According to IDC, by 2025 there will be 41.6 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices, generating a massive 79 zettabytes (ZB) of data. To put that into perspective, in 2006, IDC estimated that the total amount of electronic data created and stored was a mere 0.18 ZB. This growing amount of data represents a vast and exponentially increasing attack surface, which poses a huge opportunity for cybercriminals and a seemingly insurmountable task for those responsible for protecting and securing it. This task is only made more difficult by the lack of regulation and security measures being built into IoT devices at present. As IoT looks to become a foundational aspect of our everyday lives, it’s vital we, as consumers, understand the threats posed to our devices and the data they store.

The Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council (GCC) held its summer meeting virtually to discuss Election Day preparations and other areas of coordination between the federal government and state and local election officials.

After months of social distancing, the coronavirus remains a serious public health challenge. As states across the country devise plans to reopen their local economies, government agencies and private healthcare providers are hungry for reliable data.

As many employees transfer back to a more traditional business setting from remote work environments, adjustments to cybersecurity protocols are going to be necessary. Organizations will need to evaluate any temporary provisions that were put into place during the COVID-19 pandemic, including any shortcuts that were taken and processes that were circumvented, and whether such protocols should be reversed or enhanced.

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. 

Across industries, organizations seek to embrace Internet of Things (IoT) devices to reduce manual tasks and promote social distancing. However, IoT devices often lack basic security controls which lead to new cybersecurity risks across the IT stack. A comprehensive solution for managing IoT as part of organizations’ growth plans must also incorporate establishing best practices for moving forward securely.

Attackers are looking beyond network systems and devices to target organizations via public-facing platforms and SaaS resources. An effective DRP service will identify threats across an organization’s digital footprint, analyze the credibility of these threats and remediate malicious activity on third-party platforms to minimize system and reputational damage.

Sunz Insurance has promoted Glen Distefano to chief information security officer.