What we’re talking about
A lawsuit filed against Penn State University by the U.S. Department of Justice illustrates the challenges the government faces in instituting effective protection of data. The suit filed under the False Claims Act (FCA) alleges, that the university misrepresented its adherence to required cybersecurity protocols in the handling of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) required.
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) document marking requirements apply to a wide range of users who access information related to the U.S. government. CUI is unclassified information that requires safeguards or dissemination controls in accordance with governmental regulations and policies. CUI is categorized into 20 “Organizational Index Groupings” to address sectors such as Defense, Export Control,
The #Stopransomware Guide update was released in May 2023 jointly by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). Information in this guide was developed by the Joint Ransomware Task Force (JRTF) which is overseen by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and CISA. to help organizations
The government of Canada has specific Controlled Goods Program (CGP) Cloud Solutions requirements for individuals or organizations that possess or transfer controlled goods and associated technical data. Technical data includes drawings, blueprints, software, or technical documentation that could be used or adapted for military or space end use. Cloud service providers that provide storage or
Hosting giant, GoDaddy, has disclosed a Multi-Year Security Breach that has compromised customer security and may cause infection of websites. This is a noteworthy concern as the company acts as a hosting service for 20 million customers worldwide. The first breach was reported in November of 2019. Since this time the company has reported two
Tabletop Exercises for Cyber Incident Response teams are effective tools for assessing the ability of an organization to protect and preserve sensitive data. These exercises engage team members to respond to a variety of scenarios. This provides an evaluation of the Cyber Incident Response Plan’s technologies, processes, and personnel’s ability to maintain confidentiality, integrity, and
As 2023 opens it appears that there may be further delays in CMMC 2.0 reaching a final ruling as the Pentagon considers additional revisions of the proposed rule. These reconsiderations are, as reported on ClearanceJobs, the result of internal politics and concerns on the impact on businesses. Because the rule is in proposed status, it
Maintaining a CMMC program requires that organizations engage management system principles in their daily cybersecurity programs. These activities will be essential for Department of Defense (DoD) contractors to remain compliant. Current CMMC Requirements Currently CMMC 2.0 requirements are divided into three levels of compliance: CMMC Level 1 – Foundational is comprised of the 17 practices
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Homeland Security Bureau have designated Huawei and ZTE as threats to U.S. national security. Because both Chinese companies are subject to the Chinese Communist Party, they are required by law to cooperate with China’s intelligence gathering activities. China has developed an arsenal of cyber capabilities to target U.S. information
FBI concerns about TikTok’s use of U.S. citizens’ user data were conveyed to the House Committee on Homeland Security by Director Christopher Wray. The Chinese owned social media app currently has over one billion monthly users. Among the FBI’s concerns is that the Chinese government could conduct influence operations with the app or use it
In an effort to improve cybersecurity in the United States, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other federal government agencies are initiating an Information of Things (IoT) product labeling program for consumer devices. This action is being taken as part of Executive Order (EO) 14028 to improve the
The Truth About Iranian Cybersecurity Threats Given recent headlines, one might conclude that Iranian Cybersecurity threats were a new development. In fact, Iran has been a player in the international cyber game since 2002 with the formation of the Ashiyane hacking forum to repress dissidents. By 2007, government backed organizations had begun to develop sophisticated
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced that they had selected four Quantum-Resistant Cryptographic Algorithms to address concerns of quantum computer cyber attacks against current encryption technologies. The selection was made from respondents to a post-quantum cryptography standardization project. The Emerging World of Quantum Computing Quantum computers utilize certain phenomena of quantum mechanics
Amendments were signed into law to the Florida State Cybersecurity Act on July 1, 2022. These revisions illustrate the gap between desired levels of information security and attained levels in both the public and private sectors. The Act, also known as the Cybersecurity Act applies to the Florida Digital Service (FLDS) and the heads of
ISO 27001 cybersecurity management is an effective Information Security Management System (ISMS) for organizations and businesses of all sizes. It provides a means to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information in a system that can be harmonized with other management systems. The ISO Advantage There are numerous cyber security solutions for protecting confidential information.
