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PCI DSS 4.0: How to Delight the Auditors

While we all know the actual point of PCI is vastly more far-reaching, we can’t deny that the juggernaut of PCI DSS 4.0 compliance is getting past the auditors. However, there is a right way to do it that doesn’t just check the box – it creates the underlying business operations that enable you to pass an audit any day, at any time, with just the...
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How to comply with PCI DSS 4.0 while juggling day-to-day tasks

In our webinar, Insights for Navigating PCI DSS 4.0 Milestones, we discuss some of the challenges organizations face as they try to comprehend the new requirements of PCI DSS 4.0. One of the questions we commonly hear is, “How do we prepare for PCI 4.0 deadlines while still maintaining day-to-day operations?” The discussion involved David Bruce,...
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VERT Threat Alert: May 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s May 2023 Security Updates, which include a new release notes format. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1055 on Wednesday, May 10th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-29336 Up first this month is a vulnerability reported by Avast in Win32k. This...
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Explaining the PCI DSS Evolution & Transition Phase

The boon of online business and credit card transactions in the early 90s and 2000s resulted in an increasing trend of online payment fraud. Since then, securing business and online card transactions has been a growing concern for all business and payment card companies. The increasing cases of high-profile data breaches and losses from online...
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The K-12 Report: A Cybersecurity Assessment of the 2021-2022 School Year

The K-12 Report breaks down the cyber risks faced by public schools across the country and is sponsored by the CIS (Center for Internet Security) and the MS-ISAC (Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center). Published “to prepare K-12 leaders with the information to make informed decisions around cyber risk”, the report provides a data...
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VERT Threat Alert: April 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s April 2023 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1050 on Wednesday, April 12th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-28252 A vulnerability in the Common Log File System (CLFS) Driver has been exploited in-the-wild. CLFS provides a...
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Don’t fail an audit over a neglected annual policy review

When did you last have a light-bulb moment? For me, it was very recent. I was working with a client, supporting them in their latest Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) annual compliance assessment, and, in discussion with the Qualified Security Assessor (QSA), I had a sudden urge to challenge something we’ve all, always, believed...
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VERT Threat Alert: March 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s March 2023 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1046 on Wednesday, March 15th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-24880 Up first this month is a publicly disclosed and exploited vulnerability impacting Windows SmartScreen. SmartScreen...
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ISO27001 Updates: Change is afoot

If you blinked, you might have missed it… On October 25th 2022, the new standard for the Information Security Management System, ISO27001 was released. Without fuss, and without fanfare. But, to quote a famous movie, “There was a great disturbance in the force.” ISO27001 is possibly one of the world's best-known standards for Information...
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The Language of Cybersecurity Frameworks, Guidance, Regulations, and Standards

When it comes to acronyms, Technology and Cybersecurity often rival various branches of government. Technology acronyms are usually somewhat bland, amounting to little more than the arcane argot of the profession, such as SOC, SIEM, and DNS. Government, however, rarely disappoints in its inventiveness, whether it is the acronym of the Puppies...
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VERT Threat Alert: February 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s February 2023 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1042 on Wednesday, February 15th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-21823 The first vulnerability in the list this week is CVE-2023-21823, a vulnerability in Windows Graphic Component...
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The State of the US National Cybersecurity Strategy for the Electric Grid

The distribution systems of the U.S. energy grid — the portions of the grid that carry electricity to consumers — are growing more susceptible to cyber-attacks, in part due to the advent of monitoring and control technology and their reliance on them. However, the magnitude of the possible consequences of such attacks is not fully understood....
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VERT Threat Alert: January 2023 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s January 2023 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1037 on Wednesday, January 11th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-21549 A vulnerability in the SMB Witness Service was reported by two Akamai researchers, Stiv Kupchik and Ophir...
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VERT Threat Alert: December 2022 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s December 2022 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1034 on Wednesday, December 14th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2022-44698 This vulnerability allows a malicious individual to bypass SmartScreen, which does a reputation check based...
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Security Configuration Management Use Cases: Policy Monitoring for Security

In the business world, compliance means making sure that companies of all sizes are meeting the standards set by regulatory or oversight groups in various laws and standards, such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOX, and GDPR. Sometimes, an organization will self-impose its compliance by adhering to guidance and frameworks from organizations such as NIST, ISACA,...
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Information security compliance: why it’s more important than ever

Being in a more connected environment benefits all of us, from those using social media to stay in touch with far-away relatives, to businesses enjoying the rewards of remote working. But, while connectivity is great and offers many positives, it also creates vulnerabilities. Companies that handle sensitive data may find themselves the target and...
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Integrity Monitoring Use Cases: Policy Monitoring for Compliance

In response to increasing societal concerns about the way businesses store, process, and protect the sensitive data they collect from their customers, governments and standardization organizations have enacted a patchwork of regulations and laws. Some of these are generic regulations (CCPA, GDPR), while others are industry specific (SOX, NERC, HIPAA...
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VERT Threat Alert: November 2022 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s November 2022 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1029 on Wednesday, November 9th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2022-41091 This vulnerability allows a malicious individual to bypass Mark of the Web. Mark of the Web is what is used to...
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Getting started with Zero Trust: What you need to consider

Have you ever walked up to an ATM after another person finished with the machine only to find they left it on a prompt screen asking, “Do you want to perform another transaction?” I have. Of course, I did the right thing and closed out their session before beginning my own transaction. That was a mistake an individual made by careless error which...