Drafting Compliance Episode 19: Moving to FedRAMP Rev5

“In 2024, the most significant cybersecurity surprise will be the widespread recognition that Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are primarily risk advisors, not risk owners. This distinction contrasts with some companies’ previous perceptions and the operational reality. With cybersecurity concerns such as data center vulnerability, cloud vulnerability, and ransomware attacks still being a top concern for business leaders in 2024, this distinction is important to keep in mind to ensure the success of corporate security. Business systems are managed by business owners, whose performance is measured based on the system’s effectiveness. Historically, some companies have incorrectly assumed that the CISO is responsible for authorizing or mitigating some of the risks associated with these business systems. This is a misconception. The business owner, likely the individual who has approved the business continuity plan or is most affected by operational disruptions, also bears the responsibility of deciding how to address each risk. While CISOs can identify and propose mitigation strategies for business risks related to cybersecurity, they do not and should not accept or authorize the mitigation of risks for systems outside their ownership.”

“In 2024, the most significant cybersecurity surprise will be the widespread recognition that Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are primarily risk advisors, not risk owners. This distinction contrasts with some companies’ previous perceptions and the operational reality. With cybersecurity concerns such as data center vulnerability, cloud vulnerability, and ransomware attacks still being a top concern for business leaders in 2024, this distinction is important to keep in mind to ensure the success of corporate security. Business systems are managed by business owners, whose performance is measured based on the system’s effectiveness. Historically, some companies have incorrectly assumed that the CISO is responsible for authorizing or mitigating some of the risks associated with these business systems. This is a misconception. The business owner, likely the individual who has approved the business continuity plan or is most affected by operational disruptions, also bears the responsibility of deciding how to address each risk. While CISOs can identify and propose mitigation strategies for business risks related to cybersecurity, they do not and should not accept or authorize the mitigation of risks for systems outside their ownership.”

CIOs should collaborate closely with CISOs to evaluate which zero trust controls will offer the most significant mitigation of agreed-upon business risks. Once specific controls are implemented, they can be centralized and reused across the various compliance standards like SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, and PCI, delivering greater flexibility. “The key lies in the deliberate selection of zero trust controls aimed at reducing specific business risks while potentially streamlining existing compliance efforts,” explains Kayne McGladrey (@kaynemcgladrey), field CISO at Hyperproof and senior IEEE member.

Live radio interview today at 1 PM Pacific on KXL-FM (Portland) discussing robotics, AI, and why cyber security matters in the classroom.

2019 wasn’t a great year for cyber security. Although the number and scope of solutions available on the market increased, blue teams around the globe have been stymied by the increasing complexity and tactics of threat actors and the sheer volume of data to review. Here are four predictions for the coming storm, based on events in 2019.

“This (factors into) the broader economic outlook,” McGladrey told the Cyber Security Hub. “If the economy is thriving and people are considering asking for a raise, they may pursue a new certification. If they do not receive the raise, they may mentally justify the time spent by putting the certification on their resume and searching for new openings.”

A hacker can say that an institution has 90 days to fix a vulnerability before publicly divulging the secret, and for the vulnerable bank or credit union, that might come off as extortion or a threat. However, it is well within the boundaries of normal security research to do that, according to Kayne McGladrey, Field CISO for the security and compliance company Hyperproof.

“If the company doesn’t respond in a timely manner, that’s where you can get vulnerability disclosures after a reasonable period of time, like 90 or 120 days, or 180 days, depending on which philosophy the researcher subscribes to,” McGladrey said. “That’s all well within the ethical boundaries of a normal security researcher.”

The key difference between an ethical and unethical hacker — between extortion and responsible disclosure — is what the hacker does with the vulnerability.

“I think it’s very possible to say you can prove you can use this vulnerability — maybe it’s to steal a whole bunch of credit card information — without actually doing it,” McGladrey said. “You just show that you can.