Federal agencies tasked with protecting the personal and financial data of millions of Americans have failed to update their systems or implement basic cybersecurity defenses, according to a recent Senate report. . The June report, titled “Federal Cybersecurity: America’s Data at Risk,” is the product of a subcommittee’s 10-month review of a decades’ worth of inspectors general reports of core government agencies. Eight agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, the Department of Education and the Social Security Administration, were found to have several vulnerabilities in their cybersecurity systems and practices. “The federal government remains unprepared to confront the dynamic cyber threats of today,” the report reads. “The longstanding cyber vulnerabilities consistently highlighted by Inspectors General illustrate the federal government’s failure to meet basic cybersecurity standards to protect sensitive data.” The link for this article located at Security Today is no longer available. . The recent analysis outlines significant deficiencies within national bodies in bolstering defenses against evolving cyber risks.. Federal Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Report, Data Protection, Security Failures. . Brittany Day
The Pwnie Awards are intended to be the Oscars of the security community. The show has opened with the nomination of the candidates; the winners will be announced on Wednesday 25 July. Similar to Hollywood, this community also has bright stars who sometimes use dubious methods to try and improve their chances of winning a trophy . For its more than embarrassing password disclosures, the LinkedIn business network has been nominated for the "Most Epic Fail" award: "What has 2,500 employees, over 90 million users, no CSO, and hates salt?" The jury also mocks a network supplier who incorporated the private root key for SSH access in firmware that is plainly visible on the net: "For FAIL, press F5". The nomination of the entire anti-virus industry wasn't even deemed to need an explanation. No wonder, considering the fact that AV icon Mikko Hypponen recently admitted that the entire industry has failed. The link for this article located at H Security is no longer available. . The Buggy Awards nominations showcase tech blunders and mishaps, featuring Facebook's monumental data leaks.. Pwnie Awards, Security Failures, Password Disclosures, Industry Nominations. . Dave Wreski
Once again it is time to take note of those security blunders from the past year that have given us so many opportunities to learn from our mistakes. It has been a year rich in opportunity, with one lesson in particular being repeatedly hammered home. So the second annual Bonehead Award for Notable Failures in IT Security goes to all of those people who think it is productive to carry around sensitive data on portable devices. . There are many types of sensitive data that can get stolen, lost or just disappear. But since the passage of the 2003 California law requiring notification of breaches of personally identifiable data, losses of this type of information have been the easiest to track. The exposure of individuals to the risk of identity theft became a high-profile issue with the February 2005 fraud at ChoicePoint that exposed records on more than 160,000 people. Since then, more than 97 million personally identifiable records have been exposed, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Many of these breaches have resulted from poorly handled government records. The corker, of course, was this year The link for this article located at Government Computer News is no longer available. . The year 2006 showcased critical cybersecurity failures, emphasizing the urgent need for encryption, stringent access controls, and robust security measures to protect data. Data Breaches, IT Security Lessons, Sensitive Information Risks. . Brittany Day
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