Jul 01 2025

The NIST Gap Assessment Tool will cost-effectively assess your organization against the NIST SP 800-171 standard

Category: Information Security,NIST CSF,Security Tools — disc7 @ 1:49 pm

The NIST Gap Assessment Tool is a structured resource—typically a checklist, questionnaire, or software tool—used to evaluate an organization’s current cybersecurity or risk management posture against a specific NIST framework. The goal is to identify gaps between existing practices and the standards outlined by NIST, so organizations can plan and prioritize improvements.

The NIST SP 800-171 standard is primarily used by non-federal organizations—especially contractors and subcontractors—that handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) on behalf of the U.S. federal government.

Specifically, it’s used by:

  1. Defense Contractors – working with the Department of Defense (DoD).
  2. Contractors/Subcontractors – serving other civilian federal agencies (e.g., DOE, DHS, GSA).
  3. Universities & Research Institutions – receiving federal research grants and handling CUI.
  4. IT Service Providers – managing federal data in cloud, software, or managed service environments.
  5. Manufacturers & Suppliers – in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) who process CUI in any digital or physical format.

Why it matters:

Compliance with NIST 800-171 is required under DFARS 252.204-7012 for DoD contractors and is becoming a baseline for other federal supply chains. Organizations must implement the 110 security controls outlined in NIST 800-171 to protect the confidentiality of CUI.

✅ NIST 800-171 Compliance Checklist

1. Access Control (AC)

  • Limit system access to authorized users.
  • Separate duties of users to reduce risk.
  • Control remote and internal access to CUI.
  • Manage session timeout and lock settings.

2. Awareness & Training (AT)

  • Train users on security risks and responsibilities.
  • Provide CUI handling training.
  • Update training regularly.

3. Audit & Accountability (AU)

  • Generate audit logs for events.
  • Protect audit logs from modification.
  • Review and analyze logs regularly.

4. Configuration Management (CM)

  • Establish baseline configurations.
  • Control changes to systems.
  • Implement least functionality principle.

5. Identification & Authentication (IA)

  • Use unique IDs for users.
  • Enforce strong password policies.
  • Implement multifactor authentication.

6. Incident Response (IR)

  • Establish an incident response plan.
  • Detect, report, and track incidents.
  • Conduct incident response training and testing.

7. Maintenance (MA)

  • Perform system maintenance securely.
  • Control and monitor maintenance tools and activities.

8. Media Protection (MP)

  • Protect and label CUI on media.
  • Sanitize or destroy media before disposal.
  • Restrict media access and transfer.

9. Physical Protection (PE)

  • Limit physical access to systems and facilities.
  • Escort visitors and monitor physical areas.
  • Protect physical entry points.

10. Personnel Security (PS)

  • Screen individuals prior to system access.
  • Ensure CUI access is revoked upon termination.

11. Risk Assessment (RA)

  • Conduct regular risk assessments.
  • Identify and evaluate vulnerabilities.
  • Document risk mitigation strategies.

12. Security Assessment (CA)

  • Develop and maintain security plans.
  • Conduct periodic security assessments.
  • Monitor and remediate control effectiveness.

13. System & Communications Protection (SC)

  • Protect CUI during transmission.
  • Separate system components handling CUI.
  • Implement boundary protections (e.g., firewalls).

14. System & Information Integrity (SI)

  • Monitor systems for malicious code.
  • Apply security patches promptly.
  • Report and correct flaws quickly.

The NIST Gap Assessment Toolkit will cost-effectively assess your organization against the NIST SP 800-171 standard. It will help you to:

  • Understand the NIST SP 800-171 requirements for storing, processing, and transmitting CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information)
  • Quickly identify your NIST SP 800-171 compliance gaps
  • Plan and prioritise your NIST SP 800-171 project to ensure data handling meets U.S. DoD (Department of Defense) requirements

NIST 800-171: System Security Plan (SSP) Template & Workbook

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Tags: NIST Gap Assessment Tool, NIST SP 800-171

Jul 01 2025

ISO 42001 Readiness: A 10-Step Guide to Responsible AI Governance

Category: AI,ISO 27k,ISO 42001 — disc7 @ 10:51 am

The ISO 42001 readiness checklist structured into ten key sections, followed by my feedback at the end:

1. Context & Scope
Identify internal and external factors affecting AI use, clarify stakeholder requirements, and define the scope of your AI Management System (AIMS)

2. Leadership & Governance
Secure executive sponsorship, assign AIMS responsibilities, establish an ethics‐driven AI policy, and communicate roles and accountability clearly

3. Planning
Perform a gap analysis to benchmark current state, conduct a risk and opportunity assessment, set measurable AI objectives, and integrate risk practices throughout the AI lifecycle.

4. Support & Resources
Dedicate resources for AIMS, create training around AI ethics, safety, and governance, raise awareness, establish communication protocols, and maintain documentation.

5. Operational Controls
Outline stages of the AI lifecycle (design to monitoring), conduct risk assessments (bias, safety, legal), ensure transparency and explainability, maintain data quality and privacy, and implement incident response.

6. Change Management
Implement structured change control—assessing proposed AI modifications, conducting ethical and feasibility reviews, cross‐functional governance, staged rollouts, and post‐implementation audits.

7. Performance Evaluation
Monitor AIMS effectiveness using KPIs, conduct internal audits, and hold management reviews to validate performance and compliance.

8. Nonconformity & Corrective Action
Identify and document nonconformities, implement corrective measures, review their efficacy, and update the AIMS accordingly.

9. Certification Preparation
Collect evidence for internal audits, address gaps, assemble required documentation (including SoA), choose an accredited certification body, and finalize pre‐audit preparations .

10. External Audit & Continuous Improvement
Engage auditors, facilitate assessments, resolve audit findings, publicly share certification results, and embed continuous improvement in AIMS operations.

📝 Feedback

  • Comprehensive but heavy: The checklist covers every facet of AI governance—from initial scoping and leadership engagement to external audits and continuous improvement.
  • Aligns well with ISO 27001: Many controls are familiar to ISMS practitioners, making ISO 42001 a viable extension.
  • Resource-intensive: Expect demands on personnel, training, documentation, and executive involvement.
  • Change management focus is smart: The dedication to handling AI updates (design, rollout, monitoring) is a notable strength.
  • Documentation is key: Templates like Statement of Applicability and impact assessment forms (e.g., AISIA) significantly streamline preparation.
  • Recommendation: Prioritize gap analysis early, leverage existing ISMS frameworks, and allocate clear roles—this positions you well for a smooth transition to certification readiness.

Overall, ISO 42001 readiness is achievable by taking a methodical, risk-based, and well-resourced approach. Let me know if you’d like templates or help mapping this to your current ISMS.

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Tags: ISO 42001 Readiness

Jun 30 2025

Why AI agents could be the next insider threat

Category: AI,Risk Assessment,Security Risk Assessment — disc7 @ 5:11 pm

1. Invisible, Over‑Privileged Agents
Help Net Security highlights how AI agents—autonomous software acting on behalf of users—are increasingly embedded in enterprise systems without proper oversight. They often receive excessive permissions, operate unnoticed, and remain outside traditional identity governance controls

2. Critical Risks in Healthcare
Arun Shrestha from BeyondID emphasizes the healthcare sector’s vulnerability. AI agents there handle Protected Health Information (PHI) and system access, increasing risks to patient privacy, safety, and regulatory compliance (e.g., HIPAA)

3. Identity Blind Spots
Research shows many firms lack clarity about which AI agents have access to critical systems. AI agents can impersonate users or take unauthorized actions—yet these “non‑human identities” are seldom treated as significant security threats.

4. Growing Threat from Impersonation
TechRepublic’s data indicates only roughly 30% of US organizations map AI agent access, and 37% express concern over agents posing as users. In healthcare, up to 61% report experiencing attacks involving AI agents

5. Five Mitigation Steps
Shrestha outlines five key defenses: (1) inventory AI agents, (2) enforce least privilege, (3) monitor their actions, (4) integrate them into identity governance processes, and (5) establish human oversight—ensuring no agent operates unchecked.

