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...

The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices - more specifically, security cameras - has forced organizations to rethink how they protect their physical hardware.Security cameras represent some of the most common IoT devices installed in business and commercial environments. Recent estimates suggest the smart camera market is expected to grow at an astronomical rate, reaching a potential...

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...

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...

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...

Maintaining compliance with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards is a complex process that can put significant strain on security and compliance teams. Easing this strain and ensuring compliance relies on effective preparation. As the old adage goes, fail to prepare, prepare to fail.The NERC CIP preparation process is best...

One of the hardest parts of managing an organization’s cybersecurity is patch management.Just as one patch cycle is completed, another set of patches are released. When compounded with the highly regulated energy industry, governed by the NERC CIP Standards, the task becomes even more daunting. Fortunately, Fortra’s Tripwire Enterprise (TE) can ease the process.Some of the specified requirements...

The demand for robust security, transparency, and accountability is at an all-time high, and many businesses are relying on managed service providers (MSPs) to manage their IT infrastructure, ensure data security, or provide seamless operational support. Concurrently, MSPs must continuously innovate and differentiate their offerings to meet the growing needs of businesses.The wide range of MSPs...

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...

In an era characterized by relentless digital transformation and interconnectedness, cybersecurity has evolved into a complex and dynamic battleground.Businesses, governments, and individuals find themselves locked in a perpetual struggle against a relentless flood of evolving threats. From sophisticated cybercriminal syndicates to state-sponsored...

Like every other industry, the healthcare sector is barely recognizable when compared to its state 20 years ago. It, too, has been transfigured by technology. While this has brought many impactful benefits, it has also introduced at least one major challenge: keeping sensitive patient information private. At the heart of this privacy challenge...

Cybersecurity in Mental Healthcare - The Overlooked Risk Did you know the New-Age Therapeutic sector is unregulated? If that surprises you, then you’re not alone. I was a little surprised, too. Yes, there are various professional bodies a practitioner can join, and there are courses they can attend, but they aren’t forced to. It should be noted...

At Tripwire's recent Energy and NERC Compliance Working Group, we had the opportunity to speak with the Manager of Gas Measurement, Controls, & Cybersecurity at a large energy company. More specifically, we focused on SCADA and field assets of gas Operational Technology. The experience at the management level of such an organization provided a wealth...

Electrical utilities are responsible for just about everything we do. This presents a tremendous burden on those who operate those utilities. One way these organizations offer assurance is through the audit process. While audits can generate tremendous anxiety, good planning, and tools can help make the entire process go smoothly. Moreover, these...

Tripwire recently held its annual Energy and NERC Compliance Working Group. This year's attendees included more than 200 Tripwire customer utility personnel representing over 80 different registered entities from all across the US and Canada. The company sizes ranged from public utility districts and city municipalities to medium and larger-sized...

Plastic surgeries across the United States have been issued a warning that they are being targeted by cybercriminals in plots designed to steal sensitive data including patients' medical records and photographs that will be later used for extortion. The warning, which was issued by the FBI yesterday and is directed towards plastic surgery offices...

While always a part of business, compliance demands have skyrocketed as the digital world gives us so many more ways to go awry. We all remember the Enron scandal that precipitated the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). Now, SOX compliance means being above board on a number of cybersecurity requirements as well. Fortra's Tripwire recently released a new...

What is NERC?NERC stands for North American Electric Reliability Corporation. It is the organization behind ensuring the security and reliability of electric grids, and the NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) reliability standard is the tool that provides responsible entities with the processes to achieve a crucial mandate: secure the...

When building a tower, it helps to start with a sturdy foundation. Cyber maturity is the tower, and there are three levels that build it: Foundational IT/OT & Security Control Processes Fundamental Security Control Capabilities Advanced Security Control Capabilities Fortra occupies a unique space in the industry because of the sheer size of...

Technology companies are often seen as revolving doors of constantly shifting personnel. Whether they are seeking a better work environment or chasing a higher paycheck, these staff changes can hurt an organization’s progress. Worse yet, the customers are often negatively impacted by these changes in the continuity of established relationships. At...