Sue Poremba

Last week, I wrote a bit about the dangers of passwords and the relationship with the Google Docs phishing scam that recently broke. Today, I’m going back to the Google Docs issue, but to look at it from a different angle: how scammers continue to use social engineering so successfully. An eSecurity Planet article touched […]

Happy World Password Day! (Yeah, there really is a day for everything, but I can’t complain about the increasing number of days that highlight better cybersecurity practices.) Much as we dislike them and complain about having so many of them, we really can’t live without passwords, not if we want to have any kind of […]

The 2017 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) was released late last week. Perhaps not surprisingly, the DBIR noted that ransomware is on the rise and, with a 50 percent increase, is now the most common specific malware variety. Cyberespionage, however, is not as expected. The DBIR found that cyberespionage is the most common type […]

I don’t often write about individual data breaches, but when I read a comment in eSecurity Planet that point-of-sale (PoS) breaches are increasing because of continuing security shortfalls in the retail industry, I thought it was time to comment. In an email comment, Richard Henderson, global security strategist with Absolute Software, told me: An interesting […]

After recent reports that a Secret Service agent’s laptop was stolen from a vehicle, new questions arose about the security of mobile devices. In the case of the Secret Service laptop, those questions involved national security and the well-being of the First Family. Although your company’s data probably doesn’t include details about how to protect […]

Privacy rights took a hit when Congress and President Trump decided to roll back rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at the end of the Obama administration regarding online data collection. As Carl Weinschenk wrote: Among other things, they mandate that consumers give their permission (“opt in”) for their location, browsing history and […]

Protect the data. That’s the current battle cry of so many security professionals, and it’s easy to see why. With so many endpoints now connecting to the network, and with issues like shadow IT and BYOD and IT struggling to determine every device or application accessing files, focusing directly on protecting the data makes a […]

As I’m sure you know, Congress recently decided to roll back FCC rules that would have required ISPs to protect the privacy of their users. Now the new regulations hadn’t gone into effect yet, so nothing has changed, except now people are thinking about their privacy in ways they hadn’t before and are worried about […]

For the most part, cybersecurity seems to continue to be reactive rather than proactive. Yes, security systems are in place to prevent potential incidents, but overall, I think too many organizations are unprepared for when that incident does happen and spend a lot of time reacting to the aftermath. However, according to new research, organizations […]

According to a study by Indeed.com, conducted earlier this year, the severe shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals continues. It’s estimated that a million security jobs are unfilled today, and that’s probably only going to get worse. This comes at a time when organizations are looking to increase their security spending and improve their security posture. […]

To start 2017, the Chicago Tribune made a prediction. The paper said that this is the year we collectively embrace cybersecurity and encrypting our digital lives. I think in our personal use, most of us still see encryption as cumbersome, something we know we should do but would prefer our applications and software were designed […]

Are we seeing a shift in who is – or at least feels — responsible for cybersecurity inside the workplace? According to Trustwave’s 2017 Security Pressures Report, the answer is yes, a shift is happening, especially in who is putting the pressure on staff for improving cybersecurity efforts. Security is becoming more personal, the report […]