ISC2 Blog

Introducing (ISC)² EMEA ISLA 2017 Finalist: André Koenegras

This year marks the first ever (ISC)² EMEA Information Security Leadership Awards (ISLA), a chance for our community to recognise fellow information security and management professionals going the extra mile to enhance security across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Overall, we received a staggering number of impressive submissions, over 200, and these were shortlisted down to our finalists by our judges, members of the Europe, Middle East and Africa Advisory Council (EAC). Winners will be announced at our Secure Summit UK on 12 December 2017. In the meantime, we will be sharing their stories on the blog. Here is... Read more →

Security Headlines: Hopping Around

This week’s National Cybersecurity Awareness campaign focused on feeding the pipeline to narrow the skills gap in the cybersecurity workforce. While StaySafeOnline declared “The Internet Wants You: Consider a Career in Cybersecurity,” Ransomware hopped to the headlines. Rabbit on the run ‘Bad Rabbit’, the third global outbreak of the year with similarities to NotPetya, struck companies throughout Russia and Eastern Europe with file-encrypting malware. This strand of ransomware metaphorically knocks on the user’s door by way of a malicious pop-up offering a Flash update. Though the outbreak was first reported, it’s suspected that the group behind the attack has been... Read more →

Introducing (ISC)² EMEA ISLA 2017 Finalist: Melanie Oldham

This year marks the first ever (ISC)² EMEA Information Security Leadership Awards (ISLA), a chance for our community to recognise fellow information security and management professionals going the extra mile to enhance security across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Overall, we received a staggering number of impressive submissions, over 200, and these were shortlisted down to our finalists by our judges, members of the Europe, Middle East and Africa Advisory Council (EAC). Winners will be announced at our Secure Summit UK on 12 December 2017. In the meantime, we will be sharing their stories on the blog. Here is... Read more →

Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, as well as National Bullying Prevention Month, which means it’s the perfect time to get up-to-date on the activities of the Center for Cyber Safety and Education! Their third lesson of the Garfield’s Cyber Safety Adventuresin the Safe and Secure Online program, “Be Kind Online!” launched this month and is now available for purchase on https://www.cybersafetykits.org/ The focus of the episode is on cyberbullying. The Center now offers a new Digital subscription to the cartoon lessons featuring Garfield and his furry friends are available for your family at just $9.99 per year. The Center’s... Read more →

Why Certification Matters for Cloud Service Providers

With so much data being stored on cloud servers, Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) must be extra-vigilant and proactive to ensure their clients’ vital digital property is never compromised, infected, or held for ransom. The potential for damage extends well beyond simple data loss; companies can face litigation, fines, and destruction of their reputation and brand if their cloud platform is breached. This is a job that requires more than the already great talents that a CSP employs. The need for constantly updated risk awareness and mitigation demands that CSPs also reach out to Certified Cloud Security Professionals (CCSPs), who specialize... Read more →

SSCP Spotlight: Tiffany Temple

Name: Tiffany Temple Title: Cyber Security Analyst Employer: City of Greensboro Location: Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.A. Education: Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems - East Carolina University, Master of Science in Information Technology Management - University of North Carolina at Greensboro Years in IT: 5 Years in information security: 4 Cybersecurity certifications: SSCP How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity? I was encouraged by my current boss to transition from Help Desk duties to an Information Security role after she saw in me the analytical skills necessary to succeed. It was a seamless transition for me and... Read more →

Introducing (ISC)² EMEA ISLA 2017 Finalist: Peter O’Boyle

This year marks the first ever (ISC)² EMEA Information Security Leadership Awards (ISLA), a chance for our community to recognise fellow information security and management professionals going the extra mile to enhance security across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Overall, we received a staggering number of impressive submissions, over 200, and these were shortlisted down to our finalists by our judges, members of the Europe, Middle East and Africa Advisory Council (EAC). Winners will be announced at our Secure Summit UK on 12 December 2017. In the meantime, we will be sharing their stories on the blog. Here is... Read more →

Security Headlines: From Krack to the DOJ

It’s rare to have a day go by without some security news making headlines. This week saw #KRACK trending on social media, which raised lots of questions about the security of cybersecurity. Here’s a look at what went on this week in passwords, automation, and more. The big flaw. Undoubtedly, the most notable news in security this week was the Krack attack, which impacted millions of Wi-Fi users. Around the world, businesses and homes were vulnerable because of flaws in Wi-Fi networks that use the (WPA)2 protocol. The good news, according to Anthony Lim, member of the (ISC)2 Asian Advisory... Read more →

CISSP Spotlight: Tony Harris

Name: Tony Harris Title: Consultant, Cyber Security Employer: KPMG LLP Location: Vancouver, Canada Education: MSc, Cyber Security (in progress) from the University of Liverpool, and Bachelor of Arts in American Studies & International Relations from the University of British Columbia Years in IT: 8 Years in cybersecurity: 7 Cybersecurity certifications: CISSP, CISM How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity? I began my career in general IT processes eight years ago as your typical jack-of-all-trades IT. I wanted to narrow my focus into a specialty that I'd be interested in and cybersecurity ultimately was that choice. The reason was... Read more →

Meet John McCumber

John McCumber is the newest member of the (ISC)² family. He joined the team last month and will be our first ever director of cybersecurity advocacy. John is based out of our North America Region office in Alexandria, Virginia and will be supporting the (ISC)² membership by advocating for them and the profession across the U.S. and Canada. John got his start in infosec in late 1986, when – in the middle of the night – he received a call that the DEC VAX 11/780 he was responsible for was under attack. Someone had figured out the vulnerability for the... Read more →

KRACK Exploit Ruining Your Day?

