In an age of increasingly complex cyber threats, New Zealand has implemented robust cybersecurity standards to secure the online environment for individuals, businesses, and government entities. New Zealand's cybersecurity approach is unique and effective, from the overarching strategies laid out by national cybersecurity policies to specific regulatory requirements that impact sectors like healthcare and finance.

The FBI has made a significant breakthrough in the fight against LockBit ransomware by recovering over 7,000 decryption keys, which can now be used by victims to restore their encrypted data at no cost. FBI's Efforts Against LockBit Ransomware During the 2024 Boston Conference on Cyber Security, FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran announced the recovery of these keys, emphasizing the agency's commitment to assisting past LockBit victims.

In the not-so-distant past, managing user identities and access controls was a relatively straightforward process. Organizations operated within the confines of their on-premises networks where users logged onto a single system to access the resources they needed. This well-defined perimeter enabled IT departments to maintain tight control over who accessed what and from where. However, the advent of cloud computing has disrupted this traditional paradigm.

Microsoft 365 has experienced several notable outages recently. In January 2023, a major outage lasted over five hours, affecting various services, including Exchange Online. This incident was attributed to a network configuration issue during a planned update (Practical 365). Another significant outage occurred in June 2023, impacting services like Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive for several hours due to a network issue (WinBuzzer).

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is U.S. legislation created to set national privacy and security standards to protect the privacy of patient health information and prevent data breaches. All organizations associated with healthcare, including health insurance companies and business associates, fall under HIPAA regulations – meaning they have to comply with HIPAA compliance requirements.

Digital relationships with third-party vendors increase opportunities for growth, but they also increase opportunities for cyberattacks — a recent study found that 61% of U.S. companies said they have experienced a data breach caused by one of their vendors or third parties (up 12% since 2016). Implementing a vendor risk management strategy aligned with frameworks like the NIST security framework can help mitigate these risks.

You don’t have to jump through endless hoops to achieve regulatory compliance. By finding an easy way to comply with the right laws, regulations, and industry standards, regulatory compliance can offer several benefits for companies. Specific compliance requirements vary by industry and country. But in general, implementing regulatory compliance is a mandatory requirement for every sector and every company in countries with a robust business and economic landscape.

In the world of security, there are many different frameworks that may be relevant or important to your plans. We’ve talked a lot about FedRAMP, the federal government’s security framework, but it’s only one of many options. Others, from HIPAA to FISMA to SOC2, can all have their role. One of the biggest and most direct equivalents to FedRAMP is ISO 27001. What is it, how does it compare to FedRAMP, and which one should you use? Let’s talk about it. Table of Contents 1.