Cybersecurity Sense

Join us for the latest episode of our PCI Monthly Update podcast, where we explore the latest developments in the world of payment card industry security.

We begin with a news segment covering the launch of PCI v4.0 and the ins and outs of the new INFI (Items Noted For Improvement) Worksheet.

Next up, we'll cover Requirement 11 - Test security of systems and networks regularly. This requirement can either be the easiest or hardest for organizations depending on their setup. Our QSA experts provide their insights on best practices and what has changed in v4.0.

This episode is a must-listen for professionals seeking to stay informed and improve their organization's payment security and compliance.

In this edition of the PCI Monthly Update, we’re counting down to the launch of PCI 4.0! We start this month's podcast with a reminder that v4.0 goes into full effect on March 31.

Our focus then shifts to Requirement 10 covering logging and monitoring all access to system components and card holder data and what is changing with v4.0.

This podcast is your monthly briefing on PCI standards - an indispensable listen for anyone tasked with safeguarding payment card data.

In this January edition of the PCI Monthly Update, we’re on the brink of exciting changes with version 4.0 just around the corner! We start with a spotlight on the ongoing Request for Comments (RFC) period for PCI DSS v4.0, inviting insights from industry experts. Plus, we discuss the Global Content Library, showcasing insights from the 2023 Community Meetings.

Our focus then shifts to Requirement 9, where we break down the critical protocols for restricting physical access to cardholder data. We'll cover everything from documenting security policies to managing visitor access, ensuring secure storage and destruction of media with cardholder data, and protecting Point of Interaction (POI) devices from security threats.

Wrap up with us as we consolidate today's takeaways and prepare you for what these updates mean for your compliance strategy.

This podcast is your monthly briefing on PCI standards - an indispensable listen for anyone tasked with safeguarding payment card data.

Join us for the latest episode of our PCI Monthly Update podcast, where we explore the latest developments in the world of payment card industry security.

We begin with a news segment highlighting the PCI SSC's TRA Guidance. Next, we delve into Requirement 8 of the PCI DSS, dedicated to identifying users and authenticating access to system components. We'll explore the intricate details of this requirement, covering sub-requirements 8.1 to 8.6. These discussions will include processes for user identification, strict management of user and administrator accounts, strong authentication methods, and the implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA) to ensure the security of cardholder data environments (CDE).

Our QSA Q&A segment then addresses a critical question: Do all accounts need to comply with these requirements? We'll provide clarity on the scope, applicability, and exceptions, helping listeners understand the nuances of compliance.

Tune in for a comprehensive review of December's PCI updates, an in-depth analysis of Requirement 8, and valuable insights from our QSA experts. This episode is a must-listen for professionals seeking to stay informed and improve their organization's payment security and compliance.

Dive into the latest in the PCI landscape with our October update. We kick off with a news segment spotlighting the new SAQ SPOC (Software PIN Entry on COTS) which includes portions of PCI DSS Requirements 3, 8, 9, and 12.

Transitioning to Requirement 7, we discuss restricting access to system components and cardholder data based on business necessity, delving into sub-requirements 7.1 to 7.3, and discussing the principles of 'need to know' and 'least privileges.'

Our QSA Q&A segment addresses the applicability of Requirement 7 to customer/cardholder accounts, clarifying the scope and the specific entities impacted by this requirement.

Join us for a comprehensive exploration of this month's PCI developments, an in-depth look at Requirement 7, and expert insights in our QSA dialogue, paving your way towards enhanced compliance and security.

Catch the latest news in our September "PCI Monthly Update" from Tuesday, September 26, 2023. We kick things off with key insights from the recent PCI Community Meeting. Next, we dive into Requirement 6, discussing the essence of secure software development, from processes to security vulnerabilities, web application protection, and change management.

Our QSA Q&A segment addresses a vital question: What documentation should you expect from PCI DSS compliant service providers?

Join us for a succinct roundup of September's essential PCI updates and insights. Perfect for both newcomers and seasoned PCI professionals.

Tune in to the August edition of our PCI Monthly Update. We kick off with a sneak peek into the upcoming PCI North America Community Meeting in Portland and introduce the newly launched PCI Community Job Board—a dedicated platform for security talent and job postings in the payment industry.

