Data Security

When it comes to studies, surveys and reports sent my way that dissect various nuances of the cyber wild, my cup runneth over. So, I've assembled a small grouping of revelatory proof points that convey the rising maliciousness made possible by the way we've chosen to live our digital lives--and also highlight specific cyber exposures that concern me greatly. The worse...

There's nothing quite like a company-wide directive to spread a sense of malaise at the office, especially when it's about data security--worse yet if it comes in the wake of a data compromise. It is critical to approach the issue in a productive, non-threatening way. All the good intentions in the world can't keep "information security" from instilling insecurity in...

Automation, a deeper talent pool and more women can help close infosec gap When asked, “what is the biggest threat to internet security?” the majority of quick-fire answers can likely be represented by the flags of a handful of nation states. Yet examining the nature of the industry, it can easily be argued that the biggest risk internet security faces is...

Enterprises, SMBs must gird for new rules and protect sensitive data - or pay hefty price British telecom giant TalkTalk actually may have gotten off lightly when privacy regulators hit the British telecom giant with a £400,000 ($496,910) fine last week for failing to prevent a major data breach. The fine, issued by the U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office is, indeed, for...

Stronger authentication, less dependence on passwords needed to thwart wide-scale data breaches It’s not the big one, but it’s close. Yahoo confirmed long-suspected reports that a hacker had accessed millions of customer passwords. The number, however, is a bit shocking even to a reporter who’s been writing this same story for the past 10 years. Five hundred million. For many years, I’ve...

Anyone who’s read oddly positive online reviews or happened on Twitter users with suspiciously large followings knows that the Internet is full of fakes. Bogus followers or fake reviews aren’t just annoying — they call into question the very notion of crowdsourcing, one of the Internet’s most valuable tools. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are hard at work developing automated...

There are lots of good reasons to follow companies on social media — to gain insight into the brand’s priorities, learn about deals, seek inspiration, get behind-the-scenes looks, berate them for bad customer service, and so on. But who you follow on social media isn’t always private, and there are people out there who will use who you follow...

For adults, home is a refuge, but for children it is a never-ending treasure hunt. While you’re out — you know, paying for the place — it’s a safe bet your kids are getting into your stuff, and when it comes to things digital, that can be a serious problem. As a seasoned parent, you’ve had that shock a thousand...

Ransomware is becoming one of the most profitable areas of cyber crime. In the past, cyber criminals would steal data, and then re-sell it. With ransomware, they block access to an individual or organization’s data by encrypting it, then selling the data’s owner a decryption key to regain access. And with the rise of hard-to-trace currency, such as bitcoin, there is...

Pick a subject, any subject, and there are myths and pure nonsense that someone will buy into. Birds will die if they eat the uncooked rice flung at newlyweds. (Nope) If you eat Mentos and drink Diet Coke simultaneously your stomach will explode. (Hardly) You only have one credit score. (Wrong) Napoleon was short. (At 5’ 6”, his height...