Cybersecurity news round-up

This months’ cybersecurity for health IT round-up includes a cybersecurity warning website being launched and businesses continuing with cloud adoption despite hackers’ interventions. 

Cybersecurity warning website launches alert statuses

A cybersecurity warning website has launched at-a-glance alert statuses. The Security Wizardry Radar Page is used by all the world’s security agencies and is a free resource invented by British cybersecurity expert Andy Cuff.

It is updated with the latest cyber threats and is used by governments and businesses to ensure that their networks are secure. Cuff, whose Bath-based company Computer Network Defence (CND) has a global team, wanted to add a simple method of cyber alerts. He said they were devised so those within the cyber industry could see more quickly what the situation was and also to help those unfamiliar with cyber terminology.

The radar page – which also has an app for smartphones – now has alert statuses for general cyber safety and ones specifically for ransomware attacks.

Hackers won’t stop us from cloud adoption, say 80% of businesses

Businesses are pressing ahead with their digital transformation plans, despite fears of being hit by a cyber-attack or data protection regulations. This is according to a new independent research report from Advanced, which questioned more than 500 senior executives in UK organisations about their attitudes to using the cloud as part of their digital transformation plans.

Most organisations surveyed are concerned about security (82%) and data protection (68%) in the cloud but 80% of them are not put off from adopting the cloud following recent high-profile cyber-attacks such as WannaCry.  The survey also found that businesses want better support if they are to execute their digital transformation plans effectively. Security is the biggest barrier, with 76% saying that governments should do more to protect businesses and their customers from a cyber attack.

Jon Wrennall, chief technology officer at Advanced, said: “There’s still a job to be done in creating trust in the cloud and helping customers use the cloud in the right way for the digital transformation that’s right for them”.

“Our survey shows most organisations want financially stable providers and prefer those that store data locally and offer local support; this will become even more pertinent as Britain leaves the European Union.”

FBI CIO shares cybersecurity concerns

Chief information security officer for the FBI, Arlette Hart took the stage at the recent TechXLR8 in London where she shared her main cybersecurity concerns.

During her keynote, Hart said when companies design and develop Internet of Things (IoT) products, they often think and act in a microcosm, according to Internet of Things Institute (IOTI).

“The eventual impact on the world at large is a secondary concern—and that’s the root of many of the world’s biggest cybersecurity issues today”,Hart said. Her talk was divided into three sections, addressing where the world is falling short at cybersecurity right now. “Incidents will happen,” Hart said, “so prepare and practice.”

“As if it were a fire drill, every company needs to be thoroughly schooled in its incident response plan so that it’s not found wanting if, or rather when, a cyberattack happens.”

According to IOTI she said that the agency and other government bodies understand the threat an insecure Internet of Things poses, but imposing legislation and standards globally will be a long and difficult process. “Industry moves at a pace that government can’t keep up with; industry players must take matters into their own hands and not turn a blind eye to the growing severity of this problem,” she said.