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Articles from Michael Peters | Selfgrowth.com
- #MeToo Prompts Employers to Review their Anti-Harassment Policies - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2018 from Michael PetersThe #MeToo movement, which was birthed in the wake of sexual abuse allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, has shined a spotlight on the epidemic of sexual harassment and discrimination in the U.S. According to a nationwide survey by Stop Street Harassment, a staggering 81% of ...
Views: 928 - 10 Cyber Security Travel Tips to Protect Your Devices & Data - by Submitted on Oct 31, 2018 from Michael PetersThe holiday season is fast approaching, but hackers don’t take vacations. Whether you’re planning to go home for the holidays or travel for business on a regular basis, make sure to protect yourself from cyber crime with these cyber security travel tips. Update Your OS & Software Before ...
Views: 1219 - 10 Tips to Improve Employee Cyber Security Compliance - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2018 from Michael PetersYour organization’s people are your first line of defense against cyber criminals. Unfortunately, they’re also your weakest link. Insiders pose the biggest threat to cyber security in the healthcare industry, and only 13% of public sector employees “take personal responsibility for cyber ...
Views: 1120 - 2018 Verizon Data Breach Report: Ransomware Most Common Malware - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2018 from Michael PetersWhile cryptominers are on the rise, ransomware was the most prevalent form of malware in 2017, according to the 2018 Verizon Data Breach Report, released last week. Ransomware made its first appearance in Verizon’s 2013 report, and this is the second year in a row in which ransomware incidents ...
Views: 1148 - 3 Best Practices for AWS S3 Security - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2017 from Michael PetersSeveral high-profile breaches involving misconfigured Amazon Web Services servers have made the news. Here are three best practices to ensure AWS S3 security. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the undisputed leader in the cloud services market. Large and small organizations alike flock to AWS ...
Views: 1265 - 3 Cyber Security Lessons from the SWIFT Network Attacks - by Submitted on Apr 14, 2017 from Michael PetersOver several months last year, an international group of cyber bank robbers, possibly funded by the North Korean government, stole nearly $100 million, threw the integrity of a decades-old banking industry messaging system into question, and remained at large. Sound like the plot of the latest ...
Views: 1010 - 5 Best Practices for Complying with SEC & FINRA Cyber Security Standards - by Submitted on Jan 19, 2018 from Michael PetersBoth the SEC and FINRA have indicated that they will put heavy emphasis on cyber security enforcement throughout 2018. While FINRA is explicit — among other things, it publishes a cyber security checklist and a detailed report on best practices — the SEC’s guidance is far more general. This ...
Views: 1136 - 5 Best Practices for Successful Cyber Security Outsourcing - by Submitted on Oct 06, 2017 from Michael PetersBy following these best practices, organizations can enjoy the benefits of outsourcing their enterprise cyber security, minimize the risks, and build fruitful, long-term relationships with trusted providers. With the cyber security skills gap making it extremely difficult or even impossible ...
Views: 1084 - 5 Practical Applications of Blockchain to Cyber Security and Compliance - by Submitted on Nov 07, 2018 from Michael PetersWhile digital currencies, particularly bitcoin, are the most common and well-known application of blockchain technology, they are far from being the sole or even the most important use. Blockchain is one of the most important technological advancements of the digital age, and its full potential ...
Views: 1377 - 5 Ransomware Threats to Watch Out for in 2017 - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2017 from Michael PetersBe Prepared for these New and Emerging Ransomware Threats Ransomware threats are everywhere, and the problem is going to get much worse before it gets any better. According to a recent survey, about half of all businesses have experienced a ransomware attack at least once in the last 12 ...
Views: 1141 - 5 Reasons Why Your Enterprise Should Put IRM Before GRC - by Submitted on Jan 05, 2018 from Michael PetersOver the summer, Gartner announced that it was moving its focus away from GRC and launching a new Magic Quadrant for integrated risk management, or IRM: IRM enables simplification, automation and integration of strategic, operational and IT risk management processes and data. IRM goes beyond ...
Views: 1107 - 5 Things to Know About Email Marketing and the GDPR - by Submitted on May 10, 2018 from Michael PetersEmail marketing is big business. MarTech Advisor reports that it is the best-performing channel for a company’s ROI, and 61% of consumers prefer to receive offers via email, as opposed to only 5% who prefer social media offers. However, many organizations are concerned about how the GDPR, the ...
Views: 998 - 5 Tips for Keeping Your Ecommerce Store Secure Over the Holidays - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2017 from Michael PetersOnline shopping is booming, but customers will shun ecommerce if they do not feel their data is secure. Just as “Video Killed the Radio Star,” ecommerce is making shopping malls go the way of the horse and buggy. In 2016, consumers reported making 51% of their purchases online, up from 48% in ...