Next, we delve into Requirement 5, shedding light on anti-malware solutions. We explore the criteria for system components which do not require anti-malware, delve into the specifics of anti-malware implementation, and highlight the periodic evaluations required for maintaining optimal security.

Wrapping up, our QSA Q&A segment addresses a common query: the rotation of QSAs in organizations.

Whether you're a PCI pro or new to the domain, this episode offers a concise overview of August's essential PCI topics. Join us for these insights and more!

Dive into the latest PCI news in our July PCI Update. This episode covers key PCI developments, an in-depth exploration of Requirement 4, and a helpful QSA Q&A.

We kick off this episode by previewing the upcoming PCI Community Meeting in Portland and discuss our hosts' presentation on "Generative AI: Your New Secret Weapon or an Insider Threat?" We also talk about the INFI worksheet and the importance of Continuous Compliance.

In the Requirement 4 segment, we focus on strong cryptography, robust security protocols, and the need to secure PAN during transmission over public networks. We highlight industry best practices for wireless networks transmitting PAN and the necessity to secure PAN when using end-user messaging technologies.

A QSA Q&A session wraps up our episode and tackles the issue of responsibility for PCI compliance when using third-party payment services.

Whether you're an industry veteran or new to PCI, this episode offers a concise, informative roundup of the month's most significant PCI topics.

Do you know the average payout organizations are hit with for every attack? William Parks and Bill Dean discuss a service dedicated to helping your organization (big or small) withstand a ransomware attack. Bill and his team are ready to help you and your organization obtain peace of mind when it comes to these advanced threats. 

Questions for Bill?

Find him here: bill.dean@lbmc.com

LBMC Shareholder Bill Dean and William Parks spend today’s episode discussing Advance Guard, a new service offering from LBMC's Security Technical Team. Learn how Advance Guard may help protect your organization's most valuable assets, save time on compliance audits, and give peace of mind about your current security stance.

 Want to see Bill’s “Prescription”? Check out the link below:

https://www.lbmc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/AdvanceGuard-Sample-Schedule.pdf

Questions for Bill?

Find him here: bill.dean@lbmc.com

Stay up to date with the latest in PCI compliance. In this episode, William Parks, Andy Kerr, and Kyle Hinterberg discuss the latest in PCI news, new restrictions around PAN data, and how to master Requirement 3 while preparing for PCI 4.0.

Don't miss our upcoming webinar: "How to Reduce Your PCI Scope: Tips & Technology Your Organization Needs to Know" on Thursday, April 13 at 11am CT. Register Now!

For any questions, feel free to reach out to us here:

Kyle Hinterberg: kyle.hinterberg@lbmc.com Andy Kerr: andy.kerr@lbmc.com William Parks: william.parks@lbmc.com

ChatGPT is making headlines worldwide and its impact is making a lot of business owners uncomfortable. What is ChatGPT? How will this tool change how you do business? Is ChatGPT a security risk? What to expect from ChatGPT4? William Parks interviews LBMC's Data Insights team members to discuss this controversial topic, dive into facts your organization needs to know, and explore probable scenarios that could happen with this level of Artificial Intelligence.

Want more insights? Contact LBMC's Data Insights team:

Jon Hilton, Shareholder (jon.hilton@lbmc.com)

Will Son, Senior Manager (will.son@lbmc.com)

William Parks takes this podcast to introduce a key member of LBMC Information Security’s Technical Services team, Daniel Nguyen. Daniel is a manager on the team with quite the insightful background. William and Daniel spend time discussing current steps to keep your organization successful in their journey to a healthier security posture.

Questions for Daniel?

Find him here: daniel.nguyen@lbmc.com

Stay up to date with the latest in PCI compliance. In this episode, William Parks, Andy Kerr, and Kyle Hinterberg discuss the latest in PCI news and how to master Requirement 1 while preparing for PCI 4.0.

