Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

If you’re considering partnering with a service provider, it’s essential also to consider the security risks they could introduce to your organization. In this post, we outline the primary cybersecurity risks associated with service providers and provide tips for managing them to help you safely benefit from this strategy for reducing operational costs. Take a tour of UpGuard’s Vendor Risk Management solution >

All covered entities must comply with HIPAA or face fines of up to $50,000 for every violation. However, with such high cybersecurity standards and insufficient implementation guidance, it's not surprising that HIPAA violations are common occurrences. To overcome the challenges of adhering to HIPAA’s stringent safeguards, covered entities are turning to HIPAA compliance software for support.

Web communications can be routed over the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). The latter ensures encrypted data transfer between a website and a user. Some sites will offer both HTTP and HTTPS connections, but any HTTP connection may be vulnerable to cyber attacks. To require that all connections route over HTTPS, you can set up an HTTPS Strict Transport Policy (HSTS) to enforce secure connections.

With violation penalties of up to $100,000 per month until full compliance is achieved, every entity processing cardholder data can't afford to miss a PCI DSS compliance gap. But with the expanding digital landscape increasing the complexity of information security, complying with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is difficult unless you leverage a product that can help you track your compliance efforts.

In 2019, The European Parliament introduced the European Cybersecurity Certification Framework in response to growing cyber threats and the need for more robust cybersecurity measures. These certification schemes were part of the broader cybersecurity policy introduced with the European Union Cybersecurity Act, which boosted cybersecurity measures and cyber resilience across EU member states.

Third-party risk management (TPRM) is reviewing and mitigating risks associated with outsourcing business operations to third-party vendors or service providers. Risks are varied but include cybersecurity risks like data breaches or reputational risks that affect business continuity. If your organization wants to create a TPRM program or upgrade your current risk management strategy, focusing on customization can be critical in setting your organization apart.

Your security questionnaire workflow is the litmus test for the efficiency of your overall Vendor Risk Management program. If this pipeline gets congested, all of the VRM processes, depending on it, get disrupted, which impacts your security posture and heightens your risk of suffering a third-party data breach.

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) are data communication protocols for the internet. HTTPS uses encryption algorithms for secure data transfer. Without encrypted communications, information transfer is not protected and sensitive data becomes vulnerable to attackers. This article includes a brief overview of HTTPS, as well as actions you can take to ensure that you have set up HTTPS redirection for your website.