Security Magazine

1. New Mexico Governor signs public safety accountability bill

   New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation requiring New Mexico police officers to wear body cameras as a deterrent against unlawful use of force and establishing strengthened accountability measures in instances of inappropriate excessive force.

2. GAO: shootings at K-12 schools most commonly resulted from disputes or grievances

   The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that shootings at K-12 schools most commonly resulted from disputes or grievances, for example, between students or staff, or between gangs, although the specific characteristics of school shootings over the past 10 years varied widely, according to GAO's analysis of the Naval Postgraduate School's K-12 School Shooting Database.

3. Steven Salar named Chief Risk Officer at Nonprofits Insurance Alliance

   Nonprofits Insurance Alliance (NIA) announced that Steven Salar has joined NIA as Chief Risk Officer (CRO) responsible for compliance, risk management, internal audit, employment risk consulting, loss control and member support.

4. Wright State University designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education

   The National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security have designated Wright State University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.

5. NIST kick-starts ‘threshold cryptography’ development effort

   A new publication by cryptography experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) proposes the direction the technical agency will take to develop a more secure approach to encryption. This approach, called threshold cryptography, could overcome some of the limitations of conventional methods for protecting sensitive transactions and data.

6. US Senate passes bill to extend CFATS

   The US Senate introduced and passed bipartisan legislation (S. 4148) to extend the  Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) statute for three years.

7. The current state of consumers' cybersecurity awareness

   With the second anniversary of GDPR on the horizon, the topic of data security is as pertinent as ever. Despite the proliferation of connected devices and the personal information and sensitive data they harbor, many consumers are unaware of just how susceptible their pocket-sized computers are to cyberattack.

8. Don't fall victim to scammers hiding behind a movement

   The Black Lives Matter movement is spurring record-breaking fundraising online. In fact, the Minnesota Freedom Fund pulled in more than $30 million in donations alone following the death of George Floyd. The outpouring of financial support is great for these grassroots movements; however, large numbers like these often catch the eye of opportunistic scammers, unfortunately. While Black Lives Matter supporters are advocating on the street for a cause, scammers are capitalizing on their movement for their own gain.

9. NRF announces new format, theme and timing for NRF 2021

   The National Retail Federation announced its annual exposition and conference will take place in-person at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City June 6-8, 2021. In addition, NRF is hosting a virtual event January 12-14, 19 and 21-22, 2021.

10. University of Scranton to offer Cybercrime and Homeland Security major

    Beginning in the fall 2020 semester, The University of Scranton will offer a new major in cybercrime and homeland security to address the growing needs to investigate and protect information in the realm of cyberspace for both government and private sectors.

11. Is there really a cybersecurity skills shortage?

    Companies are struggling to find cybersecurity talent, and roles remain unfilled for months at a time. But is there really a lack of qualified candidates on the market? Is the problem with the lack of skills - or are we inadvertently limiting the talent pool before we even post the job spec?

12. Three ways that cybersecurity companies can close the gender gap

    At this point, it’s a truism that the tech industry needs more women. But one sector that holds incredible opportunity is cybersecurity. By next year, millions of cyber jobs will be available, but unfilled.

13. DHS announces grant allocations for FY2020 preparedness grants

    As part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) ongoing efforts to support state, local, tribal, and territorial partners, Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf announced final allocations of $385 million for seven Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 DHS competitive preparedness grant programs.

14. NIST to use Twitter API data to boost public emergency response

    In an effort to enable public safety-focused entities to tap social media analytics in emergency response, The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s Text Retrieval Conference, or TREC, Incident Streams project intends to gain access to Twitter’s Enterprise-Level application programming interface, or API.

15. Mike Jones named Chief Information Security Officer of Zortrex

    Zortrex has announced the appointment of ex-Anonymous hacker Mike Jones as CISO.

16. CISA releases guide on securing industrial control systems

    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released its five-year industrial control systems (ICS) strategy: Securing Industrial Control Systems: A Unified Initiative.

17. New Jersey to require face masks to be worn outdoors

    New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 163, which requires individuals to wear face coverings in outdoor public spaces when it is not practicable to socially distance and keep a six-foot distance from others, or in situations where individuals cannot feasibly wear a face covering.

18. The physical security impacts of reopening businesses

    As a result of the pandemic, we are now tasked with redefining what physical security is, and the efforts that any type of organization and industry must make to ensure employees and consumers can avoid potential health threats and community spread.

19. Disney Parks releases coronavirus safety measures for reopening

    The Chief Medical Officer for Disney Parks, Dr. Pamela Hymel, has shared safety measures that Walt Disney World Resort will take as it reopens this weekend.

     

20. Qualys appoints Ben Carr as Chief Information Security Officer

    Qualys, Inc., a provider of disruptive cloud-based IT, security and compliance solutions, announced the appointment of Ben Carr as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

21. Tackling emerging and longstanding workforce management challenges with access control

    Businesses and organizations across every vertical are faced with a new challenge: how to get people back to work safely, efficiently and in compliance with state and local mandates.

22. Number of stolen and exposed credentials has risen 300% from 2018

    A new study from Digital Shadows finds there are more than 15 billion credentials in circulation in cybercriminal marketplaces, many on the dark web – the equivalent of more than two for every person on the planet. The number of stolen and exposed credentials has risen 300 percent from 2018 as the result of more than 100,000 separate breaches.

23. Updated seasonal hurricane forecast calls for 20 named storms

    The research team at Colorado State University is now forecasting 20 named storms for this hurricane season.

24. Motor vehicle fatality rates jump 36.6% in April despite quarantines

    Americans apparently did not reap any safety benefits from having less roadway traffic.

25. Ronald Gembarosky joins LinQuest as Chief Security Officer

    LinQuest Corporation announced the appointment of Ronald Gembarosky as Senior Vice President, Chief Security Officer (CSO). Gembarosky was most recently CSO at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).