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High Doses of Adderall Linked to 5x Higher Psychosis Risk

High doses of amphetamine-based medications for ADHD, like Adderall, are linked to an over five times higher risk of psychosis or mania.




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Greenland Mountaintop Collapse Triggered Mega Tsunami & 9-Day Seismic Event

An image by the Danish army shows the site after the landslide and subsequent mega-tsunami.




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A Death in New Hampshire is Blamed on Eastern Equine Encephalitis

Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals in the world because of the diseases they carry, indulging malaria and dengue. Mosquito-borne diseases are becoming ...




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Building Enclosure: Best practices shown through three-dimensional mock-ups (Part 2)

Organizer: Community Energy Association
Location: Online




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Building Strong Stakeholder Relationships in Procurement

Organizer: Canoe Procurement Group of Canada
Location: Online




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Gaza Apocalypse: Causes and Consequences

Nov 20, 2024, 6pm EST

A lecture and discussion with Mouin Rabbani, A86, previously senior analyst and special advisor on Israel-Palestine with the International Crisis Group, and head of political affairs with the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria. He is co-editor of Jadaliyya Ezine. He has published and commented widely on Palestinian affairs, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the contemporary Middle East.

Moderated by Negar Razavi, A06, currently an associate research scholar at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies at Princeton University, where she is working on her first book manuscript on the role of policy experts in shaping U.S. security policies toward the Middle East, generally, and Iran, specifically. Broadly, Razavi’s work examines the intersections of state power, empire, security, foreign policy, expertise, and gender.

BuildingBarnum Hall
Campus Location: Medford/Somerville campus
City: Medford, MA 02155
Campus: Medford/Somerville campus
Location Details: Room 104
Wheelchair Accessible (for in-person events): Yes
Open to Public: Yes
Primary Audience(s): Faculty, Students (Graduate), Students (Undergraduate)
Event Type: Lecture/Presentation/Seminar/Talk
Subject: International Affairs
Event Sponsor: Tisch College of Civic Life
Event Sponsor Details: IGL/Tisch
Event Contact Name: Heather Barry
Event Contact Emailheather.barry@tufts.edu
RSVP Information: None
Event Admission: Free



  • 2024/11/20 (Wed)

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Use Of Google Maps.

As an example of embedding a Web 2.0 service in a Web site we are pleased to announce that a Google Map has been embedded in the IWMW 2006 Web site. [2006-05-18]




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A6: Mashups: More than Maps

Distributed computing - where data is consumed from external Web sites, sometimes 'mashed', or displayed in some other way on your own site, has become a powerful way of providing functionality, and requires little or no financial outlay or technical understanding. This workshop will look at some of the services available and examine some of the ways that they can be combined or otherwise used on your site and for prototype development. The session was facilitated by Mike Ellis, Eduserv.




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Lawrie Phipps (2004)

Lawrie Phipps is the TechDis Senior Advisor for Higher Education. His background is in staff development and e-learning, designing and developing virtual field trips and courses and supporting science lecturers in learning and teaching. Lawrie is also a Visiting Fellow at the Special Needs Computing Research Unit at the University of Teesside. The research group is looking at a range of issues including disability and mobile learning, the use of multimedia to support disabilities, computer assisted assessment and the development of Virtual Learning Environments to support students with learning difficulties.




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Institutional Web Management Workshop 2007: Next Steps for the Web Management Community (2007)

IWMW 11: Institutional Web Management 2007: Next Steps for the Web Management Community, held at the University of York on 16-18 July 2007




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Institutional Web Management: The Next Steps (1999)

IWMW 3: Institutional Web Management: The New Steps, held at Goldsmiths College, London on 7-9 September 1999




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Escaping the "Upside Down" – Halting Florida's Stop WOKE Act

Dionysia Johnson-Massie, Kelly Peña and Alan Persaud review the latest updates to Florida’s “Stop WOKE” Act and what they mean for employers in the state.

