Working with federal agencies can be a big boon for enterprise and SMB service providers. Not only are they working in a lucrative and challenging space, but they can also provide critical infrastructural support to the operation and defense of our country. The regulations, however, can prove a nightmare. For example, should you adhere to FISMA vs. FedRAMP? What is NIST? Who can I work with to help me get started?

Here, we’ll answer one of the more basic and important questions: What is the difference between FedRAMP and FISMA authorization? Depending on the type of services you offer, you could be working through a set of similar, yet slightly modified, regulatory obligations.

Awareness Continuum GRC

What is Ransomware and Why Is it a Major Cybersecurity Threat in 2021?

Jun 23, 2021 Continuum GRC 0 Comment

Major infrastructure in the United States is under attack. As more heavy industrial companies, defense contractors and government agencies increasingly rely on cloud platforms and IT solutions to serve their users and constituents, hackers are finding ways to leverage vulnerabilities and steal information.

The problem with these attacks is that they are taking advantage of the fact that a flaw in a cloud platform can undermine security with a completely unrelated company or industry. As we’ve learned from the SolarWinds hack, the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and now the LineStar attack, a single flaw in a cloud platform can open up critical energy production and manufacturing operations to being held hostage for millions of dollars in ransom.

Ransomware isn’t just a consumer issue. Here, we cover the state of ransomware in 2021 and how different organizations are responding to the problem.

Continuum GRC

What is NIST 800-53 Version 5?

Jun 23, 2021 Continuum GRC 0 Comment

NIST 800-53 is the cornerstone of many government cybersecurity policies in the United States, including how security shapes partnerships between federal agencies and IT and cloud providers. Understandably, it has gone through several revisions since its initial publication in 2005 to meet evolving security threats.

Here, we’ll discuss the latest revision of NIST 800-53, Revision 5. This revision will go into full effect for all providers on September 23, 2021, with the withdrawal of Revision 4.