Risk assessment has been and continues to be, one of the more challenging cybersecurity practices that many organizations will put into place. Unlike simple security control implementation and maintenance, risk assessment calls for your organization to understand how adopting, or not adopting, particular controls, operations or processes can impact security.
As the federal government and the defense supply chain are turning more and more attention to the importance of cybersecurity (including President Biden’s Executive Order on the subject and the several bills in Congress addressing limitations in our security posture), businesses working in that area will be expected to implement risk-based compliance. This fact, in turn, means that you must understand critical government frameworks that speak about risk.
In this article, we are discussing NIST 800-30 and how it serves as a foundation for risk assessment in government compliance.
Third-Party Risk Management and Defense Against AI-Driven Cyber Threats
Threat actors are leveraging AI for everything from hyper-realistic phishing schemes to deepfake impersonations, synthetic identity creation, and autonomous intrusion attempts. While this is a threat to your own organization, it’s also opening up threats in the supply chain. These attacks don’t arise in a vacuum. They often exploit vulnerabilities within an organization’s third-party vendor...Continue reading→
Risk Management and Governance in the Face of Ransomware and APTs
Modern threats go beyond exploiting technical vulnerabilities; they target gaps in how organizations govern themselves, plan strategically, and maintain operational resilience. Risk management has never been more important than now, and this is especially true when facing ransomware and advanced persistent threats. Cybersecurity hasn’t been an isolated issue for years, and most compliance leaders realize...Continue reading→
SOC 2 and Third-Party Vendor Risk Management: A Comprehensive Guide for Decision-Makers
While outsourcing can drive efficiency and innovation, it also introduces significant risks, particularly concerning data security and compliance. Many security frameworks have taken up the responsibility of helping organizations manage threats in this context, and SOC 2 is no different. This article explores the intersection of SOC 2 compliance and third-party vendor risk management, providing...Continue reading→
Introduction to Targeted Risk Analysis (TRA) in PCI DSS 4.0
The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) recently released a new document guiding targeted risk analysis. This approach to security is a cornerstone of the PCI DSS 4.0 update, and yet, for many businesses, this is something new that they may need help understanding. This article will discuss Targeted Risk Analysis, its role...Continue reading→
What Is Proactive Cybersecurity? Preparing for Threats Before They Strike
Modern cybersecurity is about more than just reacting to threats as they emerge. Adopting proactive cybersecurity measures is not just a strategic advantage; it’s an operational necessity that can spell the difference between business as usual and breaches that erode customer trust and shareholder value. Whether you’re a cybersecurity veteran or new to the domain,...Continue reading→
CMMC 2.0, NIST, and Risk Management
Cyber threats continue to grow in complexity and sophistication. To address this evolution, the Department of Defense has introduced the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 to ensure that defense contractors maintain robust cybersecurity practices to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). To address one of the most important processes in modern security (risk management), CMMC...Continue reading→
What Is OCTAVE and OCTAVE Allegro?
The importance of risk management cannot be overstated… and yet, many enterprises struggle with the practice due to a lack of standardization or expertise. And while the challenges that businesses face implementing risk management are understandable, they are no longer acceptable. This article will provide an in-depth overview of OCTAVE Allegro, a framework developed to...Continue reading→
What Is the Information Security Risk Management Process of ISO 27005?
Businesses undergoing ISO certification are probably aware of the 27000 series and its focus on comprehensive cybersecurity. What many organizations don’t know, however, is that the series itself provides guidelines for risk managers to better implement Information Security Management Systems (the core process of ISO 27001) following best risk management practices.
What Is NIST 800-161?
With modern IT infrastructure becoming increasingly complex, intertwined systems managed through service providers and managing experts, the inevitable security problem rears its head. How can one organization, using several service providers, ensure their data security as it travels through those systems? Over the past decade, enterprise and government specialists have refined the practice of risk...Continue reading→
What Is a Risk Appetite Statement?
Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked quite a bit about risk: What it is. How it applies to compliance. How you can start to think about it as an aspect of your overall business strategy. In many of the cases we’ve discussed, we’ve referred to risk in terms of mitigation–how to close the gap...Continue reading→