Government Information Security Podcast

While secure coding has always been an imperative, in a cloud-based environment, BMC Software's Rick Bosworth says it is especially critical since the liability does not rest with cloud services providers for secure configuration.

Five years ago, cybersecurity executive Dave Merkel called upon enterprises to shed their "peacetime" mindsets and adopt a "wartime" stance against persistent cybercriminals and nation-state actors. How have they risen to that challenge?

After a data breach, if individuals' stolen information is offered for sale on the dark web, that potentially bolsters class action lawsuits filed by plaintiffs against the breached organization, says technology attorney Steven Teppler of the law firm Mandelbaum Salsburg P.C.

Is it possible that a nation-state actor such as Iran could create a cybersecurity incident that compromises the U.S. power grid? Bernie Cowens, most recently CISO at the nation's largest electric utility, says that's unlikely because the power grid is more cybersecure than you might think.

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report discusses "Orwellian" surveillance activity in 2020 via the ToTok app. Also featured: the controversy over enabling law enforcement to circumvent encryption; the cyberattack risks posed by IoT devices.

Researchers are attempting to develop new forms of cryptography that could not be cracked by powerful quantum computing devices that are in the works. Divesh Aggarwal, principal investigator at Singapore's Center for Quantum Technologies, describes the efforts.

Healthcare organizations need to carefully assess whether data they hold falls under the scope of the California Consumer Privacy Act, says attorney Anne Kimbol, assistant general counsel of HITRUST - especially now that the regulation's Jan. 1 compliance deadline has hit.

Complex, manual processes and disparate, disconnected tools make it difficult for security and IT teams to mount a cohesive response. Bryce Schroeder of ServiceNow discusses a more effective approach to vulnerability response.

In the wake of the killing of an Iranian general in a U.S. drone attack last week, organizations - especially healthcare entities and units of government that have been vulnerable to ransomware attacks - need to be on guard against destructive "wiper" attacks, says Caleb Barlow of CynergisTek.

Zero Trust has become a cybersecurity marketing buzzword. But Kelsey Nelson of Okta sheds light on the realities of the Zero Trust approach, with a specific focus on the identity and access management component of the strategy.

From past roles at the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Microsoft and Sony, Phil Reitinger has learned more than a thing or two about nation-states and cyber threats. In this exclusive interview, the head of the Global Cyber Alliance discusses how to respond to potential new threats from Iran.

Following the U.S. killing of Iran's Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani last week, security experts have warned of possible retaliatory cyber strikes. Tom Kellermann of VMware believes those attacks are imminent. "The period of mourning is over, and I think the holy war in American cyberspace is yet to begin."

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report discusses countering the threat of nation-state cyberattacks in 2020. Also featured: an update on France's experiment with facial recognition technology and sorting out what "zero trust" really means.

Credential stuffing is a growing problem that's difficult to address, says Troy Hunt, creator of the Have I Been Pwned data breach notification service, who sizes up mitigation efforts.

While Congress is unlikely to pass major new national cybersecurity legislation in an election year, federal regulators and state attorneys general will be busy addressing evolving health data privacy and security issues in 2020, predicts attorney Marcus Christian of the law firm Mayer Brown.

"Zero Trust" security is rapidly transitioning from a marketing buzzword to a practical methodology for protecting today's global networks. Stan Lowe, global CISO of Zscaler, shares his 2020 vision for zero trust.

Machine-speed attacks require a machine-speed response, yet many of today's organizations still maintain legacy defenses. Mario Vuksan of ReversingLabs discusses the future of SOC triage.

How do hospitals' efforts to bolster information security in the aftermath of data breaches potentially affect patient outcomes? Professor Eric Johnson of Vanderbilt University discusses research that shows a worrisome relationship between breach remediation and the delivery of timely patient care.

Still stinging from efforts by foreign powers to influence the 2016 presidential election, the FBI is determined to keep the 2020 election tamper-free. Elvis Chan from the FBI's San Francisco office shares insights into the election defense strategy.

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report discusses 2020 cybersecurity trends, including fixing "fake everything," dealing with the issue of weaponized social media and securing the U.S. presidential election.