6. Broader Context
This video builds on earlier insights about securing agentic AI, such as monitoring, prompt‑injection protection, and privilege scoping. The core call: treat AI agents like any high-risk insider.

📝 Feedback (7th paragraph):
This adeptly brings attention to a critical and often overlooked risk: AI agents as non‑human insiders. The healthcare case strengthens the urgency, yet adding quantitative data—such as what percentage of enterprises currently enforce least privilege on agents—would provide stronger impact. Explaining how to align these steps with existing frameworks like ISO 27001 or NIST would add practical value. Overall, it raises awareness and offers actionable controls, but would benefit from deeper technical guidance and benchmarks to empower concrete implementation.

Source Help Net security: Why AI agents could be the next insider threat

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Tags: AI Agents, Insider Threat

Jun 30 2025

Artificial Intelligence: The Next Battlefield in Cybersecurity

Category: AI,cyber security — disc7 @ 8:56 am

Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands as a paradox in the cybersecurity landscape. While it empowers attackers with tools to launch faster, more convincing scams, it also offers defenders unmatched capabilities—if used strategically.

1. AI: A Dual-Edged Sword
The post emphasizes AI’s paradox in cybersecurity—it empowers attackers to launch sophisticated assaults while offering defenders potent tools to counteract those very threats

2. Rising Threats from Adversarial AI
AI emerging risks, such as data poisoning and adversarial inputs that can subtly mislead or manipulate AI systems deployed for defense

3. Secure AI Lifecycle Practices
To mitigate these threats, the article recommends implementing security across the entire AI lifecycle—covering design, development, deployment, and continual monitoring

4. Regulatory and Framework Alignment
It points out the importance of adhering to standards like ISO and NIST, as well as upcoming regulations around AI safety, to ensure both compliance and security .

5. Human-AI Synergy
A key insight is blending AI with human oversight/processes, such as threat modeling and red teaming, to maximize AI’s effectiveness while maintaining accountability

6. Continuous Adaptation and Education

Modern social engineering attacks have evolved beyond basic phishing emails. Today, they may come as deepfake videos of executives, convincingly realistic invoices, or well-timed scams exploiting current events or behavioral patterns.

The sophistication of these AI-powered attacks has rendered traditional cybersecurity tools inadequate. Defenders can no longer rely solely on static rules and conventional detection methods.

To stay ahead, organizations must counter AI threats with AI-driven defenses. This means deploying systems that can analyze behavioral patterns, verify identity authenticity, and detect subtle anomalies in real time.

Forward-thinking security teams are embedding AI into critical areas like endpoint protection, authentication, and threat detection. These adaptive systems provide proactive security rather than reactive fixes.

Ultimately, the goal is not to fear AI but to outsmart the adversaries who use it. By mastering and leveraging the same tools, defenders can shift the balance of power.

🧠 Case Study: AI-Generated Deepfake Voice Scam — $35 Million Heist

In 2023, a multinational company in the UK fell victim to a highly sophisticated AI-driven voice cloning attack. Fraudsters used deepfake audio to impersonate the company’s CEO, directing a senior executive to authorize a $35 million transfer to a fake supplier account. The cloned voice was realistic enough to bypass suspicion, especially because the attackers timed the call during a period when the CEO was known to be traveling.

This attack exploited AI-based social engineering and psychological trust cues, bypassing traditional cybersecurity defenses such as spam filters and endpoint protection.

Defense Lesson:
To prevent such attacks, organizations are now adopting AI-enabled voice biometrics, real-time anomaly detection, and multi-factor human-in-the-loop verification for high-value transactions. Some are also training employees to identify subtle behavioral or contextual red flags, even when the source seems authentic.

In early 2023, a multinational company in Hong Kong lost over $25 million after employees were tricked by a deepfake video call featuring AI-generated replicas of senior executives. The attackers used AI to mimic voices and appearances convincingly enough to authorize fraudulent transfers—highlighting how far social engineering has advanced with AI.

Source: [CNN Business, Feb 2024 – “Scammers used deepfake video call to steal millions”]

This example reinforces the urgency of integrating AI into threat detection and identity verification systems, showing how traditional security tools are no longer sufficient against such deception.

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Tags: AI and Security, artificial intelligence, Digital Battlefield, Digital Ethics, Ethical Frontier

Jun 28 2025

Vineyard and Wineries may be at Risk

Category: cyber security,Information Security,M&A,Risk Assessment — disc7 @ 2:58 pm

1. Vineyard and Wineries are increasingly at Risk

Many winery owners and executives—particularly those operating small to mid-sized, family-run estates—underestimate their exposure to cyber threats. Yet with the rise of direct-to-consumer channels like POS systems, wine clubs, and ecommerce platforms, these businesses now collect and store sensitive customer and employee data, including payment details, birthdates, and Social Security numbers. This makes them attractive targets for cybercriminals.

The Emerging Threat of Cyber-Physical Attacks

Wineries increasingly rely on automated production systems and IoT sensors to manage fermentation, temperature control, and chemical dosing. These digital tools can be manipulated by hackers to:

  • Disrupt production by altering temperature or chemical settings.
  • Spoil inventory through false sensor data or remote tampering.
  • Undermine trust by threatening product safety and quality.

A Cautionary Tale

While there are no public reports of terrorist attacks on the wine industry’s supply chain, the 1985 Austrian wine scandal is a stark reminder of what can happen when integrity is compromised. In that case, wine was adulterated with antifreeze (diethylene glycol) to manipulate taste—resulting in global recalls, destroyed reputations, and public health risks.

The lesson is clear: cyber and physical safety in the winery business are now deeply intertwined.

2. Why Vineyards and Wineries Are at Risk

  • High-value data: Personal and financial details stored in club databases or POS systems can be exploited and sold on the dark web.
  • Legacy systems & limited expertise: Many wineries rely on outdated IT infrastructure and lack in-house cybersecurity staff.
  • Regulatory complexity: Compliance with data privacy regulations like CCPA/CPRA adds to the burden, and gaps can lead to penalties.
  • Charming targets: Boutique and estate brands, which often emphasize hospitality and trust, can be unexpectedly appealing to attackers seeking vulnerable entry points.

3. Why It Matters

  • Reputation risk: A breach can shatter consumer trust—especially among affluent wine club customers who expect discretion and reliability.
  • Financial & legal exposure: Incidents may invite steep fines, ransomware costs, and lawsuits under privacy laws.
  • Operational disruption: Outages or ransomware can cripple point-of-sale and club systems, causing revenue loss and logistical headaches.
  • Competitive advantage: Secure operations can boost customer confidence, support audit and M&A readiness, and unlock better insurance or investor opportunities.

4. What You Can Do About It

  • Risk & compliance assessment: Discover vulnerabilities in systems, Wi‑Fi, and employee habits. Score your risk with a 10-page report for stakeholders.
  • Privacy compliance support: Navigate CCPA/CPRA (and PCI/GDPR as needed) to keep your winery legally sound.
  • Defense against phishing & ransomware: Conduct employee training, simulations, and implement defenses.
  • Security maturity roadmap: Prioritize improvements—like endpoint protection, firewalls, 2FA setups—and phase them according to your brand and budget.
  • Fractional vCISO support: Access quarterly executive consultations to align compliance and tech strategy without hiring full-time experts.
  • Optional services: Pen testing, PCI-DSS support, vendor reviews, and business continuity planning for deeper security.

DISC WinerySecure™ offers a tailored roadmap to safeguard your winery:

You don’t need to face this alone. We offer Free checklist + consultation.

DISC InfoSec
Virtual CISO | Wine Industry Security & Compliance

 Info@deurainfosec.com | https://www.deurainfosec.com/ | (707) 998-5164 | Contact us

Investing in a proactive security strategy isn’t just about avoiding threats—it’s about protecting your brand, securing compliance, and empowering growth. Contact DISC WinerySecure™ today for a free consultation.

In addition to winery protection, DISC specializes in securing data during mergers and acquisitions.

DISC WinerySecure™: Cybersecurity & Compliance Services for California Wineries


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Next Steps: Let us prepare a customized scorecard or walk you through a free 15-minute discovery call.

