The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is a security assessment and authorization program for cloud services used by the federal government. It is designed to ensure that cloud services meet the federal government’s security requirements, and that sensitive government data remains protected. A critical component of the FedRAMP security authorization process is the… 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
The International Organization for Standardization wrote ISO 27701 to align the standards of the ISO 27001 series with privacy-based standards like GDPR and CCPA. As such, it addresses the core requirements of that standard and refines them so that organizations don’t have to fumble in the dark about adapting their existing ISO certifications to larger… 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
As the old saying goes, the weakest link in any security system is the user. This isn’t an insult but rather a commentary on the impossibility of eliminating every vulnerability in a system that humans have to use daily. In terms of actually mitigating direct security threats associated with users, however, there can be no… Read More
When we discuss cybersecurity, it’s most often done in the context of audits, assessments, or certifications. However, specific systems and components require more stringent testing standards, ensuring that the technology functions correctly and securely after construction or during ongoing operational use. To support the testing and assurance of these components, the National Institutes of Standards… 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 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
One of the cornerstones of cybersecurity has been the protection of software. These applications have been installed on local machines or workstations for most of the computing history. Hackers would use different approaches to gain access to these machines using corrupted software or other means. In modern times, the proliferation of web applications and Software-as-a-Service… Read More
PCI DSS compliance is verifying that your systems, those that handle personal and cardholder information, meet all the expectations of the 12 requirements of the standard. These requirements describe security and privacy controls to protect against modern threats and vulnerabilities and call for both attention to implementing controls and maintaining long-term best practices. The best… Read More
Blockchain, blockchain, blockchain. It seems like you can’t throw a rock without hitting someone discussing the potential for blockchain technology. And, for the most part, this is driven by consumer interest in technologies and the potential for innovation in the web 3.0 world we live in. While the consumer market is having a so-so engagement… Read More
Companies attempting to navigate the complex world of private and public cybersecurity might get confused about what they should focus on. The truth is that you can’t adopt them all… but you can focus on the regulations that directly impact how you do business. Here, we’ll discuss two of the most prevalent security frameworks–FedRAMP and… Read More
Protecting patient information is a crucial and necessary part of healthcare… but so is communicating effectively with patients. Considering that email continues to be the most common form of electronic communication, it stands to reason that providers meet patients where they are. However, HIPAA regulations have rather strict requirements for protecting PHI, and plain email… Read More
Any organization in the healthcare industry knows that cybersecurity is a critical component of doing business. So much so, in fact, that any enterprise handling protected health information (PHI) must implement and maintain strict cybersecurity and privacy controls to protect patient data from unauthorized disclosure. However, understanding that HIPAA is a requirement for operation doesn’t… Read More
We started our series on risk management a few weeks ago by introducing the concept of risk. One of the general stereotypes about risk is that it lacks some discreteness of security compliance–it doesn’t lend itself to checklists or paint-by-numbers approaches. This is, overall, a good thing, but can prove challenging for enterprises not ready… Read More
The Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is one of the more complex regulations in the U.S., due in no small part to the complicated and open-ended nature of the law. What should companies do? In this case, covered organizations are turning to risk-based assessments to help them support their security approaches. Here, we… Read More
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
FISMA is one of the foundational cybersecurity documents in the U.S. government. Its passage in 2002 and subsequent update in 2014 have defined the security landscape for federal IT systems and associated contractors. However, a one-two punch from Congress and the President has changed things again. With recent cyber threats causing major damage to public… Read More
Words like cybersecurity and compliance are often interchangeable without much care taken with how they differ. But make no mistake: while they are related practices, both are different approaches to a common problem of cybersecurity threats. Here we break down the differences and, more importantly, why these differences are important for when you have to… Read More
Dark data doesn’t just cost organizations money; it also damages their cybersecurity and compliance postures Server rooms filled with digital files may look neater than the paper file rooms of old, but they’re not necessarily more organized, and “dark data” lurks around every corner. Sixty percent of respondents to a survey by big data software… Read More
A new Ponemon report on SMB cyber security reveals the top challenges and threats facing global small and medium-sized businesses If you think your company is too small to be hacked, think again. According to a new report on SMB cyber security by the Ponemon Institute and Keeper Security, 66% of small and medium-sized businesses… Read More
Seal up your cloud containers with these Kubernetes security best practices. Lightweight cloud containers are fast replacing resource-sucking virtual machines, and Kubernetes is fast becoming the de facto standard for container orchestration. Kubernetes adoption doubled in 2018. Unfortunately, as with any popular technology, it was only a matter of time before hackers discovered a way… Read More
Hybrid cloud security survey shows that most organizations are implementing hybrid clouds far faster than their security teams can manage them. For many organizations, particularly those in highly regulated industries such as healthcare, hybrid cloud environments offer the best of both worlds. Companies get to enjoy the easy scalability and other benefits of AWS, Microsoft… Read More
Malicious browser extensions can steal credentials, cryptocurrency, and more From blocking ads and coin miners to saving news stories for later reading, browser extensions allow users to customize their web browsers for convenience, efficiency, and even privacy and security – usually for free. However, browser extensions need a wealth of access permissions to operate, including… Read More