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Aligning Software Security Practices with the EU CRA Requirements

As the European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)'s enforcement date approaches (October 2026), cybersecurity requirements on manufacturers, developers, and service providers responsible for software and hardware connected to the internet will need to start thinking - if they haven't already -about what they need to do to comply. It may seem like a long time off, but the earlier you start, the better...
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Shifting Gears: India's Government Calls for Financial Cybersecurity Change

Escalating tensions in the Kashmiri conflict between India and Pakistan illustrate a point the Indian government has been driving home for years; it is time to double-down on securing India's critical financial services.As the cornerstone of the nation's stability, the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector was the focus of India's first Digital Threat Report 2024, and offers a ...
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Expanding on ADHICS v2.0: A Closer Look at Healthcare Cybersecurity in the UAE

As digital transformation sweeps across the healthcare sector, there has never been more at stake. Healthcare data is worth a lot on the black market. Unlike financial data, which has a short shelf life (accounts can be frozen, and fraud alerts issued), medical records stay fresh for a long time.They contain a host of personal information, like medical histories, insurance data, and payment...
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Proposed HIPAA Update Makes Yearly Pen Testing Mandatory

In January of this year, significant changes to the HIPAA Security Rule were proposed by the Office of Civil Rights for the Department of Health and Human Services (OCR).The proposed update to the HIPAA Security Rule, published on January 6, 2025, introduces a significant new requirement: all covered entities and business associates must conduct penetration testing of their electronic information...
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Dead Man’s Scripts: The Security Risk of Forgotten Scheduled Tasks in Legacy Systems

There are ghosts in the machine.Not the poetic kind. I mean literal, running-code-with-root-access kind. The kind that was set up ten years ago by an admin who retired five jobs ago. The kind that still wakes up every night at 3:30 a.m.; processes something no one remembers, and then quietly vanishes into the system logs. Until, of course, something goes wrong—or someone takes advantage of it...
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How to Stay Compliant with the New HIPAA Security Rule Updates

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) was established to protect patient privacy and secure health information. While it has been around for nearly two decades, it is evolving to keep up with an increasingly digital world and in response to the skyrocketing number of cyber attacks the industry sees every year.On December 27, 2024, the Department of Health and Human...
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Assessment Frameworks for NIS Directive Compliance

According to the NIS Directive, Member States should adopt a common set of baseline security requirements to ensure a minimum level of harmonized security measures across the EU and enhance the overall level of security of operators providing essential services (OES) and digital service providers (DSP). The NIS Directive sets three primary objectives:to improve the national information security...
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New Bill Mandates Cybersecurity Overhaul for Federal Contractors

New cybersecurity legislation is coming thick and fast. And for good reason: cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, systems are becoming more connected, and geopolitical relationships are becoming more fraught. One of the most recent bipartisan legislations – the US Federal Contractor Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act of 2025 – is designed to modernize cybersecurity standards in...
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Digital Hygiene in Healthcare: Where Cybersecurity Is a Matter of Life and Death

The healthcare industry is a prime target for cyberattacks due to the significant value of medical data and the critical nature of patient care. Unlike other sectors, healthcare organizations must balance cybersecurity with the need for immediate access to life-saving information. Ransomware attacks, in particular, have surged, with cybercriminals exploiting outdated systems, unpatched...
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CNSS Instruction: Why It’s Critical for National Security and Your Organization

As cyber threats evolve, so must the strategies and frameworks that protect the data and systems that are at the heart of national defense, intelligence, and security. At a time when cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, the need to protect national security systems (NSS) has never been more critical. With this in mind, the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) was formed to...
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Best Practices for Transitioning from Security to Privacy

As global privacy requirements evolve, many information security professionals are called upon to enhance or lead information privacy programs. While this transition may seem like a natural progression, I learned five important lessons when I moved from a focus on security and audit to the field of information privacy.What Constitutes PII? Understanding PII is essential to your team's success....
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Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC/USGCB) Compliance

Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC) was mandated by the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 2007 and provides a set of security standards that must be adhered to by all federal workstations and laptops running Windows XP or Vista.FDCC evolved into the United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) starting in 2010, although some agencies and contracts may still be under...
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Cross-Border Data Compliance: Navigating Public Security Regulations in a Connected World

It is a significant benefit that the world is connected the way it is, with the potential for even greater interconnectivity. However, this has come at huge costs, too, considering the rise in the direct involvement of state actors engaged in cyber warfare. Against this background, nations have a more acute awareness of digital vulnerabilities, which has radiated into regulatory frameworks...
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CMS ARS: A Blueprint for US Healthcare Data Security and Compliance

Protecting sensitive patient information is more critical than ever. With technologies evolving at a breakneck pace and the number of cyber threats targeting healthcare entities in the United States skyrocketing, healthcare organizations must have robust policies and guardrails in place to ensure patients' confidential information doesn't fall into the wrong hands.One of the essential frameworks...
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The Intersection of Public Policy and Cybersecurity: Building a Framework for 2025 and Beyond

IntroductionIn a report published by Statista, cybercrime cost the world over $9 trillion in 2024 and is predicted to rise to nearly $14 trillion by 2028. These figures are a deep source of worry for governments and private businesses about what’s next in the cyber threat landscape.The problem is that cyber threats are rising in both volume and scale. More so, the major threats are directed at...
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Understanding the Abu Dhabi Healthcare Information and Cyber Security Standard

Abu Dhabi is boosting its healthcare system with the introduction of the Abu Dhabi Healthcare Information and Cyber Security Standard (ADHICS). This initiative, driven by the Department of Health—Abu Dhabi (DoH)—has been put in place to protect sensitive healthcare data, improve cybersecurity resilience, and keep healthcare services running smoothly.At a time when cyber threats are skyrocketing in...
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CIS Controls Version 8.1: What you need to know

The latest version of the CIS Controls was released in June 2024. The new version, 8.1, introduces some minor updates via design principles.ContextNew asset classes are updated to better match the specific parts of an enterprise’s infrastructure that each Safeguard applies to. New classes require new definitions, so CIS has also enhanced the descriptions of several Safeguards for greater detail,...
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Making Sense of Australia’s New Cybersecurity Legislation

Late last year, Australia’s Cyber Security Act 2024 received Royal Assent and became Law. It was a huge moment for cybersecurity legislation in Australia, serving as the country’s first-ever standalone cybersecurity law, addressing key legislative gaps, and bringing the country in line with international best practices. But what’s included in the Act? And what does it mean for businesses? Keep...
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CIS Control 04: Secure Configuration of Enterprise Assets and Software

Key Takeaways for Control 4Most fresh installs of operating systems or applications come with preconfigured settings that are usually insecure or not properly configured with security in mind. Use the leverage provided by multiple frameworks such as CIS Benchmarks or NIST NCP to find out if your organization needs to augment or adjust any baselines to become better aligned with the policies your...
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Helping the Energy Sector Navigate NERC Complexities

The energy sector is the cornerstone of modern infrastructure, powering essential services and supporting the daily operations of economies worldwide. However, it also faces unique cybersecurity challenges, particularly in complying with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) standards.Cyber threats keep growing in sophistication and...