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Lazarus Alliance Receives Accreditation as FedRAMP 3PAO

Sep 12, 2016 Lazarus Alliance 0 Comment

IT Cybersecurity and GRC firm becomes authorized to validate Cloud Service Providers to new FedRAMP standards

Phoenix, Arizona, September 12, 2016 (Newswire.com) – Today, Lazarus Alliance Inc. announced that it has achieved accreditation as a FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) Third Party Assessment Organization (3PAO).

The FedRAMP program supports the U.S. government’s objective to enable U.S. federal agencies to use managed service providers that enable cloud computing capabilities, and Lazarus Alliance is one of the few accredited 3PAO firms in the world with this designation. With this certification, Lazarus Alliance is the only assessment firm authorized to conduct assessments for the federal government (3PAO), the Health-care industry (HIPAA, HITECH, Meaningful Use, NIST 800-66), the Payment Card Industry (Qualified Security Assessor), the Service Provider industry ((SSAE 16 (SOC 1), AT 101 (SOC 2), SysTrust / WebTrust (SOC 3)), NERC CIP, the Public sector (SOX 404), and advisors in ISO 27001, 27002, 27005 using the formidable combination of the IT Audit Machine (ITAM) and our Cybervisors.

FedRAMP provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. As a part of the FedRAMP process, cloud service providers (CSPs) must use a FedRAMP approved third party assessor to independently validate and verify that they meet the FedRAMP requirements.

“Even taking a pragmatic approach, the cloud raises a plethora of cybersecurity concerns for any business,” said Michael Peters, CEO at Lazarus Alliance. “For government agencies, these concerns can be even more sensitive since national security can be at risk and as the largest employer in the world, it goes way beyond that. The 3PAO accreditation further confirms Lazarus Alliance’s expertise in cloud cybersecurity, risk assessments and we look forward to working with CSPs around the world on their FedRAMP initiatives toward receiving an authority to operate (ATO).”

Lazarus Alliance is one of the very few organizations worldwide to obtain this classification as an inspection body to assess cloud systems for the federal government. FedRAMP is the first United States government-wide program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization and continuous monitoring for cloud-based services. In order to receive accreditation, Lazarus Alliance demonstrated an advanced level of technical proficiency and compliance experience. According to the A2LA, the “assessment process involves a rigorous evaluation of technical competence of the 3PAOs as well as an assessment of their compliance with international standards.”

Receiving the accreditation of 3PAO means Lazarus Alliance will be able to validate the security and control implementations that CSPs must provide in order to work with and provide cloud services to federal agencies. 3PAOs are critical to the FedRAMP program, as they demonstrate the independence and competency of CSPs that host the government’s most crucial data.

In addition to demonstrating the requisite technical competency in FISMA and independence and quality management to achieve 3PAO accreditation, Lazarus Alliance has diverse leadership experience in additional vital audit & compliance fields, risk assessment & management, and governance & policies. Lazarus Alliance staff members are heavily experienced in those respective industry regulations and are located across the United States.

Inquiries for FedRAMP services can be made with Lazarus Alliance at 877-896-7580 or at https://lazarusalliance.com/services/audit-compliance/fedramp/

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About Lazarus Alliance

Lazarus Alliance is a leading, independent information technology Security, Governance, Risk and Compliance (IT GRC) firm that provides IT Audit & Compliance, Risk Assessment & Management, Governance & Policies, and Cybervisor supported solutions. Founded in 2000, Lazarus Alliance is a proud veteran owned business and has been passionately on the cutting edge of IT security, risk, privacy, governance, cyberspace law and compliance leadership, innovation and services provided to the global community. With significant contributions and innovations such as the IT Audit Machine, The Policy Machine, Cybervisor, Continuum GRC, SafetyNET, the Holistic Operational Readiness Security Evaluation (HORSE Project)®, the Security Trifecta, Your Personal CXO, and other progressive initiatives, it’s no wonder that Lazarus Alliance has become a leading international name synonymous with incorruptible leadership, meaningful services, exceptional customer support and tangible innovations all specifically to prevent negative press and damage to our client’s companies, their shareholders, employees and customers. Lazarus Alliance’s primary purpose is to help organizations attain, maintain, and demonstrate compliance and information security excellence, in any jurisdiction. Contact us and learn more about Lazarus Alliance and why Lazarus Alliance is Proactive Cybersecurity.