Westlaw Today

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Legal Tech’s Predictions for Business of Law and ALSPs in 2021

Scott Forman explains how firms must adopt integrated technology in order to operate collectively.

LegalTech News

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Ontario, Canada Appeal Court Finds Aggravated Damages Award Can Be Made Without Medical Evidence of Diagnosable Psychological Injury

  • Court of Appeal for Ontario allowed aggravated damages for an employer’s bad-faith conduct during an employee’s dismissal in the absence of medical evidence identifying a diagnosable psychological injury.
  • Court also found medical expert testimony is not required to show an employee is physically incapable of mitigating damages during the reasonable notice period.




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8 Steps for Addressing Bullying in the Workplace

Kevin O’Neill co-authored this article about how employers can combat workplace bullying.

Corporate Counsel

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8 Steps for Addressing Bullying in the Workplace

Katherine Cooper Franklin co-authored this article about how employers can combat workplace bullying.

Corporate Counsel

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Steps Employers Can Take Before a Reduction in Force to Help Protect Trade Secrets

  • Layoffs may create an increased risk of trade secret misappropriation.
  • Employers can take certain steps in advance of a reduction in force to help mitigate against this risk.




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3 Tips For Navigating DOL's New OT Rule

James A. Paretti Jr. says the DOL’s new overtime rule is likely to face a legal challenge, so employers should start reviewing their workforces but stop short of implementing changes right away.

Law360 Employment Authority

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Pension Insurer Preps Guidance to Stem Exodus From Failing Plans

Sarah Bryan Fask shares her insight about the future of pension plans for unionized employees.

Bloomberg Law

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Long-Awaited Fall Regulatory Agenda Provides Glimpse of Administration’s Regulatory Goals

  • Federal agencies released their regulatory agenda for the coming months.
  • Final rules expected to be issued in 2023 include the NLRB’s on joint employment and revised election procedures; the DOL’s on independent contractors Act and “persuader” reporting; and OSHA’s on injury and illness recordkeeping and occupational exposure to COVID-19 in healthcare settings.




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What’s Golf Got to Do with It? Linking Fairway Sand Traps to Workplace Equity Gaps

Golf is one of the most significant informal business networks and approximately half of all women feel like their exclusion from these gateways is among the key challenges to reaching the highest echelons of corporate leadership. As a prelude to the 2022 edition of the “Masters Season,” Littler Principal Cindy-Ann Thomas explores how enduring barriers in recreational golf impact meaningful access and equity gains for women in corporate America.




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Transformation of the American Workforce: Challenges and Next Steps

Labor force participation is falling, the skills gap is widening, and certain industries are struggling to recover post-pandemic. In this podcast, Michael Lotito, co-chair of Littler Workplace Policy Institute (WPI) and Shannon Meade, executive director of WPI, discuss the historic transformation of the American workforce and what needs to be done on a national level to address the challenges employers and employees are facing.
 




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Littler Appoints New Leadership to Its Affinity Groups and Diversity & Inclusion Council

(March 22, 2021) – Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, is pleased to announce new leadership for its ‘Ohana and Reunión affinity groups. Additionally, the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Council added six new members.




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The Promise and Perils of Affinity Groups; Or, How Not to Bargain with your Employee Resource Group

A properly structured and implemented Affinity Group (AKA Employee Resource Group) is a powerful tool in an employer’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion tool belt. But, unwary employers may risk violating the National Labor Relations Act if they bargain with an Affinity Group. In this month’s podcast, Alyesha Asghar Dotson discusses the do’s and don’ts of interacting with an active Affinity Group within your organization.
  




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Tips for Employers Confronting Racially Offensive Symbols in the Workplace

Racially offensive symbols, such as Confederate flags, displayed in the workplace can constitute evidence of a racially hostile work environment. In light of this and our ever-increasing efforts to foster harassment-free workplaces, Alyesha Asghar Dotson discusses how employers can prepare for and respond when potentially offensive symbols appear in their workplace.
  