Contact: info@discinfosec.com | www.discinfosec.com

Tags: Vineyard, Wineries at Risk

Jun 26 2025

Cybercriminals Impersonate ChatGPT, Cisco, and Google Meet in Sophisticated Phishing Attacks

Category: ChatGPT,Cyber Threats,Cybercrime — disc7 @ 10:11 am

1. Rise of Sophisticated Impersonation Attacks
Threat actors are increasingly tricking users by impersonating trusted services like ChatGPT, Cisco AnyConnect, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. They deploy phishing campaigns using cloned login pages or malicious files that seem legitimate, hoping to deceive users into entering credentials or downloading malware. These mimicry operations are carefully designed, with legitimate branding and context.

2. Exploiting Hybrid Work Tools
With remote and hybrid work now the norm, hackers have shifted their tactics to exploit collaboration and VPN platforms. They craft malicious emails or fake notifications that appear to come from these popular services, encouraging users to click harmful links or grant permissions that facilitate unauthorized access and infection .

3. Diverse Payload Delivery Mechanisms
The attacks aren’t limited to one method. Some rely on phishing emails containing malicious links or attachments, while others abuse meeting invites in Google Meet or Teams to deliver payloads. There are also standalone fake installers—such as trojanized VPN software—used to deploy remote access tools or malware under the guise of routine updates or patches .

4. Automation and Targeted Social Engineering
By automating the creation of phishing sites and using AI-driven reconnaissance, attackers can construct highly specific and credible social engineering scenarios. These may include sending spoofed notifications tailored for IT admins or frequent VPN users, significantly increasing the chances of successful breaches .

5. Prevention & User Awareness Strategies
The article stresses defense-in-depth strategies: enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA), verifying URLs before entering credentials, using dedicated device managers for downloads, and providing regular phishing-awareness training. It also underscores that IT teams should monitor logs for unusual login patterns and extend protection to collaboration platforms via endpoint security or email filtering .

Feedback

This piece effectively highlights a growing threat in today’s work environment—attackers hijacking the trust in widely used collaboration and VPN tools. Its strength lies in contextualizing how deepfake-style phishing is evolving with remote work trends. However, the article could benefit from more real-world examples or case studies to illustrate these threats in action. Additionally, it might be worthwhile to include references to security standards like the MITRE ATT&CK framework, which would give readers clearer insight into attack patterns and mitigation tactics. Overall, it’s a clear, timely alert that serves both as a warning and a practical guide for strengthening organizational security.

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Tags: ChatGPT, cyber threats, Cybercriminals Impersonate, phishing attacks

Jun 25 2025

AI Governance Is a Boardroom Imperative—The SEC Just Raised the Stakes on AI Hype

Category: AI,IT Governance — disc7 @ 7:18 am

The SEC has charged a major tech company for deceiving investors by exaggerating its use of AI—highlighting that the falsehood was about AI itself, not just product features. This signals a shift: AI governance has now become a boardroom-level issue, and many organizations are unprepared.

Advice for CISOs and execs:

  1. Be audit-ready—any AI claims must be verifiable.
  2. Involve GRC early—AI governance is about managing risk, enforcing controls, and ensuring transparency.
  3. Educate your board—they don’t need to understand algorithms, but they must grasp the associated risks and mitigation plans.

If your current AI strategy is nothing more than a slide deck and hope, it’s time to build something real.

AI Washing

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been actively pursuing actions against companies for misleading statements about their use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a practice often referred to as “AI washing”. 

Here are some examples of recent SEC actions in this area:

  • Presto Automation: The SEC charged Presto Automation for making misleading statements about its AI-powered voice technology used for drive-thru order taking. Presto allegedly failed to disclose that it was using a third party’s AI technology, not its own, and also misrepresented the extent of human involvement required for the product to function.
  • Delphia and Global Predictions: These two investment advisers were charged with making false and misleading statements about their use of AI in their investment processes. The SEC found that they either didn’t have the AI capabilities they claimed or didn’t use them to the extent they advertised.
  • Nate, Inc.: The founder of Nate, Inc. was charged by both the SEC and the DOJ for allegedly misleading investors about the company’s AI-powered app, claiming it automated online purchases when they were primarily processed manually by human contractors. 

Key takeaways from these cases and SEC guidance:

  • Transparency and Accuracy: Companies need to ensure their AI-related disclosures are accurate and avoid making vague or exaggerated claims.
  • Distinguish Capabilities: It’s important to clearly distinguish between current AI capabilities and future aspirations.
  • Substantiation: Companies should have a reasonable basis and supporting evidence for their AI-related claims.
  • Disclosure Controls: Companies should establish and maintain disclosure controls to ensure the accuracy of their AI-related statements in SEC filings and other communications. 

The SEC has made it clear that “AI washing” is a top enforcement priority, and companies should be prepared for heightened scrutiny of their AI-related disclosures. 

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Tags: AI Governance, AI Hype, AI Washing, Boardroom Imperative, Digital Ethics, SEC, THE ILLUSION OF AI

Jun 24 2025

With ShareVault, your sensitive data is protected by enterprise-grade security, built-in privacy controls, and industry-leading availability

Category: Information Privacy,Information Security,M&A,VDR — disc7 @ 9:50 am

With ShareVault, your sensitive data is protected by enterprise-grade security, built-in privacy controls, and industry-leading availability—so you can share critical information with confidence. Whether you’re managing M&A, compliance, or strategic partnerships, ShareVault ensures your data stays safe, your access stays private, and your operations never miss a beat.

Trust ShareVault—where security, privacy, and uptime come standard.

Top benefits of ShareVault:

  1. Advanced Document Security
    ShareVault offers robust encryption, dynamic watermarking, and granular access controls to ensure that sensitive documents remain secure—whether viewed, downloaded, or shared.
  2. Granular User Permissions
    Control who sees what, when, and how. ShareVault enables administrators to define user roles, set expiration dates, and restrict actions like printing or screen captures.
  3. Real-Time Activity Monitoring
    Detailed audit trails and real-time analytics provide full visibility into who accessed what and when—crucial for compliance, due diligence, and risk management.
  4. Seamless Collaboration
    Collaborate across teams and organizations with ease, using a user-friendly interface and support for secure Q&A, document versioning, and threaded commenting.
  5. High Availability and Scalability
    ShareVault is cloud-based with 99.99% uptime, offering reliable access anytime, anywhere—ideal for fast-paced deals, global teams, and critical business operations.
  6. ShareVault holds an ISO 27001 certification for its Security Management Program and undergoes annual third-party audits to validate its security controls, governance, and compliance. These assessments ensure continued adherence to ISO 27001, NIST 800-53r5, and 21 CFR Part 11 standards.

Sharvault Application Security

  1. Operating Systems: A mix of open-source and proprietary server operating systems
  2. Architecture: Multi-tenant design for data isolation
  3. Application Server: Industry-standard Java-based application server
  4. Database: Enterprise-grade relational database management system
  5. Authentication: Robust security framework for user authentication and access control
  6. Key Management: Cloud-based key management service
  7. Data Transfer Security: Strong encryption for all data transfers
  8. Global Performance: Content delivery network for optimized global access
  9. Document Handling: Various tools for document processing and viewing
  10. Search and Logging: Advanced search and logging capabilities
  11. Two-Factor Authentication: Phone-based two-factor authentication
  12. Email Services: Professional email delivery service
  13. Video Security: Secure video streaming with digital rights management
  14. Additional Database: NoSQL database for specific functionality
  15. AI Integration: AI-powered services for document analysis and processing

Feedback: Overall ShareVault appears to have a robust and comprehensive security architecture, leveraging a range of industry-standard technologies and best practices. The use of encryption, two-factor authentication, access controls, and secure data transfer protocols demonstrates a strong commitment to data security and privacy. Additionally, the integration of AI and machine learning capabilities for tasks like redaction and OCR highlights ShareVault’s adoption of modern technologies. Overall, the application security measures described seem well-designed and appropriate for a highly secure document sharing platform.

