Storing large amounts of sensitive data and allocating minimal resources to cybersecurity makes the education sector attractive to cybercriminals. Education organizations are also a prime target for cybercrime, given their historic reliance on large distributed networks, the rise of remote learning, and their need for relevant cyber hygiene training.

The healthcare industry stores an abundance of sensitive information and relies on third-party vendors for critical business services, two factors that make the sector a prime target for cyber attacks. In 2022, 707 data breaches compromised 500 or more patient accounts, according to report records from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office For Civil Rights (OCR).

Severe cyber threats often threaten the technology sector because of the level of sensitive data companies and their third-party vendors process and store. Developing a comprehensive awareness of cybersecurity trends is one of the easiest ways for tech companies to protect themselves from cybercriminals, scams, and other cybersecurity threats.

An effective cybersecurity policy incorporates modern cryptography for secure data transmission. Encrypting data protects sensitive information during communication exchange so that only those authorized to decrypt that data can access it. Without encryption, all data transmitted over the public internet is at risk of interception and nefarious reuse. Encryption helps prevent stolen data through a variety of tools, including cryptographic ciphers like the Diffie-Hellman key exchange.

A software bill of materials (SBOM) is a detailed, comprehensive list of all the components within a software application, including the use of open-source software, component dependencies, licenses, and known vulnerabilities. SBOMs provide an inventory of each individual component that comprises the application, much like a list of ingredients in a recipe.

Supply chain management has become a top priority for businesses due to the increasing use of digital technologies and geopolitical uncertainties, making global supply chains more vulnerable than ever to disruptions. This reality highlights two critical aspects of supply chain management: Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) and Supply Chain Security Management (SCSM).

Public sector organizations are responsible for maintaining trust and storing sensitive data. Unfortunately, they have become a popular target for cyber threats, ranging from data breaches to advanced nation-state attacks. To address this evolving cyber risk landscape, it is essential to take a proactive approach to cybersecurity. This will help safeguard critical infrastructure and protect the privacy of citizen data.

Your web server conveys a variety of information to the client when a visitor opens your website. They can access specific policies you've set and sometimes identify what kind of software you use to run your system. Sometimes, that's okay. Other times, the information exposed in your server header can lead directly to a malicious cyber attack.

The increasing reliance on outsourcing and cloud computing means vendors play an ever-growing role in business operations. Therefore, Vendor Risk Management is more essential now than ever before.

ESG frameworks are guidelines, metrics, and criteria that allow companies and investors to develop sustainability reporting standards and evaluate environmental, social, and governance risks. Common ESG frameworks include the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), and Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Over the last decade, ESG performance has become an important metric to evaluate an organization’s operational sustainability.

In today's financial landscape, businesses are interconnected, and outsourcing and partnerships are necessary—meaning managing risks associated with third-party vendors is pivotal. Whether you're a small community bank or a multinational financial conglomerate, mastering third-party risk management is vital to safeguarding your institution against the vulnerabilities that third parties can introduce.

As your business grows and you work with more third-party vendors, you need to ensure security and stability across your entire vendor supply chain. With hundreds, if not thousands, of external vendors, it can be daunting and time-consuming for teams to compile all the necessary data about each vendor, evaluate the vendor's impact, and take action to ensure compliance with organizational needs.

DMARC, which stands for "Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance," is an email authentication protocol that protects your domain from domain spoofing and impersonation attacks. Implementing a DMARC policy in your domain's DNS records helps to protect your email recipients from spam and malware, while maintaining your domain and brand credibility.

Modern business is synonymous with third-party relationships. Organizations now rely on external providers for critical services and outsource essential responsibilities to improve operational efficiency and cut costs. The benefits of third-party vendors are clear, but so are the risks. The average organization has expanded and digitized its supply chain over the last few years while simultaneously increasing its risk profile and subjecting itself to new levels of risk.

Identity and access management (IAM) is a field of cybersecurity focused on managing user identities and developing access controls to protect critical computer networks. The specifics of an IAM policy will vary across organizations and industries. However, the main goal of all IAM initiatives remains the same: guaranteeing only approved users and devices access resources for appropriate reasons at proper times.

Utilizing third-party vendors can provide numerous benefits, such as cost savings, expertise, and efficiency. Still, it also introduces a range of risks that can significantly impact an organization's security, compliance, and overall operational integrity. Vendor Risk Assessments allow organizations to understand and manage these risks, making them a vital risk management tool during procurement, initial onboarding, and the vendor lifecycle.

It’s not a matter of if your organization will face a cyber threat, but when. Cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated, and maintaining robust cybersecurity defenses has never been more critical. However, many organizations struggle to allocate appropriate funding for cybersecurity budgets, seeing them as a grudging necessity rather than a strategic investment.