Dr. Cheryl Cooper, PhD

Healthcare industry groups are urging the federal government to streamline and loosen a recent proposed rule outlining #cybersecurity incident reporting requirements for entities considered to be critical infrastructure. Published in early April, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s proposed rule aims to implement the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA). The proposal’s enhanced and speedier reporting requirements aim to help the government “better understand the threats we face, spot adversary campaigns earlier, and take more coordinated action with our public and private sector partners in response to cyber threats,” CISA Director Jen Easterly said in a statement upon the proposed rule’s unveiling. CISA also noted that the changes would be timely for the #healthcare sector, which “routinely” faces cyber incidents. The agency specifies that its proposed rule would cover hospitals with 100 or more beds, critical access hospitals, the manufacturers of certain “essential” medicines, moderate-to-high-risk medical device makers and a broad swath of IT entities. International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) ASIS International Stefanie Drysdale Adam Lee, MBA, M.S., CEM®

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Join us on Wednesday, May 29th at 8:30 AM to discover how CERT Ukraine and CISA work together to combat cyber threats! Limited tickets available - act fast! Link in bio for more details and to get tickets. #CERTUkraine #CISA #CyberDefense #Collaboration #CyberSecurity.

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"(1) Affirming Official. The Affirming Official is the senior level representative from within each Organization Seeking Assessment (OSA) who is responsible for ensuring the OSA’s compliance with the CMMC Program requirements and has the authority to affirm the OSA’s continuing compliance with the specified security requirements for their respective organizations. (2) Affirmation content. Each CMMC affirmation shall include the following information: (i) Name, title, and contact information for the Affirming Official; and (ii) Affirmation statement attesting that the OSA has implemented and will maintain implementation of all applicable CMMC security requirements to their CMMC Status for all information systems within the relevant CMMC Assessment Scope." #cmmc #dod #cybersecurity

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In observance of National Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, released guidance to assist #criticalinfrastructure owners and operators to detect and mitigate efforts by foreign intelligence entities to disrupt U.S. critical infrastructure. As a nation, continued #cyber and physical threats to critical infrastructure Americans rely on daily are being observed. U.S. adversaries and their foreign intelligence entities understand the importance of the critical infrastructure sectors and how degrading them could hinder the national response to events. “U.S. adversaries and their foreign intelligence entities (FIEs) a understand the importance of these sectors and how degrading them could hinder our national response in the event of crisis or war, given that harm to these sectors could cause panic, erode confidence in the government, and complicate leadership decision-making,” the agencies identified in a document titled ‘Safeguarding Our Critical Infrastructure: Vigilance Makes a Difference.’ #Threatlandscape #Cyberattacks #Cyberthreats #Adversarialattacks https://lnkd.in/gpZKTxAe

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The outage many are experiencing today shows the importance of testing in your SDLC and vendor management program. https://lnkd.in/eJAEBU6A

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Online safety is crucial for families to protect personal information, maintain privacy, and avoid cyber threats affecting both kids and adults. With so much time spent on digital devices, risks like identity theft, cyberbullying, and inappropriate content are real concerns. Practicing strong cyber hygiene, using unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and teaching kids about online privacy helps create a secure environment. Check out this valuable resource from CISA to build safer online habits. #Cybersecurity #FamilySafety

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Ransomware Attacks in Healthcare: Lessons from Ascension's Breach In May, Ascension, a major U.S. healthcare system, fell victim to a ransomware attack, compromising the personal and health data of 5.6 million individuals. This attack, linked to the Black Basta group, disrupted critical systems and forced staff to rely on manual record-keeping—a stark reminder of the devastating impact of such incidents. How They Did It: 1. Initial Access: A malicious file tricked an employee into downloading malware, enabling attackers to establish a foothold. 2. Credential Theft: Login details were stolen, and security tools like EDR were disabled. 3. Lateral Movement: Attackers spread through the network using RDP. 4. Encryption & Exfiltration: Files were encrypted, and data was stolen using AzCopy for double extortion. 💡 Key Tactics and Techniques (MITRE ATT&CK): Initial Access (T1190): Exploit Public-Facing Applications Credential Access (T1078): Valid Accounts Defense Evasion (T1070): Log File Deletion Impact (T1486): Data Encrypted for Impact Exfiltration (T1041): Stealing Data Over C2 Channels Takeaways: Invest in employee training to prevent "honest mistakes." Strengthen EDR and monitoring tools to detect lateral movements. Regularly test incident response plans to prepare for critical system downtimes. As ransomware groups like Black Basta ramp up attacks on healthcare and beyond, it’s crucial to stay proactive. How is your organization preparing to defend against these tactics? #CyberSecurity #Ransomware #MITREATTACK #HealthcareSecurity #BlackBasta https://lnkd.in/eCjtBbyc