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USCIS Extends Work Permits Under TPS Designations for Certain Countries

On June 20, 2024, USCIS extended the validity of certain work permits issued to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries under the TPS designations for El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan. All impacted beneficiaries will receive Form I-797, Notice of Action, notifying them of the extension of their Employment Authorization Documents (EADs or “work permits”) through March 9, 2025.




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How ongoing worker shortages highlight an ‘urgent need’ for upskilling

Shannon Meade and Michael Lotito discuss key issues that employers are facing now, according to Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute’s 2024 Labor Day Report.

Human Resource Executive

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Littler World Cup Matchups Part 5: Whistleblower Protections

Welcome back to our World Cup series, where we compare various aspects of labor and employment law in some of the participating countries.1  We kicked off Parts One and Two of this series with vacation and sick leave entitlements.




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Robust Action Helps Recidivist Employer Reduce Penalty for Alleged Bribery in South Africa and Indonesia

In the first major action of 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it had entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with a publicly traded global software company for alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The January 10, 2024 announcement described the company’s agreement to pay more than $220 million in connection with the investigation, consisting of just under $120 million in criminal penalties.  While significant, these fines were reduced based on the pilot program announced by the DOJ last spring, as described below.




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Questions surround proposed FAMLI rules as program preps for January launch

David Gartenberg said he is worried about the fact that the rule leaves the FAMLI benefits out of alignment with unpaid Family and Medical Leave benefits allowed under federal law. 

The Sum & Substance

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D.C.’s Pay Transparency Law Aims to Close Severe Gaps

As Washington, D.C., prepares to join a growing group of state and local jurisdictions requiring pay transparency in job postings and recruiting practices, Joy Rosenquist comments on how the D.C. law is different. 

WorldatWork

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Employer Hiring Tips As 'Ban The Box' Laws Proliferate

Stephanie Chavez offers advice to employers who are considering hiring individuals who have a criminal record.

Law360 Employment Authority

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4 Tips For Employers Paying Disabled Workers Lower Wages

Libby Henninger offers tips for employers paying disabled workers lower wages.

Law360 Employment Authority

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Corporate Board Diversity: Next Steps for Employers After Court Strikes Down California Board Diversity Law

On April 1, 2022, a Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled that California Assembly Bill 979—a bill designed to increase diversity and improve the persistently low number of underrepresented groups on corporate boards—violated the Equal Protection Clause of the California Constitution and was therefore unenforceable. In its ruling, the court acknowledged the pitfalls of homogeneity in business and communities, but it cautioned against quotas and specific number requirements.




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Psychedelics and Marijuana on the Ballot: How Should Employers Prepare for Potential Legalization?

Voters in several states will decide whether marijuana or, in one case, psychedelic substances should be legal in the upcoming November 5, 2024 general election. Employers should keep their eyes on these ballot measures and prepare for questions regarding changes to workplace policies if some or all of them pass. A rundown of the ballot measures in these jurisdictions follows.




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Microdosing Psilocybin: Popular Drug Has Implications for the Workplace

  • This Insight discusses what psilocybin is, how it is used, and various state and local laws that either decriminalize and/or legalize its use, or make the enforcement of its illegality a low priority.
  • This Insight also addresses some steps employers can take if employees are “microdosing” psilocybin while at work.




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New Case Provides Lessons That May Help Companies Avoid Pitfalls When Structuring Independent Contractor Relationships

The district court's opinion denying cross-motions for summary judgment in Bobbitt v. Broadband Interactive, Inc., No. 8:11-cv-2855 (M.D. Fla. Oct. 21, 2013) illustrates how not to structure an independent contractor relationship and how not to lay the groundwork to defend that relationship in the event of litigation.  The case also serves as a warning that even well-conceived independent contractor relationships may be open to question by a court that is inclined to distrust them.

