New research by California IT service management company Okta has found an increase in the use of SMS as a security feature during the Covid-19 health crisis. The finding emerged from the latest “Businesses at Work” report, which analyzed the login activity of Okta’s 9,400 customers to reveal the ways in which companies have improved their security posture in response to the pandemic.  Analysis of the data revealed that although use of SMS as a security feature dropped…

A lack of visibility into remote endpoints can leave your organization vulnerable to ransomware attacks, says security provider Illumio. Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto The abrupt shift to remote working has created a more challenging and complicated environment when it comes to cybersecurity. IT and security professionals now have to struggle to keep track of all the remote endpoints that access their organization’s network, including work devices and personal devices. A report released Thursday by network security…

10 Easy Ways to Build Up Your Family’s Online Security The events of 2020 didn’t just set significant lifestyle changes in motion. According to a recent study, it also influenced our mindset about our online security. McAfee’s 2021 Consumer Security Mindset Report highlights our collective shift to a Digital-First mindset and the increased risks that come with it. This study is essential to families for several reasons. First, because it gives us a snapshot of reality, and…

The United States Department of Justice has launched a global law enforcement action against a cyber-criminal gang that has made millions by selling ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS). A coordinated international law enforcement action to disrupt NetWalker was announced by the Department yesterday. NetWalker ransomware has claimed numerous victims, including companies, municipalities, hospitals, law enforcement departments, emergency services, school districts, colleges, and universities. In June last year, the University of California San Francisco admitted paying $1.14m to recover important academic work stored…

A couple of days ago, I have been asked whether, notably thanks to the GDPR[1] and the CCPA[2], we were seeing as professionals, a standardization in negotiations governing privacy terms. Alas, we have possibly never been so much away of such harmonization. 128 out of 194 countries have put in place legislation to secure the protection of data and privacy. And despite the existence of initiatives to develop tools able to harmonize compliance with legal,…

One of the positive trends that we’ve seen in recent years is governments and users pressuring companies to simplify their privacy policies and security settings. This comes after a slew of concerning incidents, such as widespread data breaches and data sharing by social media companies. The spotlight on these issues is beginning to take effect, as Facebook’s latest “Access Your Information” tool shows, and users are feeling more empowered. Furthermore, in November 2020, Californians voted…

With the start of a new year, PCI SSC Executive Director Lance Johnson welcomes the new 2021-2022 Board of Advisors, provides an update on the Council’s top priorities, and offers insight into what stakeholders can expect in 2021.

Schneider Electric has announced the launch of a virtual cyber-academy in collaboration with Immersive Labs. The Schneider Electric Cyber Academy will enable businesses to provide cybersecurity training for employees at all levels as well as have monitoring workplace capabilities. The academy will be delivered through Immersive Labs’ gamified entry-level skills platform. Companies that sign up will gain access to more than 200 labs and be able to monitor improvements in workforce capability. This aims to…

Eric Nielsen (@ericnpro) and I (@davidj7494) just interviewed Jad El-Zein, Technology Director in VMware’s Cloud Management Business Unit, Office of the CTO. The SoundCloud version of the podcast can be found here.  Jad’s IT Operations background includes over a decade long tenure with Lockheed Martin where he first interacted with VMware as a customer.  Jad has spent most of the last decade at VMware focused on multi-cloud management and data center automation. Our interview centered…