For any questions, feel free to reach out to us here:

Kyle Hinterberg: kyle.hinterberg@lbmc.com

Andy Kerr: andy.kerr@lbmc.com

William Parks: william.parks@lbmc.com

William Parks, Andy Kerr, and Kyle Hinterberg discuss the latest PCI news, share how to create and what should be covered in an executive summary for a PCI assessment, and answer a few questions from our listeners.

If you’d like us to answer and address questions on our next episode, reach out to us here:

Andy Kerr – andy.kerr@lbmc.com

Kyle Hinterberg – kyle.hinterberg@lbmc.com

William Parks – William.parks@lbmc.com

In this podcast, Host William Parks discusses with LBMC Information Security Senior Managers Andy Kerr and Kyle Hinterberg some of the top takeaways at this year’s PCI SSC Community Meeting.

Topics discussed during this episode include changes to the “In-Place with Remediation” reporting option which was added in PCI DSS v4.0, what to do if you miss an ASV Scan, new ways to interact with the PCI Council, SAQ updates, and much more!

The Internet provides access to lots of good data, useful websites, social media options, and entertainment, but unfortunately, it also poses some risks to the security and privacy of individuals. In this episode, William Parks and Mark Burnette will share some practical tips for how you can keep yourself and your family safe and secure online. You will learn how to keep your kids safe on social media, how to avoid having to remember hundreds of online passwords (and how to avoid having them hacked), and how to protect your privacy while surfing the Internet.

Episode Bonus: LBMC's free interactive resource, "Keeping Your Digital Identity Secure." Download Now!

In this episode, Host William Parks interviews LBMC Shareholder Robyn Barton about HITRUST, what it is, the relationship between HITRUST and HIPAA, and the new HITRUST i1, r2, and bC Assessments.

In this episode, Host William Parks shares the latest on the new cyber mercenary group, Atlas Intelligence Group or AIG.

In this episode, Host William Parks shares ransomware awareness tips and cybersecurity best practices to keep your company safe from attacks.

To celebrate Women's History Month, LBMC interviews a panel of our women cybersecurity experts on their unique career journeys, what advice they would give to women looking to work in the field, and goals for the future. 

In this episode, the LBMC team gives listeners insight into what to expect when interviewing for a role in information security. Learn what qualities hiring managers are looking for as you prepare for your job interview.

Part two of our Information Security Careers podcast series. Our panel of experts share their paths to their first infosec jobs and provide advice for pursuing a career in the field.

In this episode, Caryn Wooley joins us to discuss the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). Learn why the Department of Defense created the model to improve security for government contractors and subcontractors. Hear what you can do to start preparing for CMMC today.

Learn how a few members of the LBMC Information Security team got started in their careers, and what you should consider when going into the field. 

Nancy Spizzo, Senior Manager at LBMC Information Security, joins Bill Dean to talk about HITRUST and the new LBMC Information Security HITRUST Guide being released later this fall. 

In this episode Bill Dean and Stewart Fey discuss penetration testing for PCI compliance. Learn about the differences between penetration testing and vulnerability assessments, and what is needed to meet requirements for PCI compliance.

In this episode, LBMC's cybersecurity experts discuss the topic of social engineering via phishing. Learn the difference in using phishing software solutions versus penetration testing services for your cybersecurity program.

In this episode Nancy Spizzo joins Bill Dean to discuss re-entry to the workplace. They'll discuss what items you should consider from a security and technology perspective as organizations plan to reopen their facilities. 

In this episode, Chelsea Smith talks with Bill Dean about the impact of remote work on IT audits during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Zoom is soaring in popularity as a large population of remote workers are using it for video conferencing. With it's surging popularity, the platform's loose security protocols made it an easy target for hackers to take advantage and disrupt calls. "Zoombombing" allowed anyone to login to unprotected links to intrude on the calls often sharing lewd photos and videos. Listen to our most recent podcast to hear what you can do to use Zoom securely. 

LBMC Cybersecurity expert, Derek Rush, joins Bill Dean as they discuss the benefits and limitations of multi-factor authentication. 

The LBMC Information Security team recaps the 2019 HITRUST conference that was held in Texas in May. The team talks about the latest news on third-party assurance, HITRUST CSF adoption and controls implementation, SOC 2 + HITRUST, and the latest initiatives in the quality sub committee.