Background




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Top 10 Employment Law Tips for a Successful 2019




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Top 10 Employment Law Tips for a Successful 2019




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Veterans Day 2024: How Military Service Helps Us Serve Littler Clients

Emily Haigh, U.S. Army veteran and co-founder of Littler's Veterans Initiative, speaks with Littler attorneys Michael Kibbe, Caroline Lutz and Jonathan Heller, about how their military experience has had a positive impact on their legal practice.
  




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German firms not required to pay “to the top” for gender pay gaps

Sabine Vianden discusses the German Pay Transparency Act and how it can help solve the gender pay gap discrepancies in Germany.

International Employment Lawyer

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Confinement: how ETSI helps its members and staff to work remotely round the world

Confinement: how ETSI helps its members and staff to work remotely round the world

Sophia Antipolis, 15 April 2020

With over 200 e-Meetings organized by ETSI and 3GPP technical groups in March (with up to 300 participants per meeting!) and with the entire ETSI staff now working remotely, the ETSI IT department has stepped up to ensure that all core standardization activities can continue to run smoothly during the COVID-19 lockdown. Even if the situation we are in is exceptional, e-Meetings are not new to ETSI groups. The ETSI IT department has been able to lean on their established business continuity plan to adapt and up-scale our online services, in these unusual times.

Read More...




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ETSI’s new group on COVID-19 tracing apps interoperability moving fast: officials elected and work programme set up

ETSI’s new group on COVID-19 tracing apps interoperability moving fast: officials elected and work programme set up

Sophia Antipolis, 11 June 2020

The ETSI E4P group, “Europe for Privacy-Preserving Pandemic Protection”, launched a month ago has already held two meetings. The work of ISG E4P aims to facilitate the development of backward-compatible and interoperable proximity tracing applications to be used to combat pandemics by helping to break viral transmission chains.

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ETSI eSignature testing event helps industry to comply with EU regulation

ETSI eSignature testing event helps industry to comply with EU regulation

Sophia Antipolis, 22 July 2022

With the eIDAS Regulation, European Union Member States have put in place the necessary technical means to process electronically signed documents that are required when using an online service offered by, or on behalf of, a public sector body. In order to ensure that the cross-border dimension works in practice, testing needs to be done to mutually check Member States’ signatures against their existing digital signature validation applications.

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ETSI TeraFlowSDN Winner of the Layer123 Network Transformation ‘Upstart of the Year’ Award

ETSI TeraFlowSDN Wins Layer123 Network Transformation ‘Upstart of the Year’ Award

Sophia Antipolis, 7 December 2022

The ETSI TeraFlowSDN group (ETSI TFS), launched only six months ago, has won the ‘Upstart of the Year’ award at the Layer123 Network Transformation Awards ceremony, held at the prestigious Berkley Hotel in Knightsbridge, London, last night. This award also recognizes the ETSI strategy to provide new software development tools and practices to an evolving standardization ecosystem.

Read More...




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ETSI to transform the standards development landscape with Software Development Groups

Sophia Antipolis, 2 February 2023

ETSI, the organization for globally applicable standards for information and communication technology (ICT), has adopted a new instrument, Software Development Groups (SDGs). This game-changing move will help ETSI adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of technology and standards development. Developing software to accompany standards will accelerate the standardization process, providing faster feedback loops and improving the quality of standards.

Read More...




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SpotOn London 2012 Storify: eBooks and apps

Here is a Storify round up of the SpotOn London session: Enhanced eBooks & BookApps: The




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Share your experiences to create some SpotOn social media tips for scientists!

It ain’t a party if you can’t join us Towards the end of April, SpotOn




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Cybersecurity Snapshot: New Guides Offer Best Practices for Preventing Shadow AI and for Deploying Secure Software Updates

Looking for help with shadow AI? Want to boost your software updates’ safety? New publications offer valuable tips. Plus, learn why GenAI and data security have become top drivers of cyber strategies. And get the latest on the top “no-nos” for software security; the EU’s new cyber law; and CISOs’ communications with boards.

