Before we begin, let’s take a second to explore the world of ‘watermarking’. Most people are familiar with watermarks— they show up on banknotes, checks, stamps. Others are familiar with the ones that appear in pictures or music. These are the types that are obviously or invisibly embedded in photos, videos and music to prove […]

In what the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has acknowledged is a “major privacy incident,” nearly 2.5 million U.S. disaster survivors had their personal information shared with a third-party contractor responsible for setting up temporary housing. This data breach represents a violation of the Privacy Act of 1974 as well as official policy of the […]

What exactly is an audit trail?  To be considered ITAR compliant, the US Government requires the implementation of a program that involves detailed tracking and monitoring of technical data. This is a particularly rigid aspect of ITAR because having a thorough log that shows how controlled data was accessed is crucial to the protection of […]

One of the biggest challenges that IT professionals face today is the ever more urgent need for tight security. Services struggle to keep up with an increasingly globalized network of clients, customers, and stakeholders, and with this challenge comes a risk of data breach. With some very high profile data breaches in recent years, the […]

RegDOX’s ITAR solution is dedicated to U.S. incorporated and based customers seeking to achieve ITAR compliance. This infographic provides a definitive guide on how you can assess your security needs and how RegDOX can help you stay compliant. Bring your ITAR technical data safely into the cloud with our first-to-market certified ITAR-compliant data room solution. […]

Xfinity Mobile deploys fix after weak PIN system fueled number-porting attacks. A bad security decision by Comcast on the company’s mobile phone service made it easier for attackers to port victims’ cell phone numbers to different carriers. Comcast in 2017 launched Xfinity Mobile, a cellular service that uses the Verizon Wireless network and Comcast Wi-Fi […]

The facts are in— according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Business Email Compromise (BEC) has grown from a “3.1 billion-dollar scam” in 2016 into a “5 billion-dollar scam” in just one year. Now, according to Trend Micro, these losses are currently projected to be larger than 9 billion dollars. What is initially […]

DFARS compliance has become a top priority for Department of Defense suppliers and companies working with Unclassified Controlled Information (CUI) as defined in the DFARS. Starting with 2017, over 87% of defense contracts have incorporated the DFARS cyber-security requirements to ensure that adequate security is established and maintained for CUI according to the 110 controls […]

French regulators hit Google with a $57 million fine for violating GDPR rules that took effect last May by being less than upfront about how user data is collected and used. French data privacy agency CNIL levied the fine, the first against a U.S. company since GDPR took effect last spring, noting that Google “Essential […]

The Town of Salem (video game) was hit with a massive data breach last week that exposed the information on more than 7 million users. The breach was discovered by the cybersecurity research Dehashed on December 28 when he received an anonymous email that indicated someone had gained access to the game’s database. Town of […]

Prosecutors accuse two people of hacking in conjunction with the Chinese government. They are accused of stealing information from at least 45 U.S. tech companies and government agencies. The two also allegedly targeted defense industrial companies and managed service providers as a way to gain entry to U.S. corporations and agencies through their suppliers. The […]

The potential scenario of this cybersecurity flaw being exploited is not as severe, as say, the plot from the movie Wargames, but several major holes have been found in defense facilities housing technical information on the nation’s ballistic missile defense systems (BMDS) that could prove disastrous to America’s ability to defend itself against an ICBM attack. […]

Review of cyber vulnerability is ordered after intruders gain access to information about military technology   Chinese hackers are breaching Navy contractors to steal everything from ship-maintenance data to missile plans, officials and experts said, triggering a top-to-bottom review of cyber vulnerabilities. A series of incidents in the past 18 months has pointed out the […]

The deputy chief of Japan’s cybersecurity strategy office told parliament this week that he doesn’t use computers. “Since the age of 25, I have instructed my employees and secretaries, so I don’t use computers myself,” 68-year-old Yoshitaka Sakurada said, according to local media. Sakurada, who is in charge of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games […]

The personal information of multiple customers was exposed in the form of an attachment sent to a Benefits Administrator as reported by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife) in a notice of data breach forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General of California. However, according to MetLife notification, “The Benefits Administrator, who regularly works with MetLife, deleted the email, […]

Senators demand answers after government report finds that only 11 percent of the Department of State’s devices use multi-factor authentication. Five US senators have sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo requesting answers why the State Department has not widely deployed basic cyber-security protections, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA). The letter was sent […]

Marriott International said early Friday that data on roughly 500 million customers staying at Starwood hotel properties had been compromised in a breach that gave unknown attackers access to the Starwood network since 2014. The company said it has not finished identifying duplicate information in the database, but believes it contains information on up to […]

Atrium Health has reported a massive data breach exposing the PII of more than 2.6 million clients after someone gained access to a database belonging to a third-party vendor. The North Carolina-based healthcare provider stated that AccuDoc Solutions, a vendor providing billing and other services, had informed Atrium on October 1 that an unauthorized person had gained access to […]

The Pentagon has failed what is being called its first-ever comprehensive audit, a senior official said on Thursday, finding U.S. Defense Department accounting discrepancies that could take years to resolve. Results of the inspection – conducted by some 1,200 auditors and examining financial accounting on a wide range of spending including on weapons systems, military […]

In the first half of 2018, more than 4.5 billion digital records were compromised in data breaches, according to research from Gemalto’s “2018: Data Privacy and New Regulations Take Center Stage” report. With the value of each lost or stolen record set at roughly $148, the financial and operational impact of data loss has never been […]

A top Australian defense firm with major US Navy contracts has admitted its personnel files were breached and that it was the subject of an extortion attempt. Austral — which among other things makes small, quick ships for warfare close to shore — said its “data management system” had been infiltrated by an “unknown offender”. […]

The infamous malware is back, and it’s “more violent, more advanced and more sophisticated” than ever. A new version of the infamous Stuxnet worm has been used to attack Iranian government networks, according to reports. The famous malware has apparently re-emerged, with Israeli news programme Hadashot stating that Iran “has admitted in the past few […]

Focus on hiring talent with the following security skills and your team will be equipped to prevent, protect and mitigate the damage of cybersecurity attacks — and speed recovery efforts.   As hackers become more sophisticated, and attacks more frequent, it’s no longer a matter of if your organization becomes a target, but when. That reality has forced […]

Only a third of employees have a sound understanding of their role in their organizations’ security culture.   Okay, so it’s October and that means it’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month.  And, for the past four years, I have maintained that “cybersecurity is everybody’s business.” I maintain this is, in fact, the case. However, it’s clear that, […]

In the lead up to the mid-term elections next month the U.S. Cyber Command has launched its first ever offensive operation against individual Russians attempting to interfere. Cyber Command The New York Times made the initial report on the operation, and had few details as to what the action included, but indicated the suspected election operatives […]