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Human Hacking, Not Automated Attacks, Top Cyber Threat

Feb 26, 2016 Lazarus Alliance 0 Comment

Human hacking, also known as social engineering, has surpassed hardware and software vulnerabilities and is now the top cybersecurity threat, Computer Weekly reports:

[A]ttackers shifted away from automated exploits in 2015. Instead, attackers engaged people through email, social media and mobile apps to do the dirty work of infecting systems, stealing credentials and transferring funds.

Researchers found that machine exploits were replaced by human exploitation, with attackers opting for attachment-based social engineering campaigns rather than purchasing expensive technical exploit kits.

Across attacks of all sizes, threat actors used social engineering to trick people into doing things that once depended on malicious code.

What is Human Hacking?

Human hacking is a type of con during which, instead of trying to hack into a system, the hacker engages in old-fashioned espionage techniques that involve human interaction and prey on weaknesses in human psychology, such as helpfulness, curiosity—even greed. A human hacker may approach an access-controlled door carrying a number of packages and pretend to fumble for their key or access card; an unsuspecting employee, thinking they are being helpful to a co-worker, opens the door for the hacker. This technique is known in the industry as tailgaiting. Or, using the pretexting technique, the hacker may phone an employee, pose as a help desk worker, and attempt to get the employee to provide their system access credentials.

These simple techniques are surprisingly effective. TechTarget reports that a human hacker recently used pretexting to compromise the U.S. Department of Justice. The hacker phoned the DOJ, pretending to be a new employee who was having difficulty accessing the department’s web portal. The hacker was quickly provided with a token that granted him full access to the DOJ intranet. As a result, information on 20,000 FBI agents and 9,000 Department of Homeland Security employees was publicly leaked.

Other common human hacking techniques include:

Baiting takes advantage of human curiosity—or, in some cases, greed. The attacker puts a legitimate-looking and interesting label (such as “Employee Salary Report Q4”) on a malware-infected device, such as a USB drive, then leaves it in a place where someone will find it, such as a bathroom, a hallway, or an elevator. Then, the hacker simply waits for someone to pick up the device and insert it into their computer.
Phishing is a technique most Internet users have seen in action. The hacker (or phisher) sends an email that appears to be from a legitimate source, usually a bank or another business. The email requests that the receiver “verify” information by clicking on a link and warns of dire consequences, such as their account being deactivated, if the receiver does not do so. The link leads to a legitimate-looking but fraudulent website that requests personal information, such as online banking access credentials or even a debit card PIN.
Spear phishing is a more targeted form of phishing where a particular individual or organization is phished, as opposed to random mass attacks.
A Scareware scheme combines malware and human psychology. The con involves tricking victims into believing they have downloaded illegal content or that their computers have been infected with malware. The human hacker then offers the victim a “fix” in the form of a download – which is actually malware.

How Can Your Organization Prevent Human Hacking?

As with all cybersecurity issues, the best defense is a good offense. Lazarus Alliance recommends that organizations take a proactive approach to preventing human hacking, beginning with establishing a comprehensive cybersecurity policy and employee training program. If employees are aware of the types of cons human hackers run, they can learn to identify and report them before any damage is done.

Additionally, organizations that conduct ongoing risk assessments and fix the gaps identified are on average a whopping 96% less likely to suffer a breach by hackers. Lazarus Alliance recommends organizations of any size implement a risk management program sooner than later when it may be too late.

Lazarus Alliance offers full-service risk assessment and risk management services helping companies all around the world sustain a proactive cybersecurity program. Lazarus Alliance is proactive cybersecurity®. Call 1-888-896-7580 to discuss your organization’s cybersecurity needs and find out how we can help you prevent human hacking.