Dive into six things that are top of mind for the week ending Oct. 25.

1 - CSA: How to prevent “shadow AI” 

As organizations scale up their AI adoption, they must closely track their AI assets to secure them and mitigate their cyber risk. This includes monitoring the usage of unapproved AI tools by employees — an issue known as “shadow AI.”

So how do you identify, manage and prevent shadow AI? You may find useful ideas in the Cloud Security Alliance’s new “AI Organizational Responsibilities: Governance, Risk Management, Compliance and Cultural Aspects” white paper.

The white paper covers shadow AI topics including:

  • Creating a comprehensive inventory of AI systems
  • Conducting gap analyses to spot discrepancies between approved and actual AI usage
  • Implementing ways to detect unauthorized AI wares
  • Establishing effective access controls
  • Deploying monitoring techniques

 

 

“By focusing on these key areas, organizations can significantly reduce the risks associated with shadow AI, ensuring that all AI systems align with organizational policies, security standards, and regulatory requirements,” the white paper reads.

For example, to create an inventory that offers the required visibility into AI assets, the document explains different elements each record should have, such as:

  • The asset’s description
  • Information about its AI models
  • Information about its data sets and data sources
  • Information about the tools used for its development and deployment
  • Detailed documentation about its lifecycle, regulatory compliance, ethical considerations and adherence to industry standards
  • Records of its access control mechanisms

Shadow AI is one of four topics covered in the publication, which also unpacks risk management; governance and compliance; and safety culture and training.

To get more details, read:

For more information about AI security issues, including shadow AI, check out these Tenable blogs:

2 - Best practices for secure software updates

The security and reliability of software updates took center stage in July when an errant update caused massive and unprecedented tech outages globally.

To help prevent such episodes, U.S. and Australian cyber agencies have published “Safe Software Deployment: How Software Manufacturers Can Ensure Reliability for Customers.

“It is critical for all software manufacturers to implement a safe software deployment program supported by verified processes, including robust testing and measurements,” reads the 12-page document.

Although the guide is aimed primarily at commercial software vendors, its recommendations can be useful for any organization with software development teams that deploy updates internally.

 

 

The guide outlines key steps for a secure software development process, including planning; development and testing; internal rollout; and controlled rollout. It also addresses errors and emergency protocols.

“A safe software deployment process should be integrated with the organization’s SDLC, quality program, risk tolerance, and understanding of the customer’s environment and operations,” reads the guide, authored by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the FBI and the Australian Cyber Security Centre.

To get more details, read:

For more information about secure software updates:

3 - Report: GenAI, attack variety, data security drive cyber strategies

What issues act as catalysts for organizations’ cybersecurity actions today? Hint: They’re fairly recent concerns. The promise and peril of generative AI ranks first. It’s closely followed by the ever growing variety of cyberattacks; and by the intensifying urgency to protect data.

That’s according to CompTIA’s “State of Cybersecurity 2025” report, based on a survey of almost 1,200 business and IT pros in North America and in parts of Europe and Asia. 

These three key factors, along with others like the scale of attacks, play a critical role in how organizations currently outline their cybersecurity game plans.

“Understanding these drivers is essential for organizations to develop proactive and adaptive cybersecurity strategies that address the evolving threat landscape and safeguard their digital assets,” reads a CompTIA blog about the report.

Organizations are eagerly trying to understand both how generative AI can help their cybersecurity programs and how this technology is being used by malicious actors to make cyberattacks harder to detect and prevent.

Meanwhile, concern about data protection has ballooned in the past couple of years. “As organizations become more data-driven, the need to protect sensitive information has never been more crucial,” reads the blog.

Not only are organizations focused on securing data at rest, in transit and in use, but they’re also creating foundational data-management practices, according to the report.

