Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

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.

In recent years, vendor risk management (VRM) has become a complicated practice as businesses aim to scale and manage potentially hundreds or thousands of vendors. With more vendors, cybersecurity risk is introduced, necessitating software and other digital solutions to adequately manage these vendors. The role of software in vendor risk management products is more important than ever now and moving forward.

Whether you’re a large or small business, the cybersecurity framework by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (a federal agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce) offers an efficient roadmap to an improved cybersecurity posture. Compared to other popular cyber frameworks, like ISO 27001, NIST CSF is more effective at mitigating data breaches, especially during the initial stages of implementing a cyber risk management program.