In honor of May the 4th, we’re featuring a narrative from an Imperial trooper in a faraway galaxy as he reflects on his organization’s worst day and how it could’ve gone differently. Don’t get me wrong. I’m still proud to work for one of the most formidable organizations in the galaxy. But as most of you probably know, we’ve recently hit quite a setback. Our higher-ups decided to build a space station.
The software bill of materials (SBOM) has become an increasingly important tool for providing much-needed clarity about the components that make up software — both for application security purposes and governmental compliance. Unlike manual spreadsheets, SBOMs standardize everything into a particular format to minimize inconsistencies. There are three primary SBOM formats currently available, which allow companies to easily generate, share, and consume SBOM data.
You can’t predict the future, but you can prepare for it. When it comes to IT (and OT), security validation is the closest to predicting the future as you can get. This is the second post in our series “Demystifying Security Validation Technologies: What You Need to Know,” in which we break down a number of security validation methods available today, provide the strengths and weaknesses of each, and explain how each functions in different IT environments.
Organizations are increasingly being held liable for breaches of employee data. But employers can take steps to mitigate the likelihood and impact of breaches. Any organization using an electronic payroll and benefits system stores and processes sensitive employee data — which covers just about every organization in operation today. There are many risks related to a cyberattack that compromises employee data, including legal liability, business interruption and reputational damage.
Many major stories about cyberattacks or data breaches have one weak link in common: passwords. Oftentimes, the simple alphanumeric password that acts as gatekeeper to our personal phones and email accounts is the same one that protects enterprise businesses’ servers. And passwords are only as strong as we make them. Unfortunately, though, most employees—76 percent of Americans, according to research we conducted in 2022—never change their passwords, or only do so when forced to.
Password security, though sometimes underrated, is crucial for an organization to remain viable in the vast digital landscape. A popular quote on the internet says, “A good neighbor is someone who does not put a password on their Wi-Fi.” However, for a good company, the opposite holds true, as they must thoroughly secure all their resources.