Views: 1080 - 5 Tips to Secure Your Healthcare Organization's Systems Against Hackers - by Submitted on Apr 10, 2017 from Michael PetersIn a previous blog, we discussed the recent epidemic of ransomware attacks on U.S. healthcare organizations and the importance of the industry taking this very serious cyber security threat – and information security in general – seriously. The good news is that although a ransomware attack can ...
Views: 851 - 5 Ways to Protect Your Retail Store from Data Breaches - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2017 from Michael PetersBoth brick-and-mortar and ecommerce retail stores make attractive targets for hackers, especially during the holidays. Retail stores are favorite targets of cyber criminals, especially during the holiday shopping season, when brick-and-mortar and ecommerce stores are flooded with customers, ...
Views: 891 - 6 Reasons to Stop Using Spreadsheets for GRC - by Submitted on May 24, 2018 from Michael PetersDespite the availability of modern GRC software, many organizations still use spreadsheets to conduct IT compliance audits and other GRC activities. While spreadsheets are highly useful for many business functions, especially accounting, they are not GRC tools. Depending on spreadsheets to ...
Views: 1014 - 6 Tips for Writing a GDPR-Compliant Privacy Policy - by Submitted on May 17, 2018 from Michael PetersWe’re down to the wire now; the GDPR compliance deadline is next Friday, May 25. As organizations scramble to get ready for the most far-reaching data privacy law ever put on the books, consumers’ email inboxes are being inundated with notices of privacy policy updates. In addition to ...
Views: 960 - Arizona Beverages Ransomware Attack Halts Sales for Days - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2019 from Michael PetersWhat appears to have been a targeted ransomware attack knocked over 200 networked computers and servers offline at Arizona Beverages, one of the largest beverage suppliers in the U.S., TechCrunch reports. The attack, which the company was still struggling to recover from two weeks later, halted ...
Views: 1200 - Best Practices for Achieving PCI DSS Compliance - by Submitted on Sep 27, 2018 from Michael PetersPCI DSS compliance is mandatory for any organization that accepts or processes payment cards, yet shockingly, a recent study by SecurityScorecard found that over 90% of U.S. retailers fail to meet four or more PCI DSS requirements. Compliance with PCI DSS is not something to be taken lightly. ...
Views: 1026 - Best Practices for Complying with Data Privacy Laws - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2018 from Michael PetersAs California goes, so does the rest of the country. While the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which was passed this summer and goes into effect in 2020, falls short of being an “American GDPR,” it clearly tore many pages from the far-reaching European data privacy law. Similar to the ...
Views: 1074 - Best Practices to Prevent Supply Chain Cyber Attacks - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2018 from Michael PetersDue to globalization and outsourcing, enterprise supply chains are more intricate than ever. Most products are no longer manufactured by a single entity. Materials, components, and even final products pass through multiple hands before ending up in the hands of end users. Additionally, most ...
Views: 1325 - Browser Extensions Can Pose Significant Cyber Security Threats - by Submitted on Jan 30, 2019 from Michael PetersFrom blocking ads and coin miners to saving news stories for later reading, browser extensions allow users to customize their web browsers for convenience, efficiency, and even privacy and security — usually for free. However, browser extensions need a wealth of access permissions to operate, ...
Views: 1107 - Business Email Compromise Attacks Increase by Nearly 500% - by Submitted on Apr 03, 2019 from Michael PetersLast year, the FBI reported that incidents of business email compromise (BEC), also known as spear phishing, CEO fraud, and invoice fraud, had been reported in all 50 states and 150 countries, with global losses exceeding $12 billion. BEC scams are continuing to explode in popularity among cyber ...
Views: 1166 - Business Email Compromise Losses Top $12 Billion Globally, Says FBI - by Submitted on Jul 20, 2018 from Michael PetersGlobal losses from business email compromise scams, a highly sophisticated form of phishing, grew by 136% between December 2016 and May 2018 and now exceed $12 billion, according to a public service announcement released by the FBI. What Is a Business Email Compromise Scam? A business ...
Views: 955 - Chinese Hackers Pose a Serious Threat to Military Contractors - by Submitted on Dec 21, 2018 from Michael PetersThe years-long Marriott Starwood database breach was almost certainly the work of nation-state hackers sponsored by China, likely as part of a larger campaign by Chinese hackers to breach health insurers and government security clearance files, The New York Times reports. Why would foreign spies ...