“The rise of AI has accelerated the need for robust data practices in order to properly train AI algorithms, and the demand for data science continues to be strong as businesses seek competitive differentiation,” the report reads.

To get more details, read:

For more information about data security posture management (DSPM) and preventing AI-powered attacks, check out these Tenable resources:

4 - CISA lists software dev practices most harmful for security

Recommended best practices abound in the cybersecurity world. However, CISA and the FBI are taking the opposite tack in their quest to improve the security of software products: They just released a list of the worst security practices that software manufacturers ought to avoid.

Titled “Product Security Bad Practices,” the document groups the “no-nos” into three main categories: product properties; security features; and organizational processes and policies.

“It’s 2024, and basic, preventable software defects continue to enable crippling attacks against hospitals, schools, and other critical infrastructure. This has to stop,” CISA Director Jen Easterly said in a statement.

“These product security bad practices pose unacceptable risks in this day and age, and yet are all too common,” she added.

 

 

Here are some of the worst practices detailed in the document, which is part of CISA’s “Secure by Design” effort:

  • Using programming languages considered “memory unsafe”
  • Including user-provided input in SQL query strings
  • Releasing a product with default passwords
  • Releasing a product with known and exploited vulnerabilities
  • Not using multi-factor authentication
  • Failing to disclose vulnerabilities in a timely manner

Although the guidance is aimed primarily at software makers whose products are used by critical infrastructure organizations, the recommendations apply to all software manufacturers.

If you’re interested in sharing your feedback with CISA and the FBI, you can submit comments about the document until December 16, 2024 on the Federal Register.

To get more details, check out:

For more information about how to develop secure software:

5 - New EU law focuses on cybersecurity of connected digital products

Makers of digital products — both software and hardware — that directly or indirectly connect to networks and to other devices will have to comply with specific cybersecurity safeguards in the European Union.

A newly adopted law known as the “Cyber Resilience Act” outlines cybersecurity requirements for the design, development, production and lifecycle maintenance of these types of products, including IoT wares such as connected cars.

 

 

For example, it specifies a number of “essential cybersecurity requirements” for these products, including that they:

  • Aren’t shipped with known exploitable vulnerabilities
  • Feature a “secure by default” configuration
  • Can fix their vulnerabilities via automatic software updates
  • Offer access protection via control mechanisms, such as authentication and identity management
  • Protect the data they store, transmit and process using, for example, at-rest and in-transit encryption

“The new regulation aims to fill the gaps, clarify the links, and make the existing cybersecurity legislative framework more coherent, ensuring that products with digital components (...) are made secure throughout the supply chain and throughout their lifecycle,” reads a statement from the EU’s European Council.

The law will “enter into force” after its publication in the EU’s official journal and will apply and be enforceable 36 months later, so most likely in October 2027 or November 2027. However, some of its provisions will be enforceable a year prior.

For more information and analysis about the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act:

VIDEO

The EU Cyber Resilience Act: A New Era for Business Engagement in Open Source Software (Linux Foundation) 

6 - UK cyber agency: CISOs must communicate better with boards

CISOs and boards of directors are struggling to understand each other, and this is increasing their organizations’ cyber risk, new research from the U.K.’s cyber agency has found.

For example, in one alarming finding, 80% of respondents, which included board members, CISOs and other cyber leaders in medium and large enterprises, confessed to being unsure of who is ultimately accountable for cybersecurity in their organizations.

“We found that in many organisations, the CISO (or equivalent role) thought that the Board was accountable, whilst the Board thought it was the CISO,” reads a blog about the research titled “How to talk to board members about cyber.

As a result, the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has released new guidance aimed at helping CISOs better communicate with their organizations’ boards titled “Engaging with Boards to improve the management of cyber security risk.

“Cyber security is a strategic issue, which means you must engage with Boards on their terms and in their language to ensure the cyber risk is understood, managed and mitigated,” the document reads.

Here’s a small sampling of the advice