Cyber

How to Tackle VPN Security Risks

The US experienced more data breaches in 2023 than in 2022 before the year even came to a close. USA Today predicts that this number will continue to climb and that by 2031 “attacks on businesses, consumers, governments and devices will happen every two seconds.” This significant increase indicates that cybercriminals are using every tool […]

IRS Email Scams: What You Need to Know

It’s become all too regular an occurrence for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to warn taxpayers of a new scam. Thousands of taxpaying citizens have lost millions of dollars through scams, with new schemes appearing as quickly as people can be made aware of them. The solution? Taxpayers have to be aware of how the […]

Recently Updated Data Breach Laws By State

What is a data breach? Data breaches are unauthorized access to and theft of sensitive data by cybercriminals. Bad actors may gain entry to an organization’s store of customer data through various techniques, including brute force attacks, phishing, or social engineering schemes. Ransomware attacks may encrypt sensitive data and only unlock access to vital systems […]

Preparing for the Worst: Disaster Data Recovery and Written Information Security Plans

Increasingly, governments and regulatory bodies, including the IRS, FTC, and SEC are requiring formalized security plans. In the U.S., some states require financial institutions, such as CPAs, accounting firms, mortgage brokers, universities, and nonbank lenders, to establish a Written Information Security Plan (WISP). This formal plan outlines the roles of staff in data security protections, […]

Two men stand in front of an open computer server analyzing it's components while holding a tablet.

Understanding the Updated SEC Cybersecurity Guidelines

Earlier this year, the SEC announced new cybersecurity guidelines and finalized those rules in August after the standard public review period. These rules affect how public companies must report major cyber breaches and when. Additionally, the rules detail how board directors should prepare and manage ongoing security issues. The new rules take effect on December […]

Preparing for the June 9th FTC Safeguards Rule Change

Customer data security is of increasing importance to companies aiming to operate on a global scale. From ChatGPT to the U.S. House of Representatives, data breaches are on the rise and cost businesses an average of almost $10 million per breach. Major brands are frequently in the news, suffering massive costs. In 2022 alone, T-Mobile’s […]

How to Defend Against Third-Party Cyber Risk

The worldwide average cost of a data breach is $4.35 million, according to a report by IBM. Companies are doing business in a global industry with operations spread out to maximize profit. With wider operations comes an increased risk of cyber-attacks—but while companies will look to shore up their own cyber defenses, research shows they […]

Cryptocurrency and Accounting: What Do You Need to Know?

Cryptocurrency has become a worldwide phenomenon since the first Bitcoin transaction in 2009. Today’s market is valued at more than $2 trillion, with recent advancements in crypto expanding how digital assets can be created, used, and transferred. However, the ever-changing scope of digital assets and introductions of new applications—such as the recent wave of NFTs—has […]

McGowanProfessional-cyber

2021 RIMS Conference Cyber Takeaways

RIMS LIVE 2021 recently took place; a conference considered the most comprehensive risk management event globally and a must-attend event for anyone providing services to risk professionals in 2021. It featured over 100 hours of risk management knowledge and insights surrounding everything cyber. The conference brought in dozens of industry expert speakers and held dozens of events […]

McGowanProfessional-remote-work

Remote Work in 2021: Preparing for the Risks

One of the most significant outcomes of COVID-19 was the acceleration of the digital business shift. All indications were that remote work would be the future, but nobody planned on the transitioning happening so fast.  The speed to transition was impressive, but it left some open doors for criminals looking for soft spots like anything rushed. With […]