Department of Homeland Security

Subscribe to Department of Homeland Security via RSS

According to Verizon’s 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report, phishing or other forms of social engineering cause 93% of all data breaches.  In order for phishing or social engineering attacks to be successful, the attacker needs a target to take the bait.  Your employees often are the targets, aka the fish that bite.  Therefore, in conjunction with the implementation of IT security measures, training your employees is of paramount importance to preventing these types of cybersecurity attacks.  Employers must make employees aware of the risks associated with clicking on a link in a phishing email, downloading an attachment from an unknown sender or responding to requests for credential/login information or other data. 
Continue Reading The Importance of Training

In recognition of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, each Friday this October, we will highlight a different step that organizations can take to increase awareness of potential cyber threats, reduce the risk of a cyber attack or minimize damage from an attack.  All four steps are solutions that all organizations, regardless of size or budget, can implement. Specifically, over the course of the month we will examine information security plans, training, vendor due diligence and data retention and destruction, as tools organizations can use to arm themselves to both prevent and in the event of a cyber attack. 
Continue Reading October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month!

The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) released its cybersecurity strategy on May 15, 2018.  The 35-page document sets forth a plan for managing cybersecurity risks through public and private sector collaboration.  By 2023, DHS seeks to have “improved national cybersecurity risk management by increasing security and resilience across government networks and critical infrastructure; decreasing illicit…

According to Reuters, late on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) and the FBI issued a warning in a report, sent to firms at risk of an attack, that critical infrastructure industries may have been targeted in cyber-attacks as far back as May. The identified industries include nuclear, energy, aviation, water, critical manufacturing industries and government entities. The report indicates that hackers successfully compromised data at some of these targets. Further, the government believes that the attacks are ongoing.
Continue Reading Feds Warn of Critical Infrastructure Attacks as CT Releases Report on Utility Company Cyber-Readiness