7 Ways to Keep an M&A Deal from Unraveling

Securing the Deal: A Deep Dive into M&A Data Security and Virtual Data Rooms

Mergers and Acquisitions from A to Z

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Tags: M&A, Sharevault, VDR

Jun 24 2025

OWASP Releases AI Testing Guide to Strengthen Security and Trust in AI Systems

Category: AI,Information Security — disc7 @ 9:03 am

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) has released the AI Testing Guide (AITG)—a structured, technology-agnostic framework to test and secure artificial intelligence systems. Developed in response to the growing adoption of AI in sensitive and high-stakes sectors, the guide addresses emerging AI-specific threats, such as adversarial attacks, model poisoning, and prompt injection. It is led by security experts Matteo Meucci and Marco Morana and is designed to support a wide array of stakeholders, including developers, architects, data scientists, and risk managers.

The guide provides comprehensive resources across the AI lifecycle, from design to deployment. It emphasizes the need for rigorous and repeatable testing processes to ensure AI systems are secure, trustworthy, and aligned with compliance requirements. The AITG also helps teams formalize testing efforts through structured documentation, thereby enhancing audit readiness and regulatory transparency. It supports due diligence efforts that are crucial for organizations operating in heavily regulated sectors like finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure.

A core premise of the guide is that AI testing differs significantly from conventional software testing. Traditional applications exhibit deterministic behavior, while AI systems—especially machine learning models—are probabilistic in nature. They produce varying outputs depending on input variability and data distribution. Therefore, testing must account for issues such as data drift, fairness, transparency, and robustness. The AITG stresses that evaluating model performance alone is insufficient; testers must probe how models react to both benign and malicious changes in data.

Another standout feature of the AITG is its deep focus on adversarial robustness. AI systems can be deceived through carefully engineered inputs that appear normal to humans but cause erroneous model behavior. The guide provides methodologies to assess and mitigate such risks. Additionally, it includes techniques like differential privacy to protect individual data within training sets—critical in the age of stringent data protection regulations. This holistic testing approach strengthens confidence in AI systems both internally and among external stakeholders.

The AITG also acknowledges the fluid nature of AI environments. Models can silently degrade over time due to data drift or concept shift. To address this, the guide recommends implementing continuous monitoring frameworks that detect such degradation early and trigger automated responses. It incorporates fairness assessments and bias mitigation strategies, which are particularly important in ensuring that AI systems remain equitable and inclusive over time.

Importantly, the guide equips security professionals with specialized AI-centric penetration testing tools. These include tests for membership inference (to determine if a specific record was in the training data), model extraction (to recreate or steal the model), and prompt injection (particularly relevant for LLMs). These techniques are crucial for evaluating AI’s real-world attack surface, making the AITG a practical resource not just for developers, but also for red teams and security auditors.

Feedback:
The OWASP AI Testing Guide is a timely and well-structured contribution to the AI security landscape. It effectively bridges the gap between software engineering practices and the emerging realities of machine learning systems. Its technology-agnostic stance and lifecycle coverage make it broadly applicable across industries and AI maturity levels. However, the guide’s ultimate impact will depend on how well it is adopted by practitioners, particularly in fast-paced AI environments. OWASP might consider developing companion tools, templates, and case studies to accelerate practical adoption. Overall, this is a foundational step toward building secure, transparent, and accountable AI systems.

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Tags: AITG, ISO 42001 Artificial Intelligence Management Systems (AIMS) Implementation Guide: AIMS Framework | AI Security Standards, OWASP guide

Jun 23 2025

How AI Is Transforming the Cybersecurity Leadership Playbook

Category: AI,CISO,Information Security,Security playbook,vCISO — disc7 @ 12:13 pm

1. AI transforms cybersecurity roles

AI isn’t just another tool—it’s a paradigm shift. CISOs must now integrate AI-driven analytics into real-time threat detection and incident response. These systems analyze massive volumes of data faster and surface patterns humans might miss.

2. New vulnerabilities from AI use

Deploying AI creates unique risks: biased outputs, prompt injection, data leakage, and compliance challenges across global jurisdictions. CISOs must treat models themselves as attack surfaces, ensuring robust governance.

3. AI amplifies offensive threats

Adversaries now weaponize AI to automate reconnaissance, craft tailored phishing lures or deepfakes, generate malicious code, and launch fast-moving credential‑stuffing campaigns.

4. Building an AI‑enabled cyber team

Moving beyond tool adoption, CISOs need to develop core data capabilities: quality pipelines, labeled datasets, and AI‑savvy talent. This includes threat‑hunting teams that grasp both AI defense and AI‑driven offense.

5. Core capabilities & controls

The playbook highlights foundational strategies:

  • Data governance (automated discovery and metadata tagging).
  • Zero trust and adaptive access controls down to file-system and AI pipelines.
  • AI-powered XDR and automated IR workflows to reduce dwell time.

6. Continuous testing & offensive security

CISOs must adopt offensive measures—AI pen testing, red‑teaming models, adversarial input testing, and ongoing bias audits. This mirrors traditional vulnerability management, now adapted for AI-specific threats.

7. Human + machine synergy

Ultimately, AI acts as a force multiplier—not a surrogate. Humans must oversee, interpret, understand model limitations, and apply context. A successful cyber‑AI strategy relies on continuous training and board engagement .

🧩 Feedback

  • Comprehensive: Excellent balance of offense, defense, data governance, and human oversight.
  • Actionable: Strong emphasis on building capabilities—not just buying tools—is a key differentiator.
  • Enhance with priorities: Highlighting fast-moving threats like prompt‑injection or autonomous AI agents could sharpen urgency.
  • Communications matter: Reminding CISOs to engage leadership with justifiable ROI and scenario planning ensures support and budget.

A CISO’s AI Playbook

AI transforms the cybersecurity role—especially for CISOs—in several fundamental ways:

1. From Reactive to Predictive

Traditionally, security teams react to alerts and known threats. AI shifts this model by enabling predictive analytics. AI can detect anomalies, forecast potential attacks, and recommend actions before damage is done.

2. Augmented Decision-Making

AI enhances the CISO’s ability to make high-stakes decisions under pressure. With tools that summarize incidents, prioritize risks, and assess business impact, CISOs move from gut instinct to data-informed leadership.

3. Automation of Repetitive Tasks

AI automates tasks like log analysis, malware triage, alert correlation, and even generating incident reports. This allows security teams to focus on strategic, higher-value work, such as threat modeling or security architecture.

4. Expansion of Threat Surface Oversight

With AI deployed in business functions (e.g., chatbots, LLMs, automation platforms), the CISO must now secure AI models and pipelines themselves—treating them as critical assets subject to attack and misuse.

5. Offensive AI Readiness

Adversaries are using AI too—to craft phishing campaigns, generate polymorphic malware, or automate social engineering. The CISO’s role expands to understanding offensive AI tactics and defending against them in real time.

6. AI Governance Leadership

CISOs are being pulled into AI governance: setting policies around responsible AI use, bias detection, explainability, and model auditing. Security leadership now intersects with ethical AI oversight and compliance.

7. Cross-Functional Influence

Because AI touches every function—HR, legal, marketing, product—the CISO must collaborate across departments, ensuring security is baked into AI initiatives from the ground up.

Summary:
AI transforms the CISO from a control enforcer into a strategic enabler who drives predictive defense, leads governance, secures machine intelligence, and shapes enterprise-wide digital resilience. It’s a shift from gatekeeping to guiding responsible, secure innovation.

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Tags: Cybersecurity Leadership Playbook

Jun 22 2025

7 Ways to Keep an M&A Deal from Unraveling

Category: M&A — disc7 @ 9:41 am

1. Minimize Due Diligence Surprises
Unexpected revelations—such as financial inconsistencies, unresolved legal matters, or unclear intellectual property rights—can erode buyer trust and derail deals. A well-organized virtual data room (VDR) can help sellers centralize all important documents, making them easy to find and pre-reviewed. Conducting a pre-sale readiness check from a buyer’s perspective enables the seller to resolve potential red flags before due diligence begins, preserving deal momentum and buyer confidence.

2. Attract a Wider Pool of Buyers
VDRs offer 24/7 global access, enabling sellers to reach prospects across regions and time zones without logistical constraints. This accessibility not only broadens the potential buyer base but also allows sellers to adjust access levels according to a buyer’s seriousness and stage in the process. More qualified buyers at the table often results in higher bids and a stronger negotiating position.