With news of the WPA2 KRACK (Key Reinstallation Attack) vulnerability ­– a security protocol flaw impacting nearly every Wi-Fi device– spreading quickly across the internet today, security professionals and novices alike are looking for clear guidance on what to do. With headlines like Serious flaw in WPA2 protocol lets attackers intercept passwords and much more and WPA2 security flaw puts almost every Wi-Fi device at risk of hijack, eavesdropping, it’s easy to understand why so many security pros woke up to another huge headache today. We asked our new Director of Cybersecurity Advocacy John McCumber to break down this news... Read more →

Security Headlines: All the hacking

From hacking U.S. intelligence, to blood test results, to your Facebook account. Here are the security headlines for the week of October 9, 2017: A recent study shows that privacy and security is only a concern for 15% of consumers when “performing work-related activities” (as opposed to 75% when visiting a doctor). So many that’s why so many companies are getting hacked? Spy vs Spy: Israeli officers watched in real time as agents in Russia searched for American intelligence information. Are iPhones conditioning us to fall for a phish? One researcher says so. It’s almost Halloween, so let’s call this... Read more →

Introducing (ISC)² EMEA ISLA 2017 Finalist: Bridget Kenyon

This year marks the first ever (ISC)² EMEA Information Security Leadership Awards (ISLA), a chance for our community to recognise fellow information security and management professionals going the extra mile to enhance security across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Overall, we received a staggering number of impressive submissions, over 200, and these were shortlisted down to our finalists by our judges, members of the Europe, Middle East and Africa Advisory Council (EAC). Winners will be announced at our Secure Summit UK on 12 December 2017. In the meantime, we will be sharing their stories on the blog. Here is... Read more →

Join the (ISC)² Community!

(ISC)² is excited to announce the launch of our new online Community. Created for cyber experts and IT security professionals – both (ISC)² certified members and non-members alike – this Community is a place for you to share your cybersecurity knowledge and experience with other professionals. The Community has several categories with discussion boards where you can post conversation topics, or message directly with other users. We hope that you’ll find this to be a place to connect with other professionals, collaborate on industry issues, share your career experiences and develop relationships with others in the field. So come on... Read more →

Why Non-EU based Businesses may be affected by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?

By Yves Le Roux, (ISC)² EMEA Advisory Council Co-Chair & Privacy Workgroup Lead Yves will be hosting the half-day workshop GDPR: Charting Experience on the March to May 2018 at (ISC)² Secure Summit MENA, in Dubai on the 21st and 22nd November 2017. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) is a regulation by which the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission intend to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union (EU). The regulation was adopted in April last year. It becomes enforceable from 25th May 2018... Read more →

Security Headlines: Hackers, Breaches and Fake News

Just what we need…another NFL controversy. Only this time, NFL players’ personal data was leaked. 1,200 Football Players' Personal Data Exposed In NFL Leak -- Colin Kaepernick Included The breach heard round the world – The Inside Story of Equifax’s Massive Data Breach Take a look inside the massive Equifax data breach. Fake news is everywhere. Even following a mass tragedy like the one in Las Vegas. Bad Info Follows Every Tragedy. Don't Fall For It Be sure to verify your news sources, especially before sharing them. Really? There’s more? Yahoo Triples Estimate of Breached Accounts to 3 Billion A... Read more →

Leadership Problem: Cybersecurity Poorly Understood by Top Management

Organizational culture typically takes shape as a result of decisions and actions by top management, who are responsible for setting vision, values and practices. When leadership doesn’t understand something, it shows in how the organization handles that particular area. When it comes to IT security, research by (ISC)2 reveals a tepid commitment to investing in a strong security stance, both in the areas of technology and human resources. Too often, cybersecurity teams are short-staffed, lack the resources they need to handle a cyberattack, or aren’t given the responsibility to fill a more proactive role in protecting company data and networks.... Read more →

So what makes (ISC)² events different from the rest?

Whether it’s Congress, a two-day Secure Summit, or a one-hour webinar, the experience is a product of the (ISC)² Community By Tisun Rustem, Senior Events Manager in EMEA, (ISC)² With so many industry events and online educational opportunities vying for your attention, particularly in information or cybersecurity, one can be forgiven for wondering whether an (ISC)² event could have something unique to offer. (ISC)² serves its membership with a range of on-line and conference-based educational opportunities, including one-hour webinars and half-day symposia, your annual regional Congress; and new to this year, the two-day Secure Summits - five of which are... Read more →