Steps forward
Google-NSA collaboration draws alarm
February 5, 2010
Wanted: Inside sales rep to hawk online services to U.S. spy agencies.
Perks: Employer has search monopoly — and warm leads at top spy organizations.
That’s one takeaway of reports that Google has asked the secretive National Security Agency to help track down the cyberattackers who recently breached its network. More on this below.
Reporter Ellen Nakashima’s front page story in the Washington Post yesterday, 04Feb2010, has …More
Americans open to biometric screening as trust in Web 2.0 falters
October 22, 2009
Not all Americans crave convenience over security.
A new survey by tech systems consulting firm Unisys and Leiberman Research found 93% of 583 respondents open to the notion of using fingerprinting to confirm their identities and secure their data.
Some 58% of those polled by Unisys said they would be willing to provide biometric data to merchants and financial institutions to verify their identity. This includes retinal and perhaps …More
How federal tax incentives could help stem rampant data breaches
October 13, 2009
One idea for motivating organizations to do a better job stemming rampant databreaches: give them tax incentives to do so. Patricia Titus, the former CISO at the Transportation Security Administration within the Department of Homeland Security, and current CISO at Unisys Federal Systems, makes the case in this exclusive LastWatchdog guest blog post. Comments are encouraged.
By Patricia Titus
CISO, Unisys Federal Systems
How do we as a nation address the abysmal …More
The world will spend $14.5 billion in 2009 on software to defend cyber threats
September 23, 2009
Despite the global recession, we are all spending more than ever to defend against cyber threats.
The worldwide security software market will total $14.5 billion in 2009, an 8 % increase from 2008, according to Gartner analyst Ruggero Contu.
That’s down from 19% growth in 2008 vs. 2007. But Contu anticipates the market will grow 13 % in 2010, with revenue topping $16 billion by the close of …More
PCI compliance often ineffective in stopping data thieves
September 23, 2009
In concept, at least, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, form a useful and necessary layer of protection, well- designed for the specific task of repelling thieves from getting their mitts on credit- and debit- card account numbers and PINs.
Now comes the Ponemon Institute and tech security firm Imperva with results of a survey underscoring what cyber criminals — and merchants and banks know all too well — …More
Finally — a solid measurement of the scale and scope of cyber attacks
September 16, 2009
Metrics precisely quantifying the scale and scope of cybercrime activity have historically been hard to pin down. But now comes a milestone survey, buttressed by another report, that defines the degree to which the Web is infested with malicious code.
The SANS Institute’s report on Top Cyber Risks is by far the most comprehensive accounting of ongoing cyber attacks ever made public. SANS is the well-respected Washington D.C.-based tech security …More
Three views on Pres. Obama’s delayed selection of cybersecurity czar
September 15, 2009
Since his historic May 29th speech calling for strong U.S. cybersecurity policy, Pres. Obama has been silent on the topic, as internal White House debate continues about the naming of a cybersecurity adviser reporting directly to Obama. Here are three perspectives on the delay:
Patricia Titus, Chief Information Security Officer, Unisys Federal Systems. LastWatchdog guest blog post. 15Sept2009
While the delay in appointing a national cyber security coordinator is cause for …More