In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Mark Burnette offers a summary and perspective on the council’s insights—specifically addressing the three likely changes for the next version of the PCI DSS.

In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean and John Dorling discuss some of the new tools available to help merchants who are trying to achieve PCI compliance.

2018 was one of the biggest years for data breaches to date, with more than 6,500 data breaches reported throughout the year. In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean dives deeper into these recent data breach statistics and why it’s important to keep investing in the hard work involved with combating cyber-attacks to prevent data breaches in the days to come.

All companies are subject to opportunistic attacks, but do you know if you are subject to a targeted attack based on the data you generate or maintain? In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean addresses this question while diving deeper into the key differences between targeted attacks and opportunistic attacks.

Since incident response issues are no longer just an IT issue and can often involve legal issues, it is important for organizations to develop an incident response team, seek outside expertise, and have an overall action plan in the event of an incident. In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean discusses how a complex situation like incident response can be purely based on common sense.

In a previous podcast, we discussed purple-teaming as it compares to a conventional penetration test. Let’s now build on that approach, starting with the differences between attack simulation and conventional penetration tests. The methodology of attack simulation is the assumption that the network or a system will become compromised and the current controls will not prevent the infection.

So, how does attack simulation differ from purple-teaming? With purple-teaming, everyone know what controls are being tested and when. The attack simulation is a bit different, asthe focus is the emulation of a specific attacker group and their methods of obtaining sensitive data. In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean discusses attack simulation, or what some people label adversary simulation.

Most penetration testers are considered “red team,” while most defenders are considered “blue team.” Thus, the irony of a conventional penetration test is that these two groups are typically pitted against each other. When the red teams and blue teams are working together, you have what’s called a “purple team.” While purple-teaming has not always been a thing, it can be a win for both groups.

Purple-teaming has now become somewhat of a buzzword. However, the effort behind it has great merit and value. In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean helps purple-teaming, as well some of the benefits involved with the practice.

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) permits users certain rights (referred to as “data subject access rights” or “DSARs” in the documentation) that organizations will need to be prepared to accommodate if they must comply with GDPR.

For organizations to be prepared to respond, it’s important to have a clear understanding of DSARs before you risk consuming too much time, money, and resources in efforts to remain compliant. In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Drew Hendrickson shares some considerations for how to prepare and respond when a customer chooses to request action on one of their new rights under GDPR.

As organizations determine whether the E.U.’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is applicable to them, there are several important things to consider when it comes to compliance. Among those things involves preparing for and responding to personal data breaches which is not just a requirement of the GDPR; it’s a good business practice in general), data consent, and how you are protecting our data (like data pseudonymisation).

With GDPR, personal data is defined a bit differently, which means there’s potentially much more data for organizations to protect. In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Drew Hendrickson highlights a list of things to consider when it comes to GDPR compliance.

As the May 25, 2018 GDPR enforcement date fast approaches, many organizations are asking, “How does the GDPR will apply to my organization?” As the GDPR extends to U.S. organizations that offer services to or monitor behaviors of E.U. citizens, it’s important to understand how to classify your organization’s data to determine GDPR applicability.

While the GDPR presents new challenges for organizations storing or processing personal data, maintaining compliance with the proper guidance is essential. In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Drew Hendrickson explains GDPR, how it can apply to you, and why GDPR compliance matters.

The question is not, “Will your employees will get your company hacked?” but rather “When will your employees get your company hacked?” A recent article from HITECH Answers highlights this sad reality of human-error being the most common reason for a cyber intrusion and data compromise. So, while employee actions can circumvent most every security control you have invested in, security awareness training is critical to prevent your employees from being your number one risk.

Users are often the last line in your cyber-defense efforts, and there is no patch for people wanting to be helpful or wanting to do the right thing. In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean explains why ongoing employee security training is crucial to ensuring employees know how to spot a hacking attempt, ultimately protecting your organization from a potential cyber-attack.

