Amazon’s, Google’s and Microsoft’s experiences with building massive infrastructures for the world allows for some fascinating insights into the future of IT security at scale. As a result, when Google published The CISO’s Guide to Cloud Security Transformation earlier this year, I was curious about what priorities they saw in cloud security. It’s a short read, and it’s well worth the time invested in downloading a copy.
Organizations are increasingly faced with threats from sophisticated criminal organizations and nation-state actors. To mitigate the risks posed by cyber criminals, organizations must secure and protect their proprietary and sensitive information. They must also commit to training their employees to do their part to protect proprietary and sensitive information.
There is a saying in cybersecurity that “Data is the new oil.” If that is true, then that oil is powering not only the economy but also industry. The term ‘Industry 4.0’ refers to the fourth industrial revolution where traditional manufacturing and industrial processes are increasingly using IT and data to the point that we’re now seeing the emergence of ‘smart factories.’
Given that attacks are only increasing and there needs to be greater efficacy in how companies protect themselves, let us reference how the financial industry has created and relies on a body of standards to address issues in financial accounting as a defined comparison for Information Security. To support this argument, there is a defined contrast between information security and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. We’ll explore this relationship in more detail below.
The Biden Administration published a new executive order (EO) to strengthen the digital security of U.S. federal government networks. Published on May 12 by The White House, the executive order covered much of what many media outlets reported would appear in the draft. This included the issue of supply chain security. For example, the EO stated that the U.S. federal government will begin requiring developers to make security data about their tools publicly available. It also said that the U.S.
Ofwat, the water services regulator for England and Wales, has revealed that it has received over 20,000 spam and phishing emails so far this year. The Water Services Regulation Authority (better known as Ofwat) which is the government department responsible for regulating the privatised water and sewage industry in England and Wales, said it had received 21,486 malicious emails so far this year – with 5,149 classified as phishing attacks.
In 2019, the hospitality industry suffered 13 percent of all data breaches, ranking third highest among targeted industries. It was two years later when NIST released SP 1800-27: Securing Property Management Systems to help hoteliers secure their Property Management Systems (PMS) and associated patron data.
The cyber security skills gap was a problem prior to the pandemic. In a survey of 342 security professionals released in early 2020, Tripwire found that 83% of security experts felt more overworked going into the new year compared to how they felt at the start of 2019. Tripwire asked respondents to elaborate on that sentiment.
Over the weekend, the Alpharetta-based Colonial Pipeline was hit by an extensive ransomware attack that shut down its information technology (IT) and industrial operational technology (OT) systems. Simply put, an all-too-common ransomware event targeting IT systems encouraged a voluntary shutdown on the production side (OT) of the business to prevent further exposure. Colonial Pipeline is responsible for 45% of the gasoline, diesel fuel and natural gas transported from Texas to New Jersey.
Amidst the pandemic overwhelming the capacity of many hospital systems, malicious hackers have been quick to target healthcare providers and medical agencies. These cyber-attacks have hit both the United States and Europe in recent months, serving as a reminder for organizations to closely review their information security posture during these times of uncertainty.