Views: 1093 - Cloud Security: Understanding SOC 2 Type 2 Attestations - by Submitted on Sep 18, 2018 from Michael PetersWe are living in a cloud-first world; cloud services, including storage services and SaaS providers, are wildly popular. Unfortunately, third-party vendor breaches are at epidemic levels, and new regulations such as the EU GDPR are seeking to hold organizations accountable if third-party ...
Views: 915 - Common Cyber Security Myths That Hackers Want You to Keep Believing - by Submitted on Dec 07, 2018 from Michael PetersLike other criminals, hackers take advantage of people’s misconceptions regarding their risk of being victimized. Here are six common cyber security myths that could be putting your enterprise at risk. Security Myth #1: Compliance Equals Cyber Security Compliance with regulatory and ...
Views: 1124 - Compliance Automation Takes the Pain Out of the IT Audit Process - by Submitted on Nov 16, 2017 from Michael PetersAfter last year’s U.S. presidential election, many businesses eagerly awaited a new “era of deregulation” that would allegedly result in relaxed compliance requirements – and lower costs. Although some regulations have been relaxed or even repealed, IT compliance is as time-consuming and ...
Views: 1205 - Crypto-Mining Malware May Be a Bigger Threat than Ransomware - by Submitted on Feb 07, 2018 from Michael PetersCryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum have gone mainstream; it seems like everybody and their brother is looking to buy some crypto and get their piece of the digital currency gold rush. Hackers want a piece of it, too. In addition to hacking ICO’s and cryptocurrency exchanges, they’re ...
Views: 1032 - Cyber Cooperation Is Crucial in the Era of NotPetya - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2017 from Michael PetersThe NotPetya attacks weren’t as bad as WannaCry; they were worse, and we all need to start cooperating to prevent the next attack. It’s looking more and more like last week’s NotPetya malware attacks, which infected computers around the world but hit Ukraine particularly hard, were designed ...
Views: 1048 - Cyber Criminals Are Hijacking Computers for Cryptocurrency Mining - by Submitted on Jun 14, 2017 from Michael PetersCryptocurrency mining malware may end up being a bigger problem than WannaCry Organizations that think they dodged a bullet when their older systems did not fall prey to the WannaCry ransomware may want to think again. Weeks prior to the WannaCry attacks, a group of hackers was taking ...
Views: 1353 - Cyber Insurance Market Full of Uncertainty and Skimpy Coverage - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2017 from Michael PetersDespite the escalating intensity and frequency of cyber attacks, fewer than 1/3 of U.S. businesses have purchased cyber insurance policies. A recent report by Deloitte provides insight into why organizations are deciding to go without cyber coverage, as well as why many insurers are hesitant to ...
Views: 1188 - Cyber Risk Management Lessons Companies Need to Learn Right Now - by Submitted on Oct 11, 2017 from Michael PetersDon’t want your company to be the next Yahoo, Equifax, Deloitte, or SEC? Don’t ignore cyber risk management. October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month in the U.S., which is quite fitting right now, being as barely a day is going by without yet another disclosure of a massive hack, ...
Views: 1010 - Cyber Security Best Practices for a Sustainable Digital Transformation - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2018 from Michael PetersThe rise of ecommerce, particularly mobile ecommerce, has fundamentally altered both consumer and business buying habits. Organizations are embracing digital transformation in an effort to appease modern buyers and enhance the customer experience while cutting costs and improving efficiency. The ...
Views: 894 - Cyber Security Best Practices When Using Public WiFi Networks - by Submitted on Aug 17, 2018 from Michael PetersOnce a luxury item, free public WiFi has morphed into a standard service that consumers expect when patronizing everything from restaurants and retail stores to airports and hotels. Free WiFi users aren’t just checking Facebook or posting vacation photos to Instagram, either; all of us have sat ...
Views: 1042 - Cyber Security Issues Could Stall Self-Driving Cars - by Submitted on Apr 14, 2017 from Michael PetersHow quickly self-driving cars roll out is dependent on the industry addressing some very serious cyber security issues with smart cars and IoT devices in general. Self-driving cars are what everyone is talking about, but many people question whether the machine learning and artificial ...
Views: 1104 - Cyber Security Lesson Brief from the Under Armour Breach - by Submitted on Apr 04, 2018 from Michael PetersLast week, athletic apparel manufacturer Under Armour announced that its popular MyFitnessPal weight loss and fitness tracking app had been hacked, compromising 150 million accounts. The Under Armour breach is the largest data breach so far this year and ranks among the top five to date. It also ...
Views: 1126 - Cyberespionage a Growing Threat, Says Verizon DBIR - by Submitted on May 10, 2017 from Michael PetersThe 2017 Verizon Data Breach Report Reveals that Hackers Aren’t Just After Payment Cards and Identities Anymore Cyberespionage is a growing problem, especially in the manufacturing industry, professional services, education, and the public sector, according to the 2017 Verizon Data Breach ...
