ISO, NIST, CMMC — if the alphabet soup of cybersecurity frameworks has you confused, we’ve got you covered. In the latest episode of the Faegre Drinker on Law and Technology Podcast, host Jason G. Weiss chats with guest Jim Watkins, former deputy laboratory director in the FBI’s Orange County Crime Lab and current certified technical assessor for the ANSI National Accreditation Board, about some of the more prominent cybersecurity frameworks, the process of cybersecurity assessments, how compliance issues are addressed, and what’s the difference between self-assessment, self-certification, and accreditation, and how a skilled attorney can make all the difference in getting accredited.
Category: Cybersecurity
New York Department of Financial Services Announces $1.5 Million Settlement of Second Cybersecurity Enforcement Action
On March 3, 2021, the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) announced a settlement with Residential Mortgage Services, Inc. (RMS) for $1.5 million in connection with its violation of the NYDFS Cybersecurity Regulation, 23 NYCRR Part 500 (Part 500). This is the second publicly-announced settlement of an enforcement action brought under NYDFS’s novel cybersecurity regulation (we wrote about the first action).
According to the consent order, in March 2020, NYDFS’ Mortgage Banking Division commenced a routine examination of RMS, which included a review of its compliance with Part 500. RMS is headquartered in Maine, but it is registered as mortgage banker in New York and other states. During the examination, NYDFS determined that RMS failed to report a March 2019 data breach incident, as required by Part 500.
Non-Techies – Protect Your Digital Data by Securing Your Home and Business Wi-Fi
I spent over 22 years in the FBI performing criminal cyber and forensics investigations. Many of these investigations led us to people who were innocent of the alleged crimes but who were guilty of unknowingly allowing criminals to hijack their home or business Wi-Fi networks. These cyber-criminals were committing crimes while leaving a digital fingerprint that pointed at people guilty only of poor Wi-Fi security.
If you do not encrypt your Wi-Fi settings, you may get an early morning visit from my former FBI colleagues investigating federal crimes such as child pornography or terrorist threats. Why? You might be the victim of a nefarious behavior known as “War Driving,” which occurs when cyber-criminals drive through your neighborhood, identify unencrypted Wi-Fi signals, and do their evil bidding using your Internet Protocol or IP address. When law enforcement checks the IP address associated with the criminal behavior, it is your name and address that surfaces. Often this connection can be the basis for a criminal search warrant with your name on it. Many a front door has knocked down as a result of this kind of search warrant.
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Faegre Drinker on Law and Technology Podcast: Cybersecurity and Incident Response — A Battle Plan
You’ve been hacked! What happens next? In the latest episode of the Faegre Drinker on Law and Technology Podcast, host Jason G. Weiss talks with guests Serge Jorgensen, founding partner and chief technology officer at Sylint Cybersecurity, and Faegre Drinker’s Jay Brudz about the legal and technical aspects of a cybersecurity incident, action items leaders should be prepared to take in the immediate aftermath of a breach, and other critical decisions that will make or break your incident response.
Disruptionware V: Malicious Cyber Actors Attack a Florida Water Treatment Facility
We have posted four previous articles discussing the foundation and structure of what a disruptionware attack is, how their attack matrix works, possible defenses to disruptionware attacks and industries that are very susceptible to these attacks. Disruptionware has proven over the last year that it is a growing and dangerous cyber threat to our data, our businesses and possibly our lives.
Disruptionware attacks typically involve ransomware and they aim to encrypt and hold the victim’s data hostage. Such attacks are usually financially motivated, and, to date, there have fortunately been only a few known examples where the disruptionware attack has resulted in threats to health and safety or caused loss of life. When such significant collateral damage has occurred, it typically appears to have been inadvertently caused.
IT Security Trends in the Era of COVID: Our Top Five Tips for Making Your Network Safer in 2021
As the COVID era drags on, it is clear that work life “post-COVID” may be very different from life “pre-COVID.” This is especially true as it relates to IT security. More and more employees have shifted to a telecommuting work model, and for many businesses that may be the case for an indefinite period of time. This raises important questions as to which security improvements or other changes IT departments need to make in 2021 to keep their businesses and client data safer from cyberattacks.