Content by Scott Ferguson

Profiles in Leadership: Hadas Cassorla

Scott Ferguson  •  October 5, 2021

Hadas Cassorla, who considers herself a "recovering" attorney, has been building a culture of security at large firms and startups for some time. Here's how the current CISO of M1 Finance does it.

FBI Director Questioned Over Kaseya Decryption Key

Scott Ferguson  •  September 21, 2021

FBI Director Christopher Wray faced questions during a Senate hearing Tuesday concerning a published report that the bureau for almost three weeks withheld a decryption key that agents obtained from the ransomware gang that targeted software firm Kaseya.

Ransomware Reportedly Hits Iowa Farm Services Cooperative

Scott Ferguson , Doug Olenick  •  September 20, 2021

NEW Cooperative, an Iowa-based farm services cooperative, has reportedly been targeted by the BlackMatter ransomware gang, demanding a $5.9 million payment from the organization, according to security researchers and published reports. The cooperative is working with law enforcement agencies.

CISA Must Update Critical Infrastructure Protection Plans

Scott Ferguson  •  September 20, 2021

CISA must update its plans to improve the security - both physical and cyber - within the nation's critical infrastructure, according to a report that specifically looked at issues related to the country's dams and levees. Attacks targeting critical infrastructure have raised the issue.

US Warns Nation-State Groups May Exploit Flaw in Zoho Tool

Scott Ferguson  •  September 17, 2021

CISA, the FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command warn users of Zoho Corp.'s single sign-on and password management tool to patch for a vulnerability that nation-state groups may look to exploit. Attackers could use the bug to compromise credentials and exfiltrate data from Active Directory.

House Bill Seeks to Insulate CISA Director From Politics

Scott Ferguson  •  September 13, 2021

A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to better insulate the director of CISA from political pressure by giving the role a defined five-year term that could keep the agency's leader in place even when presidential administrations change. Currently, the position of CISA director lacks a set term.

National Cyber Director Sees Ransomware As Continuing Threat

Scott Ferguson  •  September 9, 2021

Despite a recent slowdown in incidents and some cybercriminals claiming they have stopped or abandoned ransomware attacks, National Cyber Director Chris Inglis says it's "too soon to tell," if the behavior of these groups has changed permanently or if they are waiting for an opportunity to return.

White House Pushing Federal Agencies Toward 'Zero Trust'

Scott Ferguson  •  September 8, 2021

The White House is preparing executive branch agencies to adopt "zero trust" network architectures by 2024, with CISA and the OMB overseeing the creation of technology road maps that departments must follow. This is a major component of President Biden's cybersecurity executive order.

Resilience CEO on White House Meeting, Cyber Insurance

Scott Ferguson  •  September 8, 2021

On Aug. 25, President Joe Biden invited about 25 technology, insurance, finance and education executives to the White House to discuss pressing cybersecurity issues such as supply chain and critical infrastructure. One of those participants was Resilience CEO Vishaal Hariprasad.

White House Warns Of Cyberthreats Over Labor Day Weekend

Scott Ferguson  •  September 2, 2021

While there is currently a lack of specific cyberthreats, Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger urges organizations, especially those in critical infrastructure, to take precautions over the Labor Day weekend, as threat groups have taken advantage of previous holidays to conduct attacks.

White House Unveils Supply Chain, New Security Initiatives

Scott Ferguson  •  August 26, 2021

The Biden administration unveiled a package of supply chain and critical infrastructure security initiatives following a meeting at the White House with tech executives and others. Companies such as Google and Microsoft also promised billions in spending on cybersecurity over the next several years.

White House Tech Meeting: Focus on Critical Infrastructure

Scott Ferguson  •  August 25, 2021

The Biden administration is hosting a White House meeting Wednesday with technology, banking, insurance and education executives to focus on cybersecurity and national security issues, such as protecting critical infrastructure from attacks and how to hire more security professionals to meet demand.

Colonial Pipeline: Attack Exposed Personal Data

Scott Ferguson  •  August 16, 2021

The ransomware attack that targeted Colonial Pipeline Co. in May compromised the personal information of more than 5,800 individuals, mainly current and former employees, according to a breach notification letter.

Cyberspace Solarium Commission Offers Progress Assessment

Scott Ferguson  •  August 12, 2021

While the U.S. government is making strides in improving the nation's cybersecurity, it needs to do more to protect critical infrastructure from attacks and create public-private partnerships to improve national security, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission notes in a report published Thursday.

NIST Guidance Focuses on Creating 'Cyber Resiliency'

Scott Ferguson  •  August 10, 2021

NIST is updating "cyber resiliency" guidance to focus on mitigating modern cyberthreats to IT networks, especially ransomware and nation-state attacks. A draft encourages security defenders to move away from a perimeter-based defense to building resilient IT systems.