Listen, and discover these key takeaways: 

In a recent report from Wombat Security Technologies based on data from millions of simulated phishing attacks, it was found that 76% of organizations said they experienced phishing attacks in 2017, and nearly half of information security professionals said that the rate of attacks increased from 2016 to 2017. F-Secure also recently released research data indicating that over one-third of security incidents start with phishing emails or malicious attachments sent to company employees.

In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean digs into these research findings and shares some reasons why training employees to spot phishing emails, messages, and pre-texting calls can’t be done just once or once a year.

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

When cloud-managed security was first introduced, there was some concern about the levels of security as compared to the security of data on an organization’s premises. Today, security professionals have implemented the appropriate controls to help could-based data management be safe and effective. As many organizations are now embracing and migrating to the cloud, it is important to know the risks and proper controls associated with the movement.

In this podcast from the Institute of Internal Audit meeting in Knoxville, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean and Sese Bennett discuss the effectiveness and concerns surrounding migrating to cloud-managed security measures and what organizations today should know.

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

No matter the industry—government, healthcare, financial, or even smaller, mom-and-pop businesses—each deal with some type of sensitive customer information, and each has decisions to make when it comes to managing risk. Most security and audit frameworks (HIPAA, ISO, PCI, NIST, SOC 2, etc.) have requirements for risk assessment, making them one of the first things auditors or regulators ask for. Many companies are still using spreadsheets when it comes to performing risk assessments, which can be ineffective and insecure. Such a lack of functionality can keep a company from moving beyond assessment and into true risk management.

In this podcast from the Institute of Internal Audit meeting in Knoxville, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean and Mark Fulford discuss the importance of risk management, including the effectiveness of risk assessments and how BALLAST can help organizations automate the risk assessment process.

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

In the information security world, we all wish we had more access to senior executives. Following that logic, if you’re responsible for security at your organization, and you are lucky enough to ride on the same elevator with a senior executive from your company, you should be prepared with your “elevator pitch” on what to say about improving the cybersecurity posture of the organization. When asked, you want to have your message fine-tuned and be able to communicate it clearly and succinctly (before the elevator reaches the parking garage). 

In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Mark Burnette discusses his elevator pitch to President Donald Trump with podcast host Bill Dean. While Mark hasn’t ridden on an elevator with the President, he doesn’t let that stop him from finding a way to articulate what the President should be doing to address cybersecurity issues at the federal level. 

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

The AICPA Cybersecurity Working Group brought to life a new type of cybersecurity examination report in 2017 known as SOC (System and Organization Control) for Cybersecurity. These reports are intended to provide a consistent approach for evaluating and reporting on an entity’s cybersecurity risk management program and give management the ability to consistently describe its cybersecurity risk management program. Additionally, the flexibility of the reports allows management to use any recognized security framework as a baseline while enabling a CPA to provide independent assurance on the effectiveness of the program’s design.

In this podcast from the Institute of Internal Audit meeting in Knoxville, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean and Drew Hendrickson discuss SOC for Cybersecurity reports and what organizations and IT professionals should know about this new report and how it could help their organizations.

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

Incident response consultants are often contacted by clients who are in complete shock that their systems or networks have been compromised. Many times, these clients are hoping our analysis will ultimately prove that the incident was just a “flesh wound” to their systems and that they didn’t experience an actual data breach. It’s quite common for organizations to assume that data breaches won’t happen to them, and consequently, they typically don’t have an incident response plan.

Not only do organizations need an incident response plan, but they also need to test it via incident response tabletop exercises. In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean shares five key reasons why organizations don’t detect cyber breaches, as well as some helpful tips for being prepared in the event of a cyber-attack.

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

In comparison to previous years, 2017 was a good year as the number of healthcare records compromised was significantly down. As of December 30, there had been 341 breaches reported, affecting a little less than 5 million individuals. This compares to 327 breach reports in 2016 but with 16.6 million individuals affected. When this information is contrasted with 2015 statistics, fewer breaches (268) were reported, however more than 113 million patients were affected.

So, why the significant drop in affected individuals? In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Mark Fulford offers some leading theories for these statistics, as well as a quick rundown of the top five healthcare data breaches from 2017.

