Automapping CMMC Practices to NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, and FedRAMP: Challenges and Strategies Automapping CMMC practices to other compliance frameworks such as NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, and FedRAMP is an attractive option for security teams managing complex regulatory landscapes. On paper, many of these frameworks cover overlapping domains: access control, audit logging, incident response, risk… Read More
Starting in Q1 2025, software providers in the DoD supply chain must align their security with CMMC 2.0 standards. While many enterprise customers have been spending that past year getting ready, the reality is that most businesses don’t share this level of preparedness–specifically, small businesses. Meeting the challenges of a complex framework like CMMC can… Read More
One of the fastest-growing security attack surfaces is the Application Programming Interface (API). These functions allow programmers to tap into distributed services like data retrieval or social media broadcasting, vastly expanding the interoperability of different software tools. Accordingly, because API access often requires connecting to or using sensitive data, this presents significant security risks. We’re… Read More
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
Passwords are our oldest form of digital security… and, in most cases, one of the weakest links in identity management and authentication. Phishing, database breaches, and poor digital hygiene have made authentication challenging for security and compliance. They have become the quintessential keys to our online kingdoms. As cyberattacks grow more sophisticated, there’s a mounting… Read More
The Evolving Need for PCI DSS Compliance. The current COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated a trend that was already on the rise — a move toward many new forms of electronic payment that involve capturing and transmitting credit card data. Businesses have moved online-only transactions during this crisis, and many consumers don’t want to handle… Read More
RegTech Simplifies Governance, Risk, and Compliance As compliance costs skyrocket, standards grow increasingly complex, and the cyber threat environment evolves, organizations are turning to RegTech solutions to automate their compliance processes and improve their overall cybersecurity posture. Compliance with regulatory and industry standards, such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, FedRAMP, and SSAE 16 SOC reporting, are… Read More
I’m honored to be joining the Privacy Compliance Association’s SHOP CERTIFIED® Auditor ranks. Consumer privacy, identity theft and fraud will always be a problem and it seems we continue to be painfully more aware of just how often it is breached by cyber-criminals, employees, corporate executives, rogue nations and even our own government. If you would… Read More
Survival Guidance! MichaelPeters.org and LazarusAlliance.com is making our auditor’s resource for assessing the procedural and technical controls free. This is a resource based on the SSAE 16 SOC 2 framework you may freely use to conduct your organization’s readiness audits. Your results are private and the output is sent to you without charge. It’s just… Read More
Survival Guidance! MichaelPeters.org and LazarusAlliance.com is making our auditor’s resource for assessing the procedural and technical controls free. This is a resource based on the SSAE 16 SOC 1 framework you may freely use to conduct your organization’s readiness audits. Your results are private and the output is sent to you without charge. It’s just… Read More
Survival Guidance! MichaelPeters.org and LazarusAlliance.com is making our auditor’s resource for assessing the security controls in federal information systems and organizations free. This is a resource based on the NIST 800-53A framework you may freely use to conduct your organization’s FedRAMP, HIPAA or best practice based security audits. Your results are private and the output… Read More
HIPAA Survival Guidance! MichaelPeters.org and LazarusAlliance.com is making our auditor’s resource for implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule free. This is a resource you may freely use to conduct your organization’s HIPAA security audits. Your results are private and the output is sent to you without charge. It’s just on… Read More
I’ve been in the corporate chief information security officer’s (CISO) executive chair long enough to realize that the traditional hierarchical model of information security reporting up through the technology department has a fatal flaw. This hazard is directly associated with the inherent conflict of duties that exists by the very nature of the position. For… Read More
The analysis in this article is consistent with my research to date and I thought it worth sharing. I would suggest however that given the input from one of the largest audit firms creates a scenario that I refer to as the “Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone” and should be objectively consumed. It is quite ironic… Read More
The Security Trifecta is a comprehensive and innovative approach to holistic security, risk, governance and privacy coverage for the enterprise. Because the methodology is universally applicable and ultimately sustainable, it has become the perfect model for any size organization regardless of business concentration. In fact, the more critical, the more regulated, the more sensitive the… Read More
As we approach retail’s favorite season, I have the unique perspective of being concerned about information security as both the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for a commerce software company and as a customer to a plethora of retailers — some who are clients and others who are not. In effect, I’m wearing two… Read More
Looking for the HORSE Project? Look no further! Welcome to the Holistic Operational Readiness Security Evaluation (HORSE) project Wiki. We would like to invite the information security community to participate in this open community project. The intention is ultimately to raise the proficiency level of information security auditors, security practitioners, lawyers and legal practitioners, financial… Read More
Existing in the commerce galaxy, the vast majority of merchants are doing “traveling” or business without proper safety controls or rather, information security controls in place. While I know of no single solution or silver bullet that can be purchased or leveraged to ensure absolute information security, there are many ways your store and customer… Read More
I’m excited to announce that the Holistic Operational Readiness Security Evaluation (HORSE) project wiki has surpassed the 1 million mark in page views by subscribers like you. If you don’t know what the HORSE Project is, browse on over to the site and see why it is one of the best, freely available authorities in… Read More
On the information freeway, the vast majority of the population is driving ninety miles per hour (144 KPH) without insurance; this includes business entities as well. In the United States, as in many other countries as well, the law dictates that a person possess a minimum level of automobile insurance to protect the financial stability… Read More
It is frequently in the news. Reports have been written. Punitive and compensatory damages have been awarded. Companies around the globe have been challenged to find the resources required to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The prime PCI DSS objective is to protect cardholder data. The prime objective of… Read More
The PCI Security Standards Council’s Virtualization Special Interest Group recently published its “Information Supplement: PCI DSS Virtualization Guidelines” (the “Guidelines”) to Version 2.0 of the PCI Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”). The Guidelines provide context for the application of the PCI DSS to cloud and other virtual environments, and offer at least three critical reminders:
Prior to April Fools’ Day, 2011, you probably had never heard of Epsilon Data Management, right? I’d wager, however, that this email marketing firm has heard of you. In excess of 250 million email account names were pirated from the marketing services firm, vaulting this to what may be the largest breach of personal information… Read More
Article Reprint: http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/How-E-Commerce-Apps-Are-Putting-Your-Site-at-Risk-70964.html?wlc=1286281687&wlc=1286300892 Many developers do not overlook security on purpose; it’s just that the focus is usually on feature and functionality, not the nuts and bolts of building a secure software application. These technical oversights can leave a relatively easy opening for attackers to leverage. Cross-site scripting or data source injection are the most… Read More