The FISMA Focus IPD

From: FederalNewsRadio.com 1500AM

By Jason Miller

Cybersecurity remains one of the biggest hurdles to the widespread use of cloud computing across the government. But a new type of data encryption may be the answer to those who still question whether their data can be safe in the cloud.

While the federal cloud security standards, known as the Federal Risk Authorization and Management Program (FedRAMP) gained acceptance, the standards don’t necessarily protect the data in and of itself. FedRAMP is more focused on protecting the network, and for some federal technology and security managers the need to protect their data is a real sticking point that must be overcome before there is a huge expansion of cloud services.

From: Asia Pacific FutureGov

Government is the industry vertical most often targeted by Advanced Persistent Threats (APT), according to a new ASEAN cybersecurity threat report.

By James Smith

A global shortage of cybersecurity professionals is being acutely felt by the region’s government organisations – and they are increasingly under attack as a result.

New findings have identified Southeast Asia as a region that is increasingly under cyber- attack. A joint Singtel-FireEye report, “Southeast Asia: An Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape”, details how Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actors and other cyber-attack groups are among those keenly interested in targets located in Singapore, The Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei.

From: CFO

New York’s Benjamin Lawsky plans to turn up the heat on banks through random audits and targeted assessments of cyber-security preparedness.

Matthew Heller

Seeking to beef up prevention of money laundering, New York’s top banking regulator has proposed requiring bank executives to personally attest to the adequacy of their money-laundering controls.

Benjamin M. Lawsky, New York’s superintendent of Financial Services, said in a speech Wednesday at Columbia Law School that his office is considering a number of proposals to address not only money laundering but also cyber attacks on banks.

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From: The Hill

By Elise Viebeck and Cory Bennett

Law enforcement is investigating a possible data breach at the National Archives, after a hacker group released a video purporting to show a break-in on the agency’s website.

The video was posted on YouTube in early February by a group known for hacks of U.S. websites. Shared privately with The Hill, it shows a Web user scrolling through a database of agency files, accompanied by threats and ominous music.

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From: Nextgov

By Hallie Golden

Amid the onslaught of cyberthreats faced by federal agencies, the potential for an even larger and more sustained catastrophic version of a digital attack has become an increasingly real possibility.

If such a scenario were to took take place, the Defense Department would certainly play a lead role in the response. But it likely couldn’t do it alone, according to Lt. Gen. Edward Cardon, commanding general of the Army Cyber Command.

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