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

A recent report from cybersecurity firm, FireEye revealed that Chinese hackers have been actively targeting a shortlist of multinational law firms since at least June of 2017. This was an apparent effort to spy on lawyers and steal confidential information, proving that not only are law firms targets of nation states, but attackers are also keeping up with current news, using well-designed phishing campaigns that contain references to pertinent, high-profile U.S. news stories. Although law firm data breaches are not often in the news, they are happening at an alarming rate, and cybersecurity professionals need to be aware and equipped for knowing how to appropriately address such breaches.

In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean highlights some specific examples of law firm data breaches and why law firms are such large targets for cyber-thieves.

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

Since business leaders and board members are not often technically-inclined, they tend to have many questions about cybersecurity. Because of this, the AICPA recently recognized the need for a new type of cybersecurity examination report and put together a task force to bring to life what’s now known as SOC (System and Organization Control) for Cybersecurity. These reports will be beneficial in giving business leaders and board members an independent assurance and solid understanding of risk management and working with third-party cybersecurity professionals.

In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Mark Burnette and Drew Hendrickson discuss SOC for Cybersecurity reports and what organizations and IT professionals should know about this new report and how it could help their organizations.

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

A key observation that can be made within the information security industry today is that cybersecurity is not extremely difficult, it is just hard and requires long-term dedication, focus, and commitment. Considering this observation, a key question all cybersecurity professionals must ask is, “If you don’t know where you are, how do you know where you need to improve?” Knowing the answer to this question is essential for beginning or enhancing an organization’s cybersecurity program.

In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean discusses some information security basics that many organizations are overlooking. Bill also walks through a series of basic questions that are good to ask when beginning or strengthening a cybersecurity program.

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

Often in the information security industry, professionals can be accused of spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt with cybersecurity concerns. However, considering the implications of integrity attacks, it is essential to pay close attention to them. As more organizations move to cloud storage, user authentication compromises are increasing. If an organization has sensitive information that can be accessed from anywhere online by simply using a username and password, that information is at risk, and organizations should make an effort to make their networks more secure.  

In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Jason Riddle and Mark Fulford discuss the growing concerns with data integrity and how to avoid being a victim of attacks.  

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

As operational technology (OT) networks are used with specialized Industrial Control Systems (ICS) to monitor and control physical processes such as assembly lines, mixing tanks, and blast furnaces, these networks have become ripe targets for adversaries. The lack of basic protections like antivirus can enable attackers to quietly perform reconnaissance before sabotaging these physical processes and compromising industrial devices. Once attackers have compromised an OT network, it is easier for them to learn how the equipment is configured and eventually manipulate it.

In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean discusses how the manufacturing and industrial sectors are prime targets for cyber-attackers.  

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

Subscribe to the Cybersecurity Sense Podcast on iTunes or listen to this podcast HERE. (insert link)

To learn more about LBMC Information Security or to speak to one of our trusted professionals about our services, including how to avoid manufacturing and industrial sector attacks, contact us today!

Though not in the recent limelight, it’s no secret that espionage from nation states is happening once again. With sophisticated attacks on InfoSec supply chain companies in 2012, 2013—and as recently as the past few months—many people are left wondering who would target these specific companies? In the end, we know that despite agreements between countries, we have valuable intel within the United States that these attackers are seeking.

In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean offers valuable insight on attackers who focus on the InfoSec supply chain.

Listen, and discover these key takeaways:

For the past 20 years, Kaspersky Lab has provided deep threat intelligence and security expertise for businesses, critical infrastructure, governments, and consumers around the globe. More than 400 million users benefit from protection services provided by Kaspersky, in addition to approximately 270,000 corporate clients. Recently, Kaspersky has found itself under question from the U.S. Government regarding accusations that the company is hiding backdoors into its software to help Russia spy on high-profile users. In fact, the U.S. Government removed Kaspersky from its approved vendor list, citing spying concerns as the reason.

 In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean discusses Kaspersky’s current battle with the U.S Government, offering several helpful takeaways for cybersecurity professionals.