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The ISACA Foundation is awarding five National Cyber League Players a $5,000 academic scholarship! Along with the scholarship, recipients will receive ISACA resources, networking access, and mentorship opportunities. 💡 To apply, you must: ✅ Participate in the National Cyber League Games (complete at least 25% of the Individual or Team Games). ✅ Be enrolled in or accepted to a U.S. accredited college or technical institute. ✅ Be pursuing or planning to pursue a degree in cybersecurity or information assurance. ✅ Agree to communicate with ISACA twice a year for two years after the scholarship award. You also need to meet one or more of these criteria: 📚 Attend an MSI, HBCU, or community college. 🎓 Be the first in your family to attend college. 🌍 Identify within an underrepresented demographic in tech. 🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/espczyJM https://lnkd.in/e_DzYJ3K

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Hey - if you are at all looking at #Cybersecurity as an academic training program, employer-sponsored (L&D and/or TA) offering, workforce development strategy, CPL pathway into degrees, etc. this report by Lightcast is very informative. I suggest working with a partner that can help identify need, construct operations and successfully deploy these strategic initiatives as the need for cyber-warriors does not appear to be depressing anytime soon and is industry agnostic. I hypothesize that with the continued proliferation of AI (sometimes absent guardrails) the need will be exacerbated as we move forward. #CybersecurityTraining #Partnerships #WorkforceDevelopment #StudentSuccess #IndustryAgnostic General Assembly #Pangea

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A new CIS/MS-ISAC report sheds light on #TribalSector #cyberthreats and concerns. What is keeping tribal cybersecurity leaders up at night? Link to the full report in our summary. https://bit.ly/4h7PGlr Center for Internet Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency #TribalOrganizations #TribalNet #Cybersecurity #CyberRisk #Ransomware #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth #CyberCrime #SocialEngineering #InformationSecurity #DataBreach #CyberMaturity #ThinkEXTEND

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Excellent read for all CISO's and CIO's getting ready for Cyber Security Awareness month this October. Bill Balint had created an excellent playbook for Indiana University of Pennsylvania that can help revitalize your key asset, your people, into staying more vigilant. #cyberawareness #educationsecurity #trivigil #digitalsafety

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Hey my cybersecurity connections (Feds and Industry)... Did you know that the Federal Virtual Training Environment (FedVTE) has been permanently decommissioned and replaced by CISA Learning? (https://lnkd.in/gDkiuAmF) - AND - CISA Learning is now available for EXTERNAL users at https://lnkd.in/gYVDqBAt using your Login.gov (OKta) user info. Once logged in there is a tour of the site and you'll see your dashboard. Click on "Catalog" in the top menu to view available courses. Some examples of training courses available to external users include: ▶️ Cloud Computing Security (2.5 hours) ▶️ Cyber Security Investigations (9 hours) ▶️ Zero Trust Workshops by Pillar ▶️ Foundations of Cybersecurity for Managers (2 hours) ▶️ Fundamentals of Cyber Risk Management (6 hours) ▶️ Securing Systems: Ransomware Overview (1 hour) ▶️ Risk Management Framework for Leaders (1 hour) and many more. This free resource is too good to pass up. Find this and other great resources listed in the FedSubK Resource Library at fedsubk.com.

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Need to know more about 32 CFR CMMC Final Rule?👀 ✅Checkout Jacob Horne and all the comments in this post! #cmmc #infosec #NIST #DFARS

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🎙️ Excited to share that I recently appeared on Cyber Focus from the #McCrary Institute for Cyber & Critical Infrastructure Security to dive deep into the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and state innovation! We discussed the evolving landscape of technological threats and opportunities, lessons learned from [relevant experience], and how states can lead with agility and security in mind. Key takeaways: - The future of AI-driven security measures - How states can bolster cybersecurity infrastructure - Practical leadership tips for navigating digital transformation Listen to the full conversation and gain insights into shaping resilient and forward-thinking strategies! https://lnkd.in/gDbcCJsH #AI #Cybersecurity #Leadership #Innovation #Podcast

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The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has submitted a request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review and approve a renewed information collection. Issued through its Cybersecurity Division (CSD), #CISA detailed that the purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments by Nov. 20, 2024. In a Federal Register notice published Monday, CISA identified that the OMB is particularly interested in comments that evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; and enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected. #Informationcollection #IncidentReporting #Threatlandscape https://lnkd.in/g3Xbi6EH

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I really appreciate K12 SIX and Douglas Levin's proactive approach to K-12 cybersecurity. Instead of just reacting to incidents, he's equipping schools with the practical tools and knowledge to get ahead of the curve - and genuinely making a difference. This kind of forward-thinking leadership is essential in today's threat landscape. #cybersecurity #education.

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I took the Infosec Quiz to determine my most likely Cyber Specialty and got Information Risk Analyst: The Auditor. You’re destined to be an Information Risk Analyst! Why? You spend your day conducting risk assessments on existing and new systems and technologies. You continuously monitor your organization’s risk tolerance and find ways to improve its risk posture. In other words, your role is to save your organization from financial, reputational, or other devastating ruin. No big deal!

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