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Minimizing the Human Impact on Data Security

August 28, 2017 • Published by
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These days many organizations do not feel confident about their ability prevent a data breach, mainly because they feel they can’t trust the humans working for them. And for good reason! Cyber criminals continue to exploit the human element, which was blamed for over 400 reported data breaches and 7.6 million+ compromised records in 2016.Regardless of whether the employee is knowingly part of a malicious effort, or is inadvertently involved in allowing an intrusion or other form of unintended disclosure, a breach of valuable data is not what you want to have happen. Therefore, you must minimize the human impact.

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Compliance or Security: What are you trying to accomplish?

August 16, 2017 • Published by
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I’ve been an information security assessor (PCI, HIPAA, ISO, etc.) for a long time and it’s always interesting to find out why a company has brought me in to do an assessment.Is the goal to shore up their existing security environment, or just check a compliance box to make one of their clients or vendors happy? The answer to that question will usually determine the assessment’s success.

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Don’t Confuse P2PE and Firewall Functionality

July 24, 2017 • Published by
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The ability to devalue credit card data has made point-to-point encryption (P2PE) technology a hot topic among franchisors. And what’s not to love? With a PCI P2PE solution in place, your franchise can check off that PCI compliance box as well as rest assured that your payment transactions are safe and secure.But is securing your credit card transactions between the POS and the payment processor all your business should worry about? Does implementing P2PE make every other security technology irrelevant to your business?

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Upping the Ante on Payment Card Data Security

July 16, 2017 • Published by

Payment card data security isn’t a new concept, yet businesses everywhere still can’t get it right. The payment card industry has a growing body of standards, merchants and technology providers strive to follow them, and consumers continue to demand them.But payment card data breaches still happen. Regularly. Why?It’s time we upped the ante on our efforts to help merchants protect themselves.

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It’s Time to Redefine the IT Security Perimeter

June 5, 2017 • Published by
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As an IT security assessment professional, my job is to look at companies’ data security zones and their network perimeter compliance. I am looking at the normal stuff: Firewalls, servers and hardening standards as required by PCI, HIPAA, ISO 27001, etc.Without properly implemented and maintained security technologies in place, it’s impossible to protect your perimeter from compromise. But are you truly clear on what that perimeter is?

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The WannaCry Ransomware Attack: 5 Things IT Pros Can Learn

May 21, 2017 • Published by
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Last week was a rough one in the IT world, as organizations around the globe scrambled to avoid being caught up in the WannaCry ransomware attack. If your organization was spared this round, it doesn’t mean you should pat yourself on the back and move on, business as usual. Fact is, most organizations aren’t at a state of security maturity that affords them this level of comfort.Read on for my list of 5 things any IT professional can learn from the WannaCry ransomware attack.

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New Data Security Warning for FTP Use in Healthcare

April 19, 2017 • Published by
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FTP servers are essential for sharing files and data, but healthcare providers continue to utilize them in an insecure manner. Just last year, the ControlScan Security Consulting team saw this in action within a large healthcare organization. What happens when FTP goes wrong and how can you prevent your FTP server from leaking ePHI? Read on to find out.

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Social Engineering: Don’t Fall Victim to Tax Phishing!

March 31, 2017 • Published by
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Historically speaking, tax season is prime for tax-themed scams and social engineering attacks. Specifically, the number of W-2 phishing scams have peaked recently. Attackers and social engineers begin by targeting finance and HR departments with spear phishing emails that spoof C-level executives and request employee W-2 forms.

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