When an organization experiences a data breach, one would hope that a quick recovery is ideal, right? But, did you know that there are instances when a quick breach recovery can hurt an organization? For one healthcare facility, this was the case, as it fell prey to a ransomware attack. While the organization was able to quickly recover operations, it recovered so quickly that it failed to preserve needed evidence for proper forensic analysis.

So, what did this organization do as a result? In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean explains how quick breach recovery hurt this organization and the steps that can be taken to avoid it happening for your own organization.

Sadly, email data breaches continue to be an increasing problem for businesses and organizations who retain large amounts of sensitive client and customer data. In fact, more than 700 million email accounts and millions of associated passwords were recently leaked in the biggest spambot dump ever. Breaches of this scale and impact have happened to Dropbox, LinkedIn, and Adobe in the past few years.

So, what is the risk to your organization? In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean discusses the numerous ways these data breaches are also a risk to your organization.

Take a listen, and discover these key takeaways:

Remote access to networks has become commonplace in today’s IT environments, as this access is mainly used for IT support, power users, and developers. While this capability can be provided in a safe and secure manner, it can also be deployed in a manner that leaves the organization at great risk.

When Remote Desktop is enabled, attackers can brute force administrator credentials, because you can’t lock out the administrator account due to excessive failed logins. With this access, an organization’s entire network could be at risk of compromise and data theft. In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean discusses the direct risks associated with remote access to Windows servers.

Here’s what is covered within the podcast:

Especially for healthcare IT systems, cyber attacks can lead to the exposure of patient data, service disruptions, time-consuming recovery processes, and high costs in the form of paying a ransom or spending money on new servers, security systems, or consultants. However, that is only when an organization is aware of the breach. Some network breaches can go on for months or even years before an organization learns about it, and these can even be organizations that take information security very seriously with compliance requirements, appropriate budgets, and talented security personnel.

The time elapsed between the initial breach of a network by an attacker and the discovery of that breach by the victim “dwell time” or the “breach detection gap.” In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean discusses attacker dwell time and some methods that can be implemented to address it.

 Listen in, and learn about these key takeaways:

It’s true—insider threat events are typically much less frequent than external attacks. However, insider threats often pose a much higher severity of risk for organizations when they do happen. As insiders are given access to sensitive information for work purposes, there’s a great potential for them to do a tremendous amount of damage to a business if they accidentally break policy or choose to steal. Even more, it has been reported that nearly a third of all organizations still have no capability to prevent or deter an insider incident or attack.

In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean addresses insider threats, while offering suggestions on how to combat them with digital forensics.

Here’s what is covered in the podcast:

Since January of 2015, all 50 of the United States have reported an increase in business email compromise (BEC) attacks—a 1,300 percent increase, to be exact. Even worse, organizations have reported a loss of nearly one billion dollars. With everyone now being a potential target, it’s been noted that reconnaissance, social media, and social engineering has played a crucial role, as cyber thieves monitor and learn an organization’s “system.”

In this podcast, LBMC Information Security’s Bill Dean addresses BEC attacks and offers a few solutions for how to combat business email attackers.

Listen in and you’ll learn about:

SIEM, or security information & event management, is becoming a fairly common security control these days. It focuses on aggregation and analysis of log data. For this podcast we will assume you have a basic understanding of SIEM and how it’s commonly deployed. If you don’t have that base-level of understanding, you might want to check out one of our other podcasts that focuses on SIEM fundamentals.

We’re going to focus on 3 key value points that any SIEM implementation should provide. The reason for breaking these down for you is that we see far too many organizations that aren’t realizing the full value of their SIEM.

1- Worst Case Scenario Protection

2- Audit & Reporting

3- Research & Troubleshooting

No matter if you are using a managed service provider for SIEM or running your own platform in-house, you need to make sure you are getting at least these 3 key value points from the solution. The ability to articulate this value to your operational and leadership teams is going to go a long way in showing that you understand that cybersecurity technology investments need to have a ROI –just like any other major business investment.

Are you prepared for a ransomware attack? Bill Dean, Senior Manager, LBMC Information Security, discusses a low-cost approach method to determine how well you will respond to computer cybersecurity incidents, similar to those that you are reading about in the news, by performing incident response tabletop exercises.