Over the past five years, digital supply chains have evolved significantly, spurred by post-pandemic corrections, technological advancements, and globalization. This evolution has made the average organization more efficient and better suited to handle the demands of their unique operation. However, these same supply chain advancements have also introduced a host of new cybersecurity concerns and dramatically expanded the attack surface of most organizations.

FIPS 140-2 is a federal information processing standard that manages security requirements for cryptographic modules. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published the security standard in November 2001 to develop coordinated requirements for hardware computer components. NIST replaced FIPS 140-2 with FIPS 140-3 in March 2019. This iteration introduced new critical security parameters for software and firmware and updated the four critical security levels that FIPS 140-2 introduced.

Enterprise risk management (ERM) frameworks allow organizations to identify, assess, manage, and monitor risks across all levels of an organization. One of the most well-known approaches to ERM is the COSO ERM framework published by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The framework offers guidelines and best practices for organizations seeking to achieve a balanced perspective on risk.

Your domain is the route that all users, including your current and prospective customers, take to access your organization on the internet. While your actual system is set up with server IP addresses likely in a cloud environment, your users won't use a string of numbers to access your website. Instead, they will use your domain name and Domain Name System (DNS) routing to get to your site.

The EU Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive was adopted by the European Commission in 2016 and focused on establishing comprehensive cybersecurity regulations across the European Union. The NIS Directive is a robust piece of legislation enforced by local laws within each member state, working alongside other EU-wide regulations like the GDPR. The NIS Directive applies to Digital Service Providers (DSPs) and Operators of Essential Services (OES).

ISO 31010 is a supplementary document to the risk management standard ISO 31000. It was developed to support the risk assessment process in ISO 31000, outlining different risk assessment techniques to broaden the scope of an organization’s risk evaluation methods. This post offers a comprehensive overview of ISO/IEC 31010, highlighting the standard’s potential to increase the effectiveness of risk management strategies. Learn how UpGuard streamlines Vendor Risk Management >

ISO/IEC 27002 offers guidance on implementing an Information Security Management System (ISMSP). This international standard is very effective at helping organizations protect themselves against various information security risks through a series of security control categories. However, with the standard addressing such diverse information security risks, cybersecurity teams often find implementation and maintaining alignment a significant challenge.

The International Standardization Organization (ISO) introduced the latest version of ISO 22301 in 2019. This framework includes strategies, standards, and requirements organizations can use to implement a business continuity management system (BCMS). To appeal to and assist the most comprehensive array of organizations, ISO 22301 includes generic regulatory requirements that organizations can implement to improve organizational resilience in various contexts.

Nearly every company in the modern era has a website. This site, sometimes called a web application, functions as the information center for the business. Keeping your website active is critical for ensuring that your customers and prospects can access the information they need. Maintaining a website also creates brand presence and strong search engine optimization (SEO), which helps businesses to build trust and credibility in their industry.

The International Organization for Standardization created ISO 9001 to provide an archetypal standard for quality management systems (QMS) worldwide. The most up-to-date version of the framework is ISO 9001:2015, which highlights the importance of risk-based thinking and decision-making to improve output and product quality. Utilized by organizations of all sizes and across most major industries, ISO 9001 helps streamline operations and align day-to-day processes with strategic objectives.

There are a variety of cybersecurity regulations in Europe, including the ePrivacy Directive, which focuses on enhancing data protection, processing personal data, and privacy in the digital age. This Directive, recently updated with the ePrivacy regulation, continues the European Union’s ongoing efforts to create cohesive and comprehensive European data protection and cybersecurity standards across all member states.

ISO 31000 was specifically developed to help organizations effectively cope with unexpected events while managing risks. Besides mitigating operational risks, ISO 31000 supports increased resilience across all risk management categories, including the most complicated group to manage effectively - digital threats. Whether you’re considering implementing ISO 31000 or you’re not very familiar with this framework, this post provides a comprehensive overview of the standard.

Under the direction of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) secures transportation systems in the United States, including oil and natural gas pipelines. The TSA Pipeline Security Guidelines are recommended best practices that protect the over 2.7 million miles of pipelines transporting natural gas, oil, and other hazardous materials across the U.S. from physical and cyber threats.

The Health Information Trust Alliance Common Security Framework (HITRUST CSF) is a cybersecurity framework designed to help organizations meet regulatory compliance and risk management needs when dealing with sensitive and regulated data. The HITRUST CSF features a risk-based and compliance approach that integrates various regulations and standards. It also includes certification for compliance validation, providing an additional layer of trust for HITRUST-certified organizations.

After years of debates, discussions, and negotiation delays, the Central Government of India published its Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP) on August 11, 2023. In its last week before being enacted, the Act rapidly passed throughout both houses of Parliament and was ascended into publication by President Droupadi Murmu. India is the 19th country within the Group of 20 (G20) to pass a comprehensive data protection law.

If you’re considering partnering with a service provider, it’s essential also to consider the security risks they could introduce to your organization. In this post, we outline the primary cybersecurity risks associated with service providers and provide tips for managing them to help you safely benefit from this strategy for reducing operational costs. Take a tour of UpGuard’s Vendor Risk Management solution >

All covered entities must comply with HIPAA or face fines of up to $50,000 for every violation. However, with such high cybersecurity standards and insufficient implementation guidance, it's not surprising that HIPAA violations are common occurrences. To overcome the challenges of adhering to HIPAA’s stringent safeguards, covered entities are turning to HIPAA compliance software for support.

Web communications can be routed over the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). The latter ensures encrypted data transfer between a website and a user. Some sites will offer both HTTP and HTTPS connections, but any HTTP connection may be vulnerable to cyber attacks. To require that all connections route over HTTPS, you can set up an HTTPS Strict Transport Policy (HSTS) to enforce secure connections.

With violation penalties of up to $100,000 per month until full compliance is achieved, every entity processing cardholder data can't afford to miss a PCI DSS compliance gap. But with the expanding digital landscape increasing the complexity of information security, complying with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is difficult unless you leverage a product that can help you track your compliance efforts.

In 2019, The European Parliament introduced the European Cybersecurity Certification Framework in response to growing cyber threats and the need for more robust cybersecurity measures. These certification schemes were part of the broader cybersecurity policy introduced with the European Union Cybersecurity Act, which boosted cybersecurity measures and cyber resilience across EU member states.

Third-party risk management (TPRM) is reviewing and mitigating risks associated with outsourcing business operations to third-party vendors or service providers. Risks are varied but include cybersecurity risks like data breaches or reputational risks that affect business continuity. If your organization wants to create a TPRM program or upgrade your current risk management strategy, focusing on customization can be critical in setting your organization apart.