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these threats before they fully exploit the vulnerabilities and to maintain balance between consumer convenience and heavy-duty security. To achieve this, financial services should work through the following steps before a Web application is released to end users.

Review security policies to ensure they are specific to already... More...

NEW YORK -- Is your company working on its first security policy? Or an updated version of an existing one? One expert says aim low, keep it simple and keep it short.

"It's OK to put a wish list in the policy, but make it optional," said Phebe Waterfield, senior security... More...

PDAs and smartphones used by executives and line employees are also juicy targets for an identity thief. Be sure to include them in the enterprise protection plan.

Although some organizations have taken draconian steps, it's usually not necessary to completely eliminate mobile computing to protect an organization. Implementing these... More...

s overall security strategy and the associated program must be managed by a chief security officer. Regardless of whether the CSO reports to the CIO or elsewhere, the buck for security must stop at the CSO's desk. It's as simple as that.

Why? Ultimately, someone must be singularly accountable for the implementation and success of the security... More...

the potential for money laundering. If you already are an MSB or are considering adding an MSB product line, you need to be aware of anti-money laundering regulations and plan for compliance.

In this tip, we'll describe the steps MSBs should take to ensure AML compliance.

AML compliance planning is key

Expanding your retail store to include MSB... More...

provide gigabytes of potentially useful information to the bad guys – and they have the advantage of being electronically searchable, making the miscreants' jobs less tedious.

Fortunately, there are a number of simple steps you can take to make your trash a less inviting target for adversaries: Destroy CD-ROMs, DVDs and floppy disks before... More...

award the contracts. They can become our eyes and ears into nearly every project IF we engage them properly and teach the corporation's security needs.

So, how do we teach purchasing about security concerns? Here are four steps to get you started: The easiest way to demonstrate the importance of security is to share results of current... More...

can enable organizations to integrate information security into business activities, including budgeting, strategic planning, marketing, human resources and purchasing.

A risk management lifecycle process is a simple loop. It forces management to periodically revisit information security risks, consider what should be done and take... More...

years.

To avoid embarrassing public disclosures, companies need to understand what data they need to protect, next what procedures to put in place to protect said data, and then how to safely dispose of personal data. The steps sound simple to map out, but the implementation has become quite complicated.

Don't forget the hardcopy
While there has... More...

of records. Recognizing that people are the weakest link in the security chain, there is a significant risk of unauthorized disclosure of information in this environment.

Once this risk is assessed, taking steps such as limiting access to employee claims and auditing all records access, including read-only access, should be... More...

issues.

The lesson here is clear: If you want to stay off DHS's list, demand version control and software regression testing from your development teams. While there are no guarantees of security, these are simple steps that can certainly improve security posture for financials, and all business sectors.
About the author:
Russ McRee is a... More...

network, personnel can contact the managers of the highest priority systems early on to relay protection measures—hopefully before those critical machines become infected.

Critical factors
There are a few simple steps that can mean the difference between the success and failure of a BIA: ensuring open communication and buy-in... More...

security was a core component of the IT efforts. However, many of the information security functions for the various applications were decentralized and not all were within the IT department. So, one of the first steps I did was to identify all the security administrators for the various applications and organized them into a security... More...
this is simply not a feasible solution. In some cases, financial organizations are turning to "soft tokens," or software-based PIN generation tools that can be downloaded by users and installed on mobile phones. After a simple registration process, users can generate PIN codes on their mobile devices, essentially turning them into personal... More...
risks in such a way that their business can understand and act upon quickly.

M&A security framework
To cover the areas of security that are applicable and visible to the acquirer during the M&A process, I have devised a simple framework called D.I.S.C.O.V.E.R. The framework outlines the major steps that security professionals should follow in... More...

to make sure the organization can map where its most important data is and can present that in a reasonable fashion.

Track controls, or the policies and defenses in place to protect private financial data. This can be as simple as a repository for policy documents, as well as a place to store network, security and system device configurations.

Don... More...

Jonathan Hassell, author of Hardening Windows, recently conducted a checklist-style webcast that outlined 15 steps you can take right now to harden Windows Server 2003 against various threats. Here's a look at Jonathan's 15 steps and some... More...
controls where they are needed the most Map data protection levels with organizational needs Mitigate threats of unauthorized access and disclosure Comply with legal and regulation requirements

The steps to develop and roll out a data classification program are: Compile an inventory of all information assets
Define... More...

you should have a process for continuous improvement of your controls and compliance efforts. Having a defined and documented improvement process will show good 'due diligence' to your auditors.