Views: 1178 - Data Breach Lawsuits a Reminder of the High Cost of Reactive Cyber Security - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2017 from Michael PetersHacked Companies Are Facing Data Breach Lawsuits Filed by Financial Institutions Data breaches aren’t cheap to clean up. Just ask Rosen Hotels, whose costs to clean up a 2016 breach could end up exceeding $2.4 million. Shockingly, that’s below the $4 million average cited by IBM. In addition ...
Views: 1541 - DFARS Compliance Deadline Approaching for DoD Contractors - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2017 from Michael PetersDepartment of Defense contractors and their subcontractors have until December 31 to obtain DFARS compliance Third-party data breaches are a serious problem, especially when highly sensitive data is involved – and our nation’s infrastructure, including our defense systems, are built and ...
Views: 1060 - DNC Email Hack Highlights Need for Proactive Email Security - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2017 from Michael PetersThe NSA isn’t the only Washington organization being embarrassed by a data breach. The sorry state of cyber security in America has taken center stage in this year’s presidential election. In June, it was discovered that Russian cyber criminals had managed to hack the Democratic National ...
Views: 924 - Docker Hub Hack Compromises Sensitive Data from 190,000 Accounts - by Submitted on May 16, 2019 from Michael PetersAccording to an official email sent to users, hackers gained access to Docker Hub, the official repository for Docker container images, “for a brief period.” However, during that “brief period,” approximately 190,000 user accounts were compromised, containing data such as usernames, hashed ...
Views: 1186 - Doxware Takes Ransomware to the Next Level - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2017 from Michael PetersDoxware Leaks Your Private Data if You Don’t Pay the Ransom Ransomware began grabbing headlines about a year ago, after Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center paid hackers thousands of dollars in ransom after it got locked out of its systems. This large payday apparently encouraged hackers to ...
Views: 1071 - Dragonblood Vulnerabilities Discovered in WPA3 WiFi Standard - by Submitted on Apr 24, 2019 from Michael PetersLast year, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced the launch of the WPA3 WiFi security standard, which was developed to eliminate a number of security problems with WPA2. One of the major defense measures in WPA3 is the Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) handshake, which replaced the Pre-Shared ...
Views: 1151 - Employees Are Biggest Threat to Healthcare Data Security - by Submitted on Mar 15, 2018 from Michael PetersHealthcare data security is under attack from the inside. While insider threats — due to employee error, carelessness, or malicious intent — are a problem in every industry, they are a particular pox on healthcare data security. Two recent reports illustrate the gravity of the ...
Views: 1054 - Equifax Breach Compromises Half of U.S. Population - by Submitted on Sep 15, 2017 from Michael PetersThe Equifax breach isn’t the largest data breach, but it is one of the most troubling because of its massive scope, the nature of the information stolen, and the absolutely awful way in which it was handled. While Hurricane Irma dominated the national news late last week, a man-made disaster ...
Views: 1497 - Ethereum ICO Hacks Rattle Investors - by Submitted on Jul 27, 2017 from Michael PetersInitial Coin Offerings (ICOs) powered by the Ethereum blockchain platform are the hottest thing going right now, but are they secure? On July 24, 2017, the second Ethereum ICO hack in a week hit the news, as digital wallet firm Veritaseum disclosed to Bleeping Computer that a hacker stole ...
Views: 1286 - FINRA: Cyber Security Still a Major Threat to Broker-Dealers - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2018 from Michael PetersLatest FINRA Examination Findings Reveal That Firms Have Made Progress with Cyber Security, but Problems Remain Cyber security remains “one of the principal operational risks facing broker-dealers,” according to FINRA’s 2017 Examination Findings Report, and while progress has been made, many ...
Views: 820 - FISMA, FedRAMP, and NIST: Federal Compliance Demystified - by Submitted on Oct 19, 2017 from Michael PetersFISMA, FedRAMP, NIST, DFARS, CJIS, HIPAA … Government compliance standards can seem like a veritable alphabet soup. Making matters even worse, a lot of them overlap, and many organizations aren’t certain which standards they need to comply with. Even if your organization does not currently ...
Views: 1061 - Four Takeaways from the WannaCry Ransomware Attacks - by Submitted on May 24, 2017 from Michael PetersThe recent WannaCry ransomware attacks put cyber security on the front page of every newspaper in the world. Now, everyone knows what ransomware is and how destructive it can be, but will anything change? Following are four critical lessons that both organizations and individuals should take ...
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