Drafting Compliance Episode 19: Moving to FedRAMP Rev5

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.

“Viruses are most commonly spread through phishing, which is a technique of sending emails designed to prey on a person’s emotions to make them click a link or open a malicious attachment,” says Kayne McGladrey IEEE member and director of security and IT for Pensar Development. “Besides running up-to-date commercial antivirus software, the easiest way to avoid viruses is to pause before acting on messages. Get a cup of coffee, or at least get up and stretch, before deciding if the email is trying to manipulate your emotions through a sense of authority (someone impersonating your boss or a police officer), a sense of urgency (because of an artificial time constraint), or scarcity (supplies are limited, act now).” These are the same psychological techniques used by con artists since time immemorial, with the only difference being that con artists had to con one person at a time. “With email, social media, and text messages, threat actors can con thousands of people. No antivirus software is perfect, but pausing before acting can stop most of today’s viruses.”

Another newer issue is that “the transition from a fully remote to a partially on-site work environment creates substantive cybersecurity concerns based on the ongoing mental health crisis,’’ said IEEE senior member Kayne McGladrey. As some businesses attempt to mandate a return to the office, they should be aware of the mental health challenges employees are facing, he said. “Research shows a significant decline in workers’ mental well-being, resulting in stress and anxiety. These mental states can negatively affect decision-making and lead to cybersecurity lapses.”

“The SaaS vendor should be upfront about data sovereignty and optional localization,” McGladrey adds. “While this is particularly important for multinational organizations selecting SaaS solutions, those organizations bound to a single geography would likely want to avoid awkward situations, such as [personal information] for Americans being intentionally processed and stored in a foreign data center.”