Alejandro Mayorkas was officially sworn in as the seventh Secretary of Homeland Security. Secretary Mayorkas took the oath this afternoon after the Senate voted to confirm him. As Secretary of Homeland Security, Mayorkas now leads the third largest federal department in the United States, which includes the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the United States Secret Service.
DH2i announced the results of its premier Virtual Private Network (VPN) survey of IT professionals across small-, mid- and enterprise-sized organizations. To qualify, the respondent had to be using a VPN for network access and/or security measure. The survey findings revealed that universally, respondents advised that using a VPN created a number of problems for their organization. Topping the list, 62% of respondents cited inadequate security as their number one VPN pain point.
While it might not feel like it right now, the kind of root-and-branch assessment of cybersecurity budgets necessitated by the pandemic might, overall, be a positive development. Many firms haven't looked at their budgets and the assumptions they are based on for many years. This review has been long overdue.
Cybersecurity threats are getting more sophisticated and intense amid the increasing levels of remote work and dependence on digital devices. Here are 5 that were the most damaging for enterprises in 2020.
Bill Evanina, former Director of the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center, recently appeared on CBS’ 60 Minutes where he warned that Beijing is attempting to collect and exploit Americans’ health care information, including their DNA. He also claimed that China has stolen the personally identifiable information of 80% of Americans, using "less-than-honorable" methods to steal data, including hacking healthcare companies and technology, such as smart homes, sensors and 5G networks.
Siemplify released new research on “The State of Remote Security Operations.” Based on a recent survey of nearly 400 security operations (SecOps) professionals, the report studies how the sudden shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected SecOps analysts’ ability to perform their jobs and the impact on overall security postures.
Greek police are set to introduce live face recognition before the summer. By the summer of 2021, the Greek police will receive thousands of devices allowing for live facial recognition and fingerprint identification. The devices will be deployed in everyday police work, according to a Greek police official AlgorithmWatch talked to.
File-sharing services, such as Google Drive, DropBox and personal OneDrive folders, also pose significant risk to the corporate network. The additional layering effect of file-sharing service — such as multiple shares of a potentially malicious file through a chain of services — create an additional layer of complexity and risk.
A recent Dell Technologies Brain on Tech study found when people were tasked with logging into a computer with a long, difficult password, their stress not only increased by 31% within 5 seconds, but it continued to rise even after successfully logging in. Password stress goes hand in hand with a growing appetite for biometrics on devices. Dave Konetski, VP/Fellow of Dell Technologies Client Solutions Group, believes that as technologies like fingerprint readers and facial recognition continue to gain popularity, "this year’s Change Your Password Day may mark a shift or perhaps a beginning to the end of passwords as we know it."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) joined the Cactus League, its teams and spring training facilities, and state and local partners for a virtual tabletop exercise to review pre-incident preparedness measures and response plans at stadiums during spring training.