A False Sense of Security

Preparing for an audit can be one of the best ways to fund and improve your security program, but this “stimulus package” for your compliance effort typically dwindles once an organization completes or passes an audit.

You cannot protect what you cannot inventory: this piece argues IT asset management underpins every security program, defining what counts as an asset and the questions organizations must answer.

Security metrics fall into effort, result, and environment types—from training hours to days since the last breach. Tracking them proves program value and helps justify budgets to leadership.

Integrating security checks and balances with your application development processes is certainly uncharted territory for many security professionals.

I attended the PCI-SSC community meeting this past week (September 22-24). There were three key issues discussed that showed that the PCI program is maturing and that a number of standards and regulations are converging (both in and outside the PCI world).

Because of increasing threats, high-profile data breaches, and increased awareness of the damage they cause, we anticipate a substantial tightening of regulations and contractual requirements that will significantly impact information security in healthcare.