On October 11, 2024, the United States Department of Defense (DOD) published a final rule implementing its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, which is designed to verify that defense contractors are adequately protecting sensitive information from cybersecurity threats. The CMMC applies to contractors who process, store, or transmit Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or Federal
Data Security
Cybersecurity Awareness Month Spotlight: The 5 Most Essential Reads from Online & On Point
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, making it an ideal time to revisit the most impactful and widely-read blog posts on our Cybersecurity & Privacy blog from the past year. As cyber threats become more sophisticated and widespread, staying informed is crucial. Our top five blog posts cover a range of vital issues: the alarming rise…
Can Privacy Be Bought? How Scrutiny of Meta’s Subscription Model Has Wider Implications –PART II
In Part I, we discussed the European Commission’s (“Commission”) disapproval of Meta’s “pay or consent” subscription model. In Part II, we delve into the European Commission’s findings, prior findings by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), and how those findings may affect future models where privacy is considered “for sale.”
The European Commission’s Findings
…Rise in Healthcare Data Breaches & the Impact for Healthcare Providers in 2024
The healthcare sector is increasingly facing cyber-threats with ransomware and hacking at the forefront. In the last five years, there has been a staggering 256% rise in significant hacking-related breaches and a 264% surge in ransomware incidents reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Hacking alone…
Florida Bill Proposes Safe Harbor Against Breach Suits to Businesses Maintaining Recognized Cybersecurity Programs
A recently introduced bill in the Florida Legislature would provide businesses operating in Florida, including health care providers, with a legal defense to data breach lawsuits if they maintain robust cybersecurity measures that meet government- and industry-recognized standards. Specifically, Florida House Bill No. 473 (H.B. 473), known as the Cybersecurity Incident Liability Act, was…
Business Email Compromise: The Most Prevalent – and Preventable – Cyber Risk
Ransomware attacks that shut business down to zero and data breaches that disclose the personal information of customers, vendors and employees justifiably strike fear in the hearts of executives everywhere. Organizations can suffer the reputational and financial consequences of these events for years to come. Due diligence in the current regulatory environment requires a plan…
HHS Develops Strategy to Improve Security in the Healthcare Sector
The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released a concept paper outlining its strategy for improving cybersecurity infrastructure within the healthcare sector. The paper calls for proposing healthcare-specific cybersecurity performance goals that will include both minimum foundational practices and advanced goals for cybersecurity performance. By centralizing these performance goals into the Healthcare and Public…
Network Topology and Network Mapping: The NIST Cybersecurity Framework – Part 2
A previous installment discussed the centrality of network topology to an organization’s data security and outlined the legal framework and obligations incumbent upon many organizations in the U.S. The first installment can be found here. The second and final part of this series will discuss strategies for optimizing network topology and data security, focusing…
Network Topology and Mapping: Cornerstones of Data Security – Part 1
Data security is a top concern for organizations in today’s digital landscape. It protects data from unauthorized access, use, modification, or disclosure, and requires implementing technical, administrative, and physical measures to safeguard data from internal and external threats. Securing data is challenging in the current environment of multiplying cyber threats against small and large organizations…
Cybersecurity Awareness Month: A Basic Primer to Keep Your Data & Information Safe
As Cybersecurity Awareness Month comes to an end and the spooky season of Halloween is upon us, no one wants to live through a cybersecurity horror story. There are some simple precautions every business and household can participate in to help keep their data and information safe. We have outlined a few below with a…
The Future of Construction: AI and Predictive Maintenance Part 1
The construction sector is known for its perennial pursuit of efficiency, quality, and safety. In recent years, one of the tools the sector has started leveraging to achieve these goals is predictive maintenance (PM), specifically the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) within this practice. This approach, combined with continuous advancements in AI, is revolutionizing the…