To allay dependence on oil revenue and expand the private sector, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has committed, in recent years, to establishing a knowledge-based economy. Consequently, they have become a formidable competitor in Information Communication Technology (ICT). As the ICT industry has grown, so have government agencies to regulate it, namely the Signals Intelligence Agency, formerly...

Achieving Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act compliance is becoming more difficult. While the Act is primarily a financial reporting regulation, it requires all publicly traded companies operating in the United States to maintain the integrity, accuracy, and reliability of financial reporting, which those organizations can only achieve through robust cybersecurity measures. As such, an effective...

There is no doubt that we now live in an AI-driven, automation-powered world. Across industries and markets, leaders and professionals are achieving the utility of AI in their processes. The same applies to Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) management, but when one looks at the actual implementation, the data shows that there's still a long way to go.According to one recent report, only 21%...

NIST SP 800-53 is a framework developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that provides guidelines and best practices for securing federal information systems and protecting the privacy of individuals whose information these systems handle.The Special Publication has gone by several different names. NIST initially released Special Publication 800-53 in 2005 under the...

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), published by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is a widely used set of guidelines for mitigating organizational cybersecurity risks. It contains recommendations and standards to help organizations identify and detect cyberattacks and advice on how to respond, prevent, and recover from cybersecurity incidents.Since Version 1.0’s...

If you’ve been keeping up with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), you’ll know it has a new specification that revolves around network security controls. Let’s dig into the details.A Little Back StoryIt helps to level-set for anyone who might be coming into this from a non-technical role. We all know PCI DSS (v4.0) is the payment card industry’s compliance standard for...

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was enacted to restore public confidence in the wake of major corporate and accounting scandals. The legislation aims to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities laws.One key aspect of SOX compliance is ensuring the integrity and security of financial data. In the digital age,...

The transition to PCI DSS 4.0 is here. The transition period from PCI DSS 3.2 ended on March 31, 2024, so businesses in all sectors must focus on aligning their practices with the new requirements.This blog will guide you through the key points discussed by PCI experts Steven Sletten and Jeff Hall in a recent webinar held by Fortra on "PCI 4.0 is Here: Your Guide to Navigating Compliance Success....

With Artificial Intelligence (AI) becoming more pervasive within different industries, its transformational power arrives with considerable security threats. AI is moving faster than policy, whereas the lightning-quick deployment of AI technologies has outpaced the creation of broad regulatory frameworks, raising questions about data privacy, ethical implications, and cybersecurity. This gap is...

It seems like such a short time ago that the Security Standards Council released the newest version of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). It has been a full year, and version 4.0 is now in effect. Industries that adhere to the Standard were given the year to implement the new changes. The Standard includes limited exceptions for specific requirements, classifying them as...

For cybersecurity professionals tasked with defending the public sector, tackling the U.S. Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) is just another hurdle to a safer federal tomorrow. Part of a wide collection of necessary federal government compliance requirements, it hones in on which baseline security configurations are necessary for federally deployed IT products. While not a standalone...

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is a Department of Defense (DoD) service provider that supplies a global information-sharing architecture for all DoD members "from the President on down." Their cybersecurity measures are among the best in the world. As Amy Probst, Lead Customer Management Specialist at DISA, explains, DISA’s Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSSP) program "monitors...

The IT and OT systems that support not only federal governmental agencies but also national critical infrastructure must be protected, but developing a security strategy effective against threats is no easy feat. It can be difficult to cover all of the necessary areas, given that these systems are “complex and dynamic, technologically diverse, and often geographically dispersed,” according to a...

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), enacted by the United States Congress in 2002, is a landmark piece of legislation that aims to improve transparency, accountability, and integrity in financial reporting and corporate governance. The act was a response to high-profile corporate scandals, such as those involving Enron, WorldCom, and Tyco International, which shook investor confidence and underscored...

In Part 1, the existing global regulations around IoT were introduced. In this part, the challenge of complying with these rules is examined.The IoT Security ChallengeSecuring the Internet of Things (IoT) presents complex challenges that stem primarily from the scale, heterogeneity, and distributed nature of IoT networks:Inconsistent security standards: One of the most pressing issues is the...

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) regulations often make exacting demands of Fortra Tripwire's customers, requiring them to update or create new change processes and document those processes in order to comply. In any NERC CIP-centered IT\OT project, there are always crucial indicators of success - even before the project gets...

Many companies strive to achieve the best security possible. Along the path to improved security, many companies are also required to meet various compliance standards. In some cases, compliance is also a regulatory requirement. This crossroad between security and compliance can sometimes seem at odds with the organization’s goals. Compliance does...

The ISF (Information Security Forum) Standard of Good Practice (SoGP) is a comprehensive set of best practices designed to help organizations effectively manage their information security risks. Covering various topics, including governance, risk management, compliance, incident management, and technical security controls, it helps establish and...

Much has been made of cyber resilience in recent years. And with good reason: failing to bounce back quickly from a security event can have dramatic financial consequences. In early 2023, Royal Mail took several days to recover from a Lockbit cyberattack, losing upwards of £10 million in the process. However, for all the talk about resilience, the industry seems to be overlooking one of its...