Appalachia Blog - kn

In my 25+ year cyber security career, I have watched the demand for compliance auditing grow.  In a world where the need to carry cash is diminishing, the need for securing digital data, such as credit cards, is vital.  How do businesses go about protecting their clients’ credit data?  More importantly, how do we as customers know that our credit card data is being protected?  The answer is PCI.

Recently, we explored the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10 (Allergic to Bees? Don’t Get Stung by the OWASP Top 10) by looking at what it is and why it matters.  Then we took a closer look at one area of the Top 10 – Security Misconfiguration. Next in line for a deeper dive is Security Logging and Monitoring Failures.  This particular category is in place to help detect, escalate, and respond to active breaches.

Auto dealers may face penalties for not meeting requirements established by amendments to the FTC’s Safeguard Rule.  In 2021, the FTC amended its Safeguard Rule, originally created in 2003, to help protect the security of customer information.  The Safeguard Rule applies to any non-banking financial institution. 

Security Misconfiguration

I sat in the parking lot watching employees walk in the corporate office.  Ready with my five dozen donuts, I waited until the perfect moment to see if I could infiltrate.  It’s like the start of a great superhero movie - except starring Kevin James and not Christian Bale.

OWASP - is it something we don’t want to get stung by, or is it here to protect us?  In cybersecurity, we’ve all heard the term, but what is it really?

There are many frameworks and security models to refer to when working to secure your organization.  Sometimes it can prove to be overwhelming.  Today I’m going to talk about three action items that will make a significant difference in your overall security posture.  Keeping in mind that there is no silver bullet to securing an organization, these three will certainly gain a great return.

People carry less cash in their wallets than they used to.  Even when going to the ice cream stand in the middle of summer, a debit or credit card is swiped instead of cash being tendered.  The reason for this is simple - it’s easier to swipe a card than it is to carry a load of cash in your wallet.  This has become an extremely convenient option over the years when making purchases.  However, as is often the case, convenience comes with risk.

Ransomware – The What, Where, and Why

Everyone has heard stories by now of an organization getting hit by ransomware.  From individuals to small and enterprise-level organizations, it can pop up anywhere and cause havoc.  What is it?  Where does it come from? Why isn’t it going away?  Today we’re going to break it down.