Here are some steps and suggestions on how to keep up with changes and ensure your compliance efforts don't get lost in the daily change... More...

belonging to a Veteran's Affairs employee that contained records for over 20 million former service people. The answers are many, but most relate to a failure to understand the sensitivity of the data, and to take the steps necessary to secure such data in a way that makes it safe to leave it on a notebook that's allowed outside the door of the... More...
the ultimate goal is to quickly bolster security, support a larger IT policy as well as provide detailed guidance for the people managing the firewalls. To achieve this, financial services firm should do the following steps.

Conduct an economic feasibility study of installing and integrating firewall and perimeters technologies into the... More...

random, moderate amounts of money out of the account so it remained positive, Ben-Itzhak said.

"By doing that, they minimize the risk of being detected" by banks' antifraud systems, he said.

The cybercriminals also took steps to hide the fraudulent transactions from victims to reduce the chance that a victim reports the fraud and the bank... More...

online banking. This funds transfer capability is usually related to the company's origination of payroll payments; criminals who hijack the corporate account may add fake names to a payroll file.

NACHA offered five steps financial institutions can take to protect corporate accounts from being taken over and used for ACH fraud:

* Deploy... More...

Researchers at Internet Security Systems Inc. on Thursday said they had discovered a serious flaw in the widely used WebEx Web conferencing software. But WebEx already has taken steps to prevent attacks.

According to the ISS X-Force, the vulnerability involves the way that the software downloads... More...

important elements that influence the design and implementation of a vulnerability assessment. The success of the assessment will hinge on having a healthy discussion about and decision on each of the following steps:

Understand the consequences of an exploited vulnerability
This is a critical area to explore and gain consensus... More...

Financial Security Whitepapers
The Changing Face of Risk Management in the New Regulatory Environment by Sybase, an SAP company
This free white paper explores how IT departments at financial institutions are assuming a more proactive role in identifying technologies that can improve their risk management and bring them to the attention of risk managers and business heads.

This free white paper explores how IT...

CW+: Roundtable debate: The impact of IT consolidation on business growth by ComputerWeekly.com
downsized their IT departments and infrastructure. Consolidating IT environments in today’s economic climate means financial savings.  As we creep out of recession and look to the future, organisations may find themselves with larger budgets for the first time since the downturn. This may lead them to implement new IT projects such as green IT, cloud...
10 Essential Security Policies by Global Knowledge
Writing a corporate security policy might seem complex, but ultimately it is a collection of many small policies. These ten security policies (or sub-policies) are essential to every organization, regardless of size, location, age, mission, or the product or...
A Window Into Mobile Device Security by Symantec Corporation
This resource explores the security challenges of mobile devices and provides a review of the security models of the two most popular mobile platforms in use today – Android and iOS. View now to uncover the impact these devices will have as their adoption continues...
Information Security Policies, Standards and Procedure: Guidelines for effective management by Blue Central
Today’s infrastructure security is rapidly changing. As a result, today’s organizations require new information security policies, standards and procedures for effective management. Access this resource to learn how you can meet the security challenges of...
Five Best Practices to Protect Your Virtual Environment by Juniper Networks, Inc.
lays out five "best practice" ways to fortify your planned or existing virtualized environment, ensuring that it is architected for security, malware suppression, and regulation compliance.

Latest research from the Yankee Group shows that nearly half of all businesses have virtualized some portion of their data centers. This means that there is a very good chance you...

Simplifying branch office security by Sophos, Inc.
Enforcing consistent network security throughout your enterprise can be challenging—especially for those of you with branch offices with few users and no IT expertise. This paper introduces a new standard — an innovative, unified, cost-effective solution for...
PCI-Compliant Cloud Reference Architecture by HyTrust
and additional controls needed to address the three cloud challenges to achieve PCI compliance.

Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) defines a set of requirements to protect payment cardholder data, and the environments in which cardholder data is stored, processed, or transmitted. These requirements apply to all “system components”, with a system...

Enabling Sustainable Compliance Management by IBM
Read this white paper to see how adopting a sustainable security compliance strategy minimizes risk, while making proper use of people, process and technology. Also learn how you can cost-effectively comply with regulations, while maintaining business flexibility to achieve mission goals.

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The 11 security commandments - Jericho Forum by ComputerWeekly.com
define both the areas and the principles that must be observed when planning for a de-perimeterized future. Whilst building on “good security”, the commandments specifically address those areas of security that are necessary to deliver a de-perimeterized vision. The commandments serve as a benchmark by which concepts, solutions, standards, and systems can be assessed...