Recent research by Comparitech reveals the shocking truth about ransomware attacks on government entities; they have a longer impact than anyone thought. Tracking over 1100 government-targeted ransomware attacks over a period of six years, researchers discovered that each day of downtime cost entities nearly $83,600, and that in each attack the downtime lasted for an average of 27.8 days.Compared...

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...

In July 2024, as the Republican National Committee (RNC) geared up for its national convention in Milwaukee, Chinese hackers infiltrated the RNC's email system. According to The Wall Street Journal, attackers maintained access for several months, trying to get their hands on intelligence on how the GOP planned to address Taiwan in its party platform. Microsoft alerted top party officials about...

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...

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has proposed new rules requiring those under its jurisdiction to follow specific cyber risk management (CRM) requirements, report cybersecurity incidents in a certain timeframe, and address physical security concerns.This is positive news for the transportation industry, as hundreds of attacks have been leveled against the sector. These attacks have...

NASA is about to introduce new requirements for its contractors. These requirements will dramatically improve the cybersecurity of spacecraft and the US’ resilience to cyber threats. But what do these requirements mean for spacecraft manufacturers? What challenges will they face? And what will they need to do to comply? Keep reading to find out. Understanding the Cyber Space ThreatWhile NASA has...

The upcoming election has brought up conversations about the security of our voting infrastructure. While recent developments have somewhat shifted attention toward more visceral threats such as "death threats against county clerks, polling-place violence, and AI-fueled disinformation," the protection of voting machine security is still a pressing concern.Securing electronic voting infrastructure...

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 for...

With 86% of UK adults using a form of online or remote banking and high street banks closing in record numbers, banking websites have become an integral part of our daily lives. They have changed how we manage our money, allowing us to send and receive money from anywhere in the world, open or close accounts at the click of a button (or tap or a screen), and avoid queuing in physical banks. They...

From more broad laws like GDPR to industry-specific regulations like HIPAA, most organizations today must comply with some kind of data protection guideline. Some businesses may even have to comply with numerous data protection regulations. As such, compliance with data protection regulations has become increasingly complicated. National Institute...

The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned the public to be cautious if contacted by people claiming to be... FTC staff. In a warning published on its website, the FTC said that scammers were using its employees' real names to steal money from consumers. A typical ruse will see the bogus FTC staffer advising someone to wire or...

In 2024, transformation is reshaping industries, and the financial sector stands at a crucial juncture. The Softcat Business Tech Priorities Report, a comprehensive survey encompassing over 4,000 customers across various sectors, sheds light on this transformation. Significantly, cybersecurity has emerged as the paramount concern for financial...

Over the years, PayPal has earned a reputation for being a secure and easy way to send and receive money. However, no payment system is entirely immune to scams, and cybercriminals often exploit these platforms due to their widespread popularity and trust among users. PayPal is the most widely used online payment system in the US, making it a...

Governments play a key role in the continued operation of society. While getting a speeding ticket or paying taxes may not be anyone’s favorite thing to do, they contribute to the government’s ability to protect its citizens while maintaining its infrastructure and services. Cybersecurity is critical for all organizations and government agencies,...

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. Reports...

The Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals (CPGs) are a new baseline released jointly by CISA, NIST, and the interagency community, with a goal of providing consistency across all critical infrastructure. The primary webpage for these goals gives us a great understanding of what they are (and are not). It is worth delving into those specifics...

If you were to take a look at the cybersecurity news cycle, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s only large enterprises with expansive customer bases and budgets that are the most vulnerable to attacks. But that’s not entirely true. Even if it’s at a much smaller scale, small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) still have stores of sensitive...

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework was meant to be a dynamic document that is continuously revised, enhanced, and updated. These upgrades allow the Framework to keep up with technological and threat developments, incorporate lessons learned, and transform best practices into standard procedures. NIST created the Framework in 2014 and updated it with...

Cybersecurity funding in corporate environments has always been a source of anxiety for those who seek to keep organizations safe. When we examine the cybersecurity readiness of many state, local, and territorial governments, this funding struggle is taken to new heights of scarcity.Fortunately, a new program has been created by the Department of...