3. Speed Up the Due Diligence Timeline
Extended deal timelines increase the risk of buyer fatigue, price renegotiation, or withdrawal. Modern VDRs expedite the review process by enabling features such as intelligent search, batch downloads, and scrollable document viewing. They also allow real-time Q&A and insights into buyer behavior through analytics. Proactively addressing a buyer’s focus areas keeps the transaction on track and supports deal closure.

4. Address Buyer Delays Effectively
While many deal risks lie on the seller side, buyer inaction can also jeopardize outcomes. VDRs provide visibility into each buyer’s activity, allowing sellers to monitor engagement levels and act if a buyer becomes unresponsive. If needed, sellers can quickly pivot to alternative prospects without starting over—thanks to structured document control and access management in the VDR.

5. Stay Prepared for Market Fluctuations
Market instability can cause buyers to hesitate or sellers to delay exits. Still, being always ready is key. A company with an up-to-date VDR can respond quickly when interest arises, regardless of market timing. This readiness increases agility and allows sellers to capitalize on windows of opportunity before they close.

6. Feedback: Practical, but Vendor-Biased
The paper effectively outlines how VDRs streamline M&A deals and mitigate common failure points. Its practical guidance—such as maintaining data readiness, leveraging buyer activity data, and preventing slowdowns—reflects real concerns for sellers. However, as a vendor-produced document, it understandably leans heavily on ShareVault’s feature set. Including case studies or quantitative outcomes from actual deals would enhance credibility. Nonetheless, the core message remains solid: thoughtful use of VDRs can make or break a deal.

7. Strengthen Data Security to Protect Value
Cybersecurity risks in M&A—especially data breaches through email or unsecured storage—can severely impact deal value. Sophisticated hackers increasingly target M&A communication threads for financial gain. To mitigate this, companies should avoid using email or generic cloud services for sensitive files. Instead, using a secure VDR from the outset of discussions ensures confidential information stays protected, preventing reputational and financial damage.

Source: 7 WAYS A VIRTUAL DATA ROOM CAN KEEP AN M&A DEAL FROM UNRAVELING

Well-configured VDR is more than just a secure document repository—it acts as a deal accelerator and risk mitigator. By emphasizing proactive organization, communication, and adaptability, the paper aligns VDR capabilities with common deal pitfalls. While it’s clearly written with VDR vendors in mind, the practical advice—like tag-based structures, audit logs, and pre‑emptive Q&A—is broadly applicable. Overall, valuable and actionable for anyone navigating complex M&A scenarios.

Mergers and Acquisition Security

Securing the Deal: A Deep Dive into M&A Data Security and Virtual Data Rooms

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Tags: M&A, M&A Deal

Jun 19 2025

Simplify NIST SP 800-171 Compliance with Our Gap Assessment Tool

Category: Security Tools — disc7 @ 1:54 pm

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) mandates that all contractors and subcontractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) must maintain an accessible assessment of their compliance with NIST SP 800-171. This requirement supports a broader national effort to standardize cybersecurity practices, even for organizations managing unclassified or sensitive data. Ensuring compliance is crucial not only for maintaining eligibility for government contracts but also for strengthening the overall cybersecurity posture.

To support this, the NIST Gap Assessment Tool offers a structured, Excel-based template that guides organizations through the full assessment process. It includes all 14 control families and 110 security controls specified in NIST SP 800-171, allowing for streamlined tracking, documentation, and reporting. The tool is designed for usability, enabling teams to identify gaps and prioritize remediation efforts efficiently.

  • walks you step-by-step through each NIST SP 800-171 requirement, so you know exactly what to do next.
  • No cybersecurity expertise needed—complete your gap assessment in hours, not days, using clear prompts and built-in summaries
  • Whether you’re a small defense contractor or a subcontractor just starting with compliance, the tool helps you quickly identify gaps and generate reports that align with DoD audit expectations
  • Includes drop-down menus, pre-filled descriptions, and auto-calculated scoring to simplify documentation
  • By using the tool, you don’t just meet compliance—you also reduce the risk of losing contracts due to audit findings
  • The NIST Gap Assessment Tool will cost-effectively assess your organization against the NIST SP 800-171 standard

What does the tool do?

  • Features the following tabs: ‘Instructions’, ‘Summary’, and ‘Assessment and SSP’.
  • The ‘Instructions’ tab provides an easy explanation of how to use the tool and assess your compliance project, so you can complete the process without hassle.
  • The ‘Assessment and SSP’ tab shows all control numbers and requires you to complete your assessment of each control.
  • Once you have completed the full assessment, the ‘Summary’ tab provides high-level graphs for each category and overall completion. Analysis includes an overall compliance score and shows the amount of security controls that are completed, ongoing, or not applied in your organization.
  • The ‘Summary’ tab also provides clear direction for areas of development and how you should plan and prioritize your project effectively, so you can start the journey of providing a completed NIST SP 800-171 assessment to the DoD.

This NIST Gap Assessment Tool is not designed for conducting a detailed and granular compliance assessment. 

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Tags: Gap assessment tool, NIST SP 800-171

Jun 19 2025

Aligning with ISO 42001:2023 and/or the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act

Category: AI,Information Security — disc7 @ 9:14 am

Mapping against ISO 42001:2023 and/or the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act

The AI Act & ISO 42001 Gap Analysis Tool is a dual-purpose resource that helps organizations assess their current AI practices against both legal obligations under the EU AI Act and international standards like ISO/IEC 42001:2023. It allows users to perform a tailored gap analysis based on their specific needs, whether aligning with ISO 42001, the EU AI Act, or both. The tool facilitates early-stage project planning by identifying compliance gaps and setting actionable priorities.

With the EU AI Act now in force and enforcement of its prohibitions on high-risk AI systems beginning in February 2025, organizations face growing pressure to proactively manage AI risk. Implementing an AI management system (AIMS) aligned with ISO 42001 can reduce compliance risk and meet rising international expectations. As AI becomes more embedded in business operations, conducting a gap analysis has become essential for shaping a sound, legally compliant, and responsible AI strategy.

Feedback:
This tool addresses a timely and critical need in the AI governance landscape. By combining legal and best-practice assessments into one streamlined solution, it helps reduce complexity for compliance teams. Highlighting the upcoming enforcement deadlines and the benefits of ISO 42001 certification reinforces urgency and practicality.

The AI Act & ISO 42001 Gap Analysis Tool is a user-friendly solution that helps organizations quickly and effectively assess their current AI practices against both the EU AI Act and the ISO/IEC 42001:2023 standard. With intuitive features, customizable inputs, and step-by-step guidance, the tool adapts to your organization’s specific needs—whether you’re looking to meet regulatory obligations, align with international best practices, or both. Its streamlined interface allows even non-technical users to conduct a thorough gap analysis with minimal training.

Designed to integrate seamlessly into your project planning process, the tool delivers clear, actionable insights into compliance gaps and priority areas. As enforcement of the EU AI Act begins in early 2025, and with increasing global focus on AI governance, this tool provides not only legal clarity but also practical, accessible support for developing a robust AI management system. By simplifying the complexity of AI compliance, it empowers teams to make informed, strategic decisions faster.

What does the tool provide?

  • Split into two sections, EU AI Act and ISO 42001, so you can perform analyses for both or an individual analysis.
  • The EU AI Act section is divided into six sets of questions: general requirements, entity requirements, assessment and registration, general-purpose AI, measures to support innovation and post-market monitoring.
  • Identify which requirements and sections of the AI Act are applicable by completing the provided screening questions. The tool will automatically remove any non-applicable questions.
  • The ISO 42001 section is divided into two sets of questions: ISO 42001 six clauses and ISO 42001 controls as outlined in Annex A.
  • Executive summary pages for both analyses, including by section or clause/control, the number of requirements met and compliance percentage totals.
  • A clear indication of strong and weak areas through colour-coded analysis graphs and tables to highlight key areas of development and set project priorities.

The tool is designed to work in any Microsoft environment; it does not need to be installed like software, and does not depend on complex databases. It is reliant on human involvement.

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Tags: EU AI Act, ISO 42001

Jun 18 2025

DISC WinerySecure™: Cybersecurity & Compliance Services for California Wineries

Category: cyber security,Information Security,Pen Test,Policies & Controls,Security Compliance,Security Risk Assessment,Security training,Security vulnerabilities,vCISO,Web Security — disc7 @ 10:04 am

Overview: DISC WinerySecure™ is a tailored cybersecurity and compliance service for small and mid-sized wineries. These businesses are increasingly reliant on digital systems (POS, ecommerce, wine clubs), yet often lack dedicated security staff. Our solution is cost-effective, easy to adopt, and customized to the wine industry.

Wineries may not seem like obvious cyber targets, but they hold valuable data—customer and employee details like social security numbers, payment info, and birthdates—that cybercriminals can exploit for identity theft and sell on the dark web. Even business financials are at risk.

Target Clients:

  • We care for the planet and your data
  • Wineries invest in luxury branding
  • Wineries considering mergers and acquisitions.
  • Wineries with 50–1000 employees
  • Using POS, wine club software, ecommerce, or logistics systems
  • Limited or no in-house IT/security expertise

🍷 Cyber & Compliance Protection for Wineries

Helping Napa & Sonoma Wineries Stay Secure, Compliant, and Trusted

🛡️ Why Wineries Are at Risk

Wineries today handle more sensitive data than ever—credit cards, wine club memberships, ecommerce sales, shipping details, and supplier records. Yet many rely on legacy systems, lack dedicated IT teams, and operate in a complex regulatory environment.

Cybercriminals know this.
Wineries have become easy, high-value targets.

✅ Our Services

We offer fractional vCISO and compliance consulting tailored for small and mid-sized wineries:

  • 🔒 Cybersecurity Risk Assessment – Discover hidden vulnerabilities in your systems, Wi-Fi, and employee habits.
  • 📜 CCPA/CPRA Privacy Compliance – Ensure you’re protecting your customers’ personal data the California way.
  • 🧪 Phishing & Ransomware Defense – Train your team to spot threats and test your defenses before attackers do.
  • 🧰 Security Maturity Roadmap – Practical, phased improvements aligned with your business goals and brand.
  • 🧾 Simple Risk Scorecard – A 10-page report you can share with investors, insurers, or partners.

🎯 Who This Is For

  • Family-run or boutique wineries with direct-to-consumer operations
  • Wineries investing in digital growth, but unsure how secure it is
  • Teams managing POS, ecommerce, club CRMs, M&A and vendor integrations

💡 Why It Matters

  • 🏷️ Protect your brand reputation—especially with affluent wine club customers
  • 💸 Avoid fines and lawsuits from privacy violations or breaches
  • 🛍️ Boost customer confidence—safety sells
  • 📉 Reduce downtime, ransomware risk, and compliance headaches

📞 Let’s Talk

Get a free 30-minute consultation or try our $49 Self-Assessment + 10-Page Risk Scorecard to see where you stand.

DISC InfoSec
Virtual CISO | Wine Industry Security & Compliance
📧 Info@deurainfosec.com
🌐 https://www.deurainfosec.com/

Service Bundles

1. Risk & Compliance Assessment (One-Time or Annual)

  • Winery-specific security and compliance checklist
  • Key focus: POS, ecommerce, backups, privacy laws (CCPA, CPRA, GDPR), NIST CSF, ISO 27001, SOX, PCI DSS exposure
  • Deliverable: 10-page Risk Scorecard + Executive Summary + Heat Map

2. Winery Security Essentials (Monthly)

  • Managed endpoint protection (EDR-lite)
  • Basic firewall and ISP hardening
  • 2FA setup for admin accounts
  • Phishing and email security implementation
  • POS and DTC site security guidance

3. Employee Awareness & Policy Pack

  • Annual virtual 30-minute training
  • Phishing simulations (2x/year)
  • Winery-specific security policies:
    • Acceptable Use
    • Access Control
    • Incident Response
  • Tracking of policy acceptance and training logs

4. vCISO-Lite Advisory (Quarterly)

  • Quarterly 1-hour consults with DISC vCISO
  • Audit readiness and compliance roadmap (CCPA, PCI, ISO)
  • Tech stack and vendor security guidance

Optional Add-Ons

  • Penetration test (web or cloud systems)
  • PCI-DSS SAQ support
  • Vendor security assessments
  • Business continuity/ransomware recovery plans

Pricing Tiers

TierDescriptionMonthlyAnnual
StarterEssentials + Training$499$5,500
GrowthStarter + vCISO-Lite$999$11,000
PremiumGrowth + Add-Ons (Customizable)$1,499+Custom

Benefits for Wineries:

  • Reduces risk of ransomware, fraud, and data loss
  • Supports audit, insurance, and investor requirements
  • Protects customer data and tasting room operations
  • “Secure Winery” badge to promote trust with guests
  • In addition to winery protection, DISC specializes in securing data during mergers and acquisitions.

Next Steps: Let us prepare a customized scorecard or walk you through a free 15-minute discovery call.

Contact: info@discinfosec.com | www.discinfosec.com

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Tags: California Wineries, cybersecurity, pci compliance, WinerySecure

Jun 17 2025

Securing the Deal: A Deep Dive into M&A Data Security and Virtual Data Rooms

Category: Information Security,M&A — disc7 @ 1:38 pm

1. Strategic importance of discretion
When two major companies are negotiating a merger or acquisition, even a minor leak can damage stock prices, derail the process, or collapse the deal entirely. A confidential environment is essential to preserve each party’s strategic advantage during secretive stages of the negotiation.

2. Maintaining competitive secrecy
By keeping a forthcoming deal under wraps, a company can gain from stealthy operations—honing tactics and announcements without alerting rivals or disrupting the market prematurely.

3. Protecting sensitive materials during due diligence
The due diligence stage demands access to proprietary analytics, trade secrets, and financial documents. A properly secured virtual data room (VDR) ensures these materials can be reviewed without risking unwanted exposure.

4. Internal stability amid uncertainty
Beyond market reactions, confidentiality helps stabilize employee morale. Rumors of acquisitions can breed anxiety among staff; controlled disclosure helps maintain calm until formal announcements are made .

5. Why virtual is preferred over physical rooms
Compared to traditional physical data rooms or email-based exchanges, VDRs offer encrypted, centralized, and remotely accessible document storage. They support multiple users across time zones and locales, making them far more efficient and secure

6. Advanced organization and control tools
Modern VDRs include features like hierarchical tagging (as in ShareVault’s platform), robust document indexing, full-text search, and flexible file rights. Admins can finely tune access—for instance, disabling copying, printing, or even screenshots—and apply watermarks with expiration settings .

7. Enhanced transparency, auditability, and efficiency
These platforms offer complete audit trails, Q&A sections, real-time alerts, and analytics. Participants can track activity, identify engagement patterns, and streamline due diligence, speeding up deal completion and improving oversight


Virtual Data Rooms (VDRs) are essential tools in mergers and acquisitions, providing a secure platform for sharing confidential documents during due diligence. They enable controlled access to sensitive information, supporting informed decision-making and effective risk management. In today’s digital landscape, where information is a critical asset, VDRs enhance corporate governance by promoting transparency, accountability, and compliance. As businesses face increasing regulatory and operational demands, adopting VDRs is not just a smart choice but a strategic necessity for maintaining strong governance and operational integrity.

Virtual data rooms are indispensable in confidential M&A contexts. They effectively combine security, efficiency, and collaboration in ways that physical or email-based systems simply cannot. The advanced features—granular permissions, audit logs, analytics, and query tools—are not just conveniences; they’re game-changers that help drive deals forward more smoothly and securely.

To truly elevate the experience, VDR providers Sharevault prioritize user-friendly interfaces—think intuitive document sorting, drag & drop, clear timestamps—and strike a better balance between robust security measures and seamless usability. When technical strength aligns with an intuitive user experience, virtual data rooms fulfill their potential, making complex, high-stakes M&A processes feel nearly effortless.

Information Security & Privacy aspect of the M&A process, especially focusing on how confidentiality, integrity, and controlled access are preserved throughout.

1. Confidentiality of Deal Intentions and Parties Involved

In early M&A stages, even the existence of negotiations must be tightly guarded. Leakage of deal discussions can lead to:

  • Stock volatility
  • Competitor disruption
  • Supplier or customer anxiety
  • Employee attrition

To prevent this, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are signed before sharing even basic information. VDRs enforce this by granting access only to vetted parties and logging all user activity, discouraging leaks.

2. Due Diligence Security

This is the most data-sensitive phase. Buyers review:

  • Financial statements
  • Tax filings
  • Contracts
  • Intellectual property details
  • Litigation history
  • Cyber risk posture

Each document represents potential liability if exposed. A secure VDR ensures:

  • End-to-end encryption (AES-256 or higher)
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
  • Granular access control down to the file or section level
  • View-only access with no downloads, printing, or screen capture
  • Watermarks with user IPs and timestamps

3. Auditability and Legal Traceability

To defend the integrity of the deal and respond to any post-deal disputes, every interaction must be tracked:

  • Who viewed what, when, and for how long
  • Questions asked and answered (Q&A logs)
  • Document version histories

These logs are part of legal documentation and are often retained long after the deal closes.

4. Cybersecurity Risk Assessment as a Deal Factor

Buyers often assess the seller’s cybersecurity posture as part of due diligence. Poor security (e.g., history of breaches, lax controls, outdated tech) may reduce valuation or kill the deal. Common items reviewed include:

  • Security policies
  • Incident response history
  • SOC 2 / ISO 27001 certifications
  • Penetration test results
  • Data breach disclosures

In this case, the VDR may host security documentation that itself must be securely handled.

5. Insider Risk and Privilege Escalation Control

Not all threats are external. Internal actors—disgruntled employees, opportunists, or even curious insiders—can leak or misuse information. VDRs address this by:

  • Role-based access (e.g., legal, finance, HR teams see only what’s necessary)
  • IP restriction (limit access by location)
  • Time-bound access with auto-expiry
  • Real-time alerts on suspicious behavior (e.g., large downloads)

6. Data Sovereignty and Compliance Risks

Cross-border M&A may involve GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, or local data protection laws. VDRs must:

  • Store data in approved jurisdictions
  • Enable redaction tools
  • Offer data retention and deletion policies in compliance with local law

Failing to do this may introduce legal exposure before the deal even closes.

7. Post-Deal Data Handoff and Secure Closure

After the deal, secure handoff of all data—including audit trails—is essential. VDRs often allow data archiving in encrypted format for legal teams. Proper exit procedures also include:

  • Revoking third-party access
  • Exporting logs for compliance
  • Certifying destruction of temporary working copies

Final Thoughts

Security in M&A isn’t just about locking down data—it’s about enabling trust between parties while protecting the value of the transaction. A single breach could derail a deal or cause post-acquisition litigation. VDRs that offer bank-grade security, forensic logging, regulatory compliance, and intuitive access control are non-negotiable in high-stakes deals. However, companies must complement technology with clear policies and trained personnel to truly secure the process.

Would you like a framework (e.g., ISO 27001-aligned) to assess the security readiness of an M&A deal? info@deurainfosec.com

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Tags: M&A Data Security, Virtual Data Rooms

Jun 16 2025

Aligning Cybersecurity with Business Goals: The Complete Program Blueprint

Category: CISO,cyber security,Security program,vCISO — disc7 @ 9:20 am

1. Evolving Role of Cybersecurity Services
Traditional cybersecurity engagements—such as vulnerability patching, audits, or one-off assessments—tend to be short-term and reactive, addressing immediate concerns without long-term risk reduction. In contrast, end-to-end cybersecurity programs offer sustained value by embedding security into an organization’s core operations and strategic planning. This shift transforms cybersecurity from a technical task into a vital business enabler.

2. Strategic Provider-Client Relationship
Delivering lasting cybersecurity outcomes requires service providers to move beyond technical support and establish strong partnerships with organizational leadership. Providers that engage at the executive level evolve from being IT vendors to trusted advisors. This elevated role allows them to align security with business objectives, providing continuous support rather than piecemeal fixes.

3. Core Components of a Strategic Cybersecurity Program
A comprehensive end-to-end program must address several key domains: risk assessment and management, strategic planning, compliance and governance, business continuity, security awareness, incident response, third-party risk management, and executive reporting. Each area works in concert to strengthen the organization’s overall security posture and resilience.

4. Risk Assessment & Management
A strategic cybersecurity initiative begins with a thorough risk assessment, providing visibility into vulnerabilities and their business impact. A complete asset inventory is essential, and follow-up includes risk prioritization, mitigation planning, and adapting defenses to evolving threats like ransomware. Ongoing risk management ensures that controls remain effective as business conditions change.

5. Strategic Planning & Roadmaps
Once risks are understood, the next step is strategic planning. Providers collaborate with clients to create a cybersecurity roadmap that aligns with business goals and compliance obligations. This roadmap includes near-, mid-, and long-term goals, backed by security policies and metrics that guide decision-making and keep efforts aligned with the company’s direction.

6. Compliance & Governance
With rising regulatory scrutiny, organizations must align with standards such as NIST, ISO 27001, HIPAA, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, and GDPR. Security providers help identify which regulations apply, assess current compliance gaps, and implement sustainable practices to meet ongoing obligations. This area remains underserved and represents an opportunity for significant impact.

7. Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery
Effective security programs not only prevent breaches but also ensure operational continuity. Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and Disaster Recovery (DR) encompass infrastructure backups, alternate operations, and crisis communication strategies. Providers play a key role in building and testing these capabilities, reinforcing their value as strategic advisors.

8. Human-Centric Security & Response Preparedness
People remain a major risk vector, so training and awareness are critical. Providers offer education programs, phishing simulations, and workshops to cultivate a security-aware culture. Incident response readiness is also essential—providers develop playbooks, assign roles, and simulate breaches to ensure rapid and coordinated responses to real threats.

9. Executive-Level Communication & Reporting
A hallmark of high-value cybersecurity services is the ability to translate technical risks into business language. Clear executive reporting connects cybersecurity activities to business outcomes, supporting board-level decision-making and budget justification. This capability is key for client retention and helps providers secure long-term engagements.

Feedback

This clearly outlines how cybersecurity must evolve from reactive technical support into a strategic business function. The focus on continuous oversight, executive engagement, and alignment with organizational priorities is especially relevant in today’s complex threat landscape. The structure is logical and well-grounded in vCISO best practices. However, it could benefit from sharper differentiation between foundational services (like asset inventories) and advanced advisory (like executive communication). Emphasizing measurable outcomes—such as reduced incidents, improved audit results, or enhanced resilience—would also strengthen the business case. Overall, it’s a strong framework for any provider building or refining an end-to-end security program.

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Jun 13 2025

Prompt injection attacks can have serious security implications

Category: AI,App Security — disc7 @ 11:50 am

Prompt injection attacks can have serious security implications, particularly for AI-driven applications. Here are some potential consequences:

  • Unauthorized data access: Attackers can manipulate AI models to reveal sensitive information that should remain protected.
  • Bypassing security controls: Malicious inputs can override built-in safeguards, leading to unintended outputs or actions.
  • System prompt leakage: Attackers may extract internal configurations or instructions meant to remain hidden.
  • False content generation: AI models can be tricked into producing misleading or harmful information.
  • Persistent manipulation: Some attacks can alter AI behavior across multiple interactions, making mitigation more difficult.
  • Exploitation of connected tools: If an AI system integrates with external APIs or automation tools, attackers could misuse these connections for unauthorized actions.

Preventing prompt injection attacks requires a combination of security measures and careful prompt design. Here are some best practices:

  • Separate user input from system instructions: Avoid directly concatenating user input with system prompts to prevent unintended command execution.
  • Use structured input formats: Implement XML or JSON-based structures to clearly differentiate user input from system directives.
  • Apply input validation and sanitization: Filter out potentially harmful instructions and restrict unexpected characters or phrases.
  • Limit model permissions: Ensure AI systems have restricted access to sensitive data and external tools to minimize exploitation risks.
  • Monitor and log interactions: Track AI responses for anomalies that may indicate an attempted injection attack.
  • Implement guardrails: Use predefined security policies and response filtering to prevent unauthorized actions.

Strengthen your AI system against prompt injection attacks, here are some tailored strategies:

  • Define clear input boundaries: Ensure user inputs are handled separately from system instructions to avoid unintended command execution.
  • Use predefined response templates: This limits the ability of injected prompts to influence output behavior.
  • Regularly audit and update security measures: AI models evolve, so keeping security protocols up to date is essential.
  • Restrict model privileges: Minimize the AI’s access to sensitive data and external integrations to mitigate risks.
  • Employ adversarial testing: Simulate attacks to identify weaknesses and improve defenses before exploitation occurs.
  • Educate users and developers: Understanding potential threats helps in maintaining secure interactions.
  • Leverage external validation: Implement third-party security reviews to uncover vulnerabilities from an unbiased perspective.

Source: https://security.googleblog.com/2025/06/mitigating-prompt-injection-attacks.html

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Tags: prompt Injection

Jun 12 2025

Europol’s IOCTA 2025: The Growing Cybercrime Economy and Urgent Security Measures

Category: Cyber crime,Cybercrime — disc7 @ 11:31 am

Europol’s 2025 Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) highlights the alarming rise in cybercrime, emphasizing how stolen data fuels an underground economy. The report warns that compromised personal information is increasingly valuable to criminals, who use it for fraud, extortion, and unauthorized access. Europol stresses that cybercriminals are leveraging advanced technologies, including AI, to enhance their operations and evade detection.

The report identifies data as a target, a means, and a commodity, illustrating how cybercriminals exploit stolen credentials for various illicit activities. Initial access brokers and data brokers play a crucial role in this ecosystem, selling compromised accounts and personal information on underground forums. Europol notes that the demand for stolen data is skyrocketing, contributing to the destabilization of legitimate economies.

Cybercriminals are refining their tactics, using AI-driven social engineering techniques to manipulate victims more effectively. Infostealers, phishing campaigns, and botnet-based malware distribution are among the primary methods used to acquire sensitive data. Europol warns that even common security features, such as CAPTCHA fields, are being mimicked to trick users into installing malware.

To combat these threats, Europol calls for coordinated policy responses at the EU level, including improved digital literacy and lawful access solutions for encrypted communications. The agency stresses the importance of harmonized data retention rules and proactive cybersecurity measures to mitigate risks. Despite these recommendations, Europol does not explicitly call for enhanced corporate security, even as enterprise data breaches continue to rise.

The report underscores the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity frameworks across industries. As cybercriminals become more sophisticated, organizations must prioritize security investments and employee training. Europol’s findings serve as a wake-up call for governments and businesses to take decisive action against the growing cybercrime economy.

Overall, Europol’s assessment paints a grim picture of the evolving cyber threat landscape. While the report provides valuable insights, it could have placed greater emphasis on corporate security measures. Strengthening defenses at both individual and organizational levels is crucial to countering cybercriminals and safeguarding sensitive data.

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Tags: Cybercrime, Europol, Europol's IOCTA 2025, Urgent Security Measures

Jun 12 2025

BHA Cyberattack: A Wake-Up Call for Sports Industry Security

Category: Cyber Attack — disc7 @ 10:56 am

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) recently fell victim to a cyberattack, marking a significant security breach within the sports industry. The attack, believed to be a ransomware incident, led to the temporary closure of BHA’s London office, forcing staff to work remotely. Despite the disruption, race meetings continued unaffected, and the organization swiftly engaged external specialists to investigate and restore its systems.

Ransomware attacks involve malicious actors infiltrating vulnerable systems, encrypting critical data, and demanding a ransom for its release. This type of cybercrime has affected various industries, including retail giants like Marks & Spencer and Co-op. The BHA incident highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks targeting organizations reliant on digital infrastructure.

The sports industry, increasingly dependent on technology for operations, fan engagement, and event management, faces unique cybersecurity challenges. Sensitive data, including fan information and player performance metrics, could be exploited for fraud or blackmail if compromised. The BHA attack serves as a wake-up call for sports organizations to strengthen their cybersecurity measures.

While the full impact of the BHA cyberattack remains unclear, it underscores the urgent need for robust security protocols. Sports entities must prioritize cybersecurity to protect their operations, reputation, and financial stability. Implementing proactive defenses, such as regular security audits and employee training, can mitigate future risks.

Overall, the incident highlights the vulnerability of sports organizations to cyber threats. As digital reliance grows, cybersecurity must become a fundamental aspect of operational strategy. The BHA case should prompt industry-wide discussions on enhancing security frameworks to safeguard sensitive data and maintain trust.

This cyberattack serves as a crucial reminder that no industry is immune to digital threats. Sports organizations must recognize cybersecurity as a core responsibility, investing in advanced protections to prevent similar breaches. Strengthening defenses will not only protect data but also ensure the integrity and continuity of sporting events.

Why British horseracing hack is a wakeup call for the sports industry

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Tags: BHA Cyberattack, Sports Industry Security

Jun 11 2025

Three Essentials for Agentic AI Security

Category: AI — disc7 @ 11:11 am

The article “Three Essentials for Agentic AI Security” explores the security challenges posed by AI agents, which operate autonomously across multiple systems. While these agents enhance productivity and streamline workflows, they also introduce vulnerabilities that businesses must address. The article highlights how AI agents interact with APIs, core data systems, and cloud infrastructures, making security a critical concern. Despite their growing adoption, many companies remain unprepared, with only 42% of executives balancing AI development with adequate security measures.

A Brazilian health care provider’s experience serves as a case study for managing agentic AI security risks. The company, with over 27,000 employees, relies on AI agents to optimize operations across various medical services. However, the autonomous nature of these agents necessitates a robust security framework to ensure compliance and data integrity. The article outlines a three-phase security approach that includes threat modeling, security testing, and runtime protections.

The first phase, threat modeling, involves identifying potential risks associated with AI agents. This step helps organizations anticipate vulnerabilities before deployment. The second phase, security testing, ensures that AI tools undergo rigorous assessments to validate their resilience against cyber threats. The final phase, runtime protections, focuses on continuous monitoring and response mechanisms to mitigate security breaches in real time.

The article emphasizes that trust in AI agents cannot be assumed—it must be built through proactive security measures. Companies that successfully integrate AI security strategies are more likely to achieve operational efficiency and financial performance. The research suggests that businesses investing in agentic architectures are 4.5 times more likely to see enterprise-level value from AI adoption.

In conclusion, the article underscores the importance of balancing AI innovation with security preparedness. As AI agents become more autonomous, organizations must implement comprehensive security frameworks to safeguard their systems. The Brazilian health care provider’s approach serves as a valuable blueprint for businesses looking to enhance their AI security posture.

Feedback: The article provides a compelling analysis of the security risks associated with AI agents and offers practical solutions. The three-phase framework is particularly insightful, as it highlights the need for a proactive security strategy rather than a reactive one. However, the discussion could benefit from more real-world examples beyond the Brazilian case study to illustrate diverse industry applications. Overall, the article is a valuable resource for organizations navigating the complexities of AI security.

The three-phase security approach for agentic AI focuses on ensuring that AI agents operate securely while interacting with various systems. Here’s a breakdown of each phase:

  1. Threat Modeling – This initial phase involves identifying potential security risks associated with AI agents before deployment. Organizations assess how AI interacts with APIs, databases, and cloud environments to pinpoint vulnerabilities. By understanding possible attack vectors, companies can proactively design security measures to mitigate risks.
  2. Security Testing – Once threats are identified, AI agents undergo rigorous testing to validate their resilience against cyber threats. This phase includes penetration testing, adversarial simulations, and compliance checks to ensure that AI systems can withstand real-world security challenges. Testing helps organizations refine their security protocols before AI agents are fully integrated into business operations.
  3. Runtime Protections – The final phase focuses on continuous monitoring and response mechanisms. AI agents operate dynamically, meaning security measures must adapt in real time. Organizations implement automated threat detection, anomaly monitoring, and rapid response strategies to prevent breaches. This ensures that AI agents remain secure throughout their lifecycle.

This structured approach helps businesses balance AI innovation with security preparedness. By implementing these phases, companies can safeguard their AI-driven workflows while maintaining compliance and data integrity. You can explore more details in the original article here.

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