. In… Read More
ISO/IEC 27018 establishes commonly accepted control objectives to protect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in line with the privacy principles in ISO/IEC 29100 for cloud providers offering public infrastructure and services. It is a critical document for these providers seeking to instill the trustworthiness of their systems in their customers and clients. Learn more about ISO… Read More
GDPR has needed a centralized assessment and certification model for some time now. Still, with the plethora of certifications and standards covering different business contexts, there has yet to be a single approach that has risen to the top of the heap. However, the governing bodies of GDPR have authorized the new Europrivacy standard to… Read More
There’s no doubt GDPR is shaking up the business landscape. Companies that spent time handling personal data relatively laxly are now faced with strict and comprehensive laws governing digital marketing and data use in the EU. Nowhere is this more apparent than in business disclosure and data access laws.
Companies inside and outside the European Union are feeling the impact of GDPR–and if you’ve noticed the glut of complex and long-winded cookie notifications, you can see why. Businesses looking to operate data processing infrastructure or collect data in the EU must comply with GDPR. To streamline the process, the EU recently approved a central… Read More
Regarding cybersecurity and compliance, there is a massive benefit in having a deep field of providers and offerings that can serve large federal customers alongside smaller offerings that can serve the state, local, and municipal customers. It’s essential, however, to ensure that maintaining a competitive marketplace doesn’t compromise security. This means helping small or young… Read More
When it comes to managing FedRAMP-compliant systems, it helps to understand the entirety of the system that will fall under this jurisdiction. Unfortunately, with the complexity of cloud systems being what they are, mapping out IT systems with the right granularity can provide a challenge. This is why FedRAMP guides determining an organization’s authorization boundary.
