Montana CISO Shares State Security Actions and Priorities
Back in 2014, I first interviewed the technology and security leaders in “Big Sky Country” for this blog. A lot has changed in the past six years, including the state’s government technology and security leadership. But what hasn’t changed is a focus on excellence and professionalism in public service that ... Read More
COVID-19 Turning Black Friday into ‘Cyber November’
Move over Black Friday and Cyber Monday, because our global pandemic is changing our new normal — again. In 2020, holiday shopping is more virtual than ever, with deals coming earlier in November. While experts are predicting more online shopping than ever before between now and the end of the ... Read More
Election Security 2020: The Final Week’s News Roundup
As we head closer to Nov. 3, 2020, in the U.S., these are unprecedented times for election security for many reasons. First, the attempted hacking incidents surrounding the 2016 election created a four-year race to improve voting cybersecurity, including people, process and technology components. Second, a record number of ... Read More
How Vulnerable Is Critical Infrastructure to a Cyberattack?
On Thursday Oct. 22, 2020, the Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton warned attendees at The Age‘s National Security Summit that they must prepare to counter prolonged and catastrophic cyberattacks on critical infrastructure that could disrupt entire industries. The message to Australia and the world: “The potential consequences of a ... Read More
State CIOs Lead Digital Transformation During the Pandemic
As NASCIO concluded its annual conference virtually this past week, an extensive list of deliverables offered road maps for 2021 and beyond. Member profiles for all 50 states can be found at this interactive website, and an encouraging aspect to this year’s virtual event was the excellent level of participation ... Read More
Widespread Unemployment Fraud Is Overwhelming State Systems
Back on Sept. 17, 2020, NBC News proclaimed that “fraudsters steal millions from unemployment coffers, adding to pain of those still waiting for benefits.” Here’s how that story begins: Over $1 billion in unemployment aid is being threatened by fraud, in schemes ranging from lying about personal income to sophisticated ... Read More
DHS Works to Protect National Critical Infrastructure
Last month, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), published two important resources that deserve special attention. While many of these CISA status reports may seem a bit like “alphabet soup” to those not familiar with the process, the ... Read More
Could Estonia Be the Model for Secure Online Voting?
As we head into October 2020, everyone is talking about election security from various perspectives. Back in June, this blog explained how election security has become a top issue. Since that time, the focus and political posturing by governments, the media, cybersecurity pros and both political parties has only increased, ... Read More
Online Learning Still Struggles – Especially With Security
Back on Aug. 5, 2020, The Washington Post ran a story titled “America is about to start online learning, Round 2. For millions of students, it won’t be any better.” Here’s a quote from that article: “’I remember people speaking of the Fourth of July as if everything would be ... Read More
Why Are Some Cybersecurity Professionals Not Finding Jobs?
Last week, I posted a CNBC technology article on LinkedIn titled: ‘We are outnumbered’ — cybersecurity pros face a huge staffing shortage as attacks surge during the pandemic. The article starts with this video claiming that there is a tremendous shortage of about 4 million skilled workers needed for cyber ... Read More