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
The importance of risk management cannot be overstated… and yet, many enterprises struggle with the practice due to a lack of standardization or expertise. And while the challenges that businesses face implementing risk management are understandable, they are no longer acceptable. This article will provide an in-depth overview of OCTAVE Allegro, a framework developed to… 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
Businesses undergoing ISO certification are probably aware of the 27000 series and its focus on comprehensive cybersecurity. What many organizations don’t know, however, is that the series itself provides guidelines for risk managers to better implement Information Security Management Systems (the core process of ISO 27001) following best risk management practices.
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.
Cloud computing and modern service models of software or infrastructure distribution present a problem to providers and customers alike–namely, how to properly assess and certify components in a way that considers the relationship between different modules, platforms, and apps. FedRAMP requirements define how assessors and Authorization approach different cloud offering service models to mitigate the… Read More
When we talk about scans, tests, and authorization in the context of StateRAMP assessment, we tend to think that the process (and all its moving parts) are relatively stable and predictable. And, for the most part, this thinking is correct. However, it’s normal, and in some ways expected, to run into issues where scans and… Read More
So, after a long journey, we’ve arrived at the twelfth and final requirement for PCI DSS 4.0. Last but certainly not least, this requirement emphasizes the need for creating, documenting, and implementing organization-wide security and compliance policies.
System security is one task of many in organizations focused on compliance, one that requires continuous monitoring and diligence to ensure its success. One of the more critical aspects of compliance requirements like PCI DSS 4.0 is ongoing testing of system and network components. What does that process look like for companies in the payment… Read More
When thinking about cybersecurity, many stakeholders outside the industry will rarely consider the physical systems supporting digital information. And yet, almost any security framework worth its salt will have some provision for securing physical systems and environments. PCI DSS 4.0 is no different, and the ninth requirement is dedicated to just this topic. This article… Read More
Moving through the requirements of PCI DSS 4.0, we’re well over halfway through. During this journey, we’ve touched on cryptography, security and perimeter management, network security, authorization, and other critical security considerations. Now, we come up against the authentication and identity management problem with the eighth requirement. Authentication isn’t simply about passwords and CAPTCHAs, however.… Read More
As we work through the requirements of PCI DSS, we’ve run into several calls for securing data against “unauthorized users.” Operationally, this makes sense–cardholder data should be protected against use or viewing by people that don’t have a reason to do so. However, any effective IT security system must have a method to ensure that… Read More
Software, whether a locale installation or a web application, carries the risk of attack. While phishing and other social engineering attacks are some of the most common forms of a system breach, hackers still go for open vulnerabilities in software, whether due to bugs or misconfigured settings. That’s why the sixth requirement of the PCI… Read More