Blog

9th June 2022

How to manage open source code in your product.

Do you really know what’s in open source code? Do you want to? Because face the facts: your organization is making use of open source code right now – and you probably have no idea what’s in it, how recently it has been updated, or even if you’re allowed to use the code in your…

2nd June 2022

Software engineering isn’t for everyone – how I started a career in cyber.

You wanted to be a developer. You spent four years and thousands of dollars in school and managed to get your foot into industry. You spent a few years working a couple different gigs only to realize – this job just isn’t for you. Do you find working in a dark room with no windows…

26th May 2022

Guide to SOC 2 compliance documentation

Nobody really wants to do their homework. Which is unfortunate, because homework plays an important role in helping to absorb, retain, and learn to use the information someone is studying. In the security and compliance world, writing documentation is the homework. It helps employees standardize the right policies and procedures to successfully reduce risk and…

19th May 2022

Don’t press that panic button!

You may assume that I am a fully functioning human. I assure you, you are mistaken. There are certain things – things that most people are quite capable of – that I am dazzlingly terrible at. I cannot sing. Literally. Once, when I joined in on “happy birthday” at my then four-year-old daughter’s party, two…

12th May 2022

Your cyber insurance probably isn’t good enough.

Cyber insurance, like all insurance, is all about the fine print. In 2017, G&G Oil Company purchased a commercial insurance policy that, while not a full-fledged cyber insurance policy, did include coverage for losses “resulting directly from the use of a computer.” They were hit with a ransomware attack later that year and had to…

5th May 2022

When your Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Plan is a Disaster…

Picture it: As a part of your new job running a corporate SOC 2 compliance program, you’ve started the arduous process of reviewing old documentation. Most of it is in pretty good shape…until you come across the Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) Plan. While your company’s name is all over it, the instructions for temporary physical…

28th April 2022

How to start a career in cybersecurity, according to a hiring manager.

“I’m still really interested in cybersecurity, but I had no idea getting an entry level job would be this difficult! I thought you said companies are desperate to fill these roles, and they’re basically hiring anyone who applies?” Jason lamented, after being rejected for yet another job. Jason has been working as a desktop support…

21st April 2022

Patching Keeps the Lights On (Except when it Doesn’t)

You probably don’t give much thought to lightbulbs. I wouldn’t either, except that somehow, we own a house with lots of them. We have so many that in any given week, one, two, sometimes three of them burn out. And (of course), they are not all of the same type. Some are floodlight bulbs. Some…

6th April 2022

How to get a SOC 2 certification: A comprehensive guide.

Your growing company is hitting a sales plateau – it’s becoming difficult to close deals with security-conscious customers. Your sales and technical teams are getting bogged down with cybersecurity questionnaires and questions about a “SOC 2.” You need to know how to get a SOC 2 certification so you can remove this roadblock your company…

31st March 2022

How to read a SOC 2 Report

The output of a SOC 2 audit isn’t a simple stamp of approval – it’s a detailed report about the security program.

24th March 2022

I have “Zero Trust” in VPNs.

You should probably have zero trust in your VPN service: You’re enjoying a quiet Friday afternoon in your office when you receive a stomach-dropping alert from one of your systems. A co-worker of yours, Jane, has exfiltrated thousands of your customer records from the company database. A distraught Jane is questioned by human resources, she…

17th March 2022

Don’t be an Attacker’s First Option

Longtime readers of this blog (thank you!) know that for the past several years, I have been coaching the basketball teams of both of my children. When the kids were really little, it was mostly about teaching fundamentals and getting them comfortable with the rules of the game. However, now that my son is playing…

10th March 2022

Gmail vs Outlook for Business Email Security

We recently had this exchange regarding email security with a client: Client (Microsoft user): We got acquired and now our parent company wants us to move from Microsoft Office 365 to Google Workspace. vCISO and me: Oof, that sounds like a lot of work! But frankly, we’re a little relieved to hear that. Why would…

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