Weekly News Roundup August 17-21, 2020

I started the week with a pretty sizable to-do list, and judging by what remains on that list today, I’d say I’ve been productive. Much of my week was spent talking with industry leaders. Having secured our Program Committee for our RSA Conference US 2021 event, I’ve had the chance to engage in some riveting and insightful conversations about what each committee member would love to see coming through in this year’s Call for Speakers submissions. The call opens on August 25 and ends on September 18.

What else has been happening this week? Well, new research from ESG and the Information Systems Security Association found that despite the critical cybersecurity issues that need to be addressed, the skills gap is worsening. The good news is, the cybersecurity professionals you need may already be within your organization. It’s also worth noting that a new survey from Microsoft found, “Security and IT teams have been working overtime to meet business goals while simultaneously staying ahead of new threats and scams,” though Forbes reported that both cybersecurity and cloud computing need better oversight.

Let’s take a look at what else made industry headlines this week.

Aug. 21: A new report issued by Sixgill suggested that the volume of stolen credit cards sold on the dark web decreased significantly over the first six months of 2020.

Aug. 21: “A former Uber security executive has been charged for his role in the cover-up of a massive 2016 data breach, in which attackers accessed the company’s Amazon Web Services accounts and stole data associated with 57 million passengers and drivers,” Threatpost reported.

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Aug. 20: According to news from ZDNet, Google issued a patch to a major security bug that affected its Gmail and G Suite email servers.

Aug. 20: Security magazine reported, “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $37 million in funding for research and development in artificial intelligence and machine learning methods to handle data and operations at DOE scientific user facilities.”

Aug. 19: IBM’s X-Force Red team reportedly discovered a flaw in the EHS8 module family of IoT connectivity chips manufactured by Thales, which are used in billions of industrial, commercial and medical devices.

Aug. 18: The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued its most updated version of guidance to its essential critical infrastructure workers on, “how jurisdictions and critical infrastructure owners can use the list to assist in prioritizing the ability of essential workers to work safely while supporting ongoing infrastructure operations across the nation.”

Aug. 17: US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security blacklisted 38 groups affiliated with Huawei, further restricting the company’s, “ability to use American software and technology to manufacture semiconductors or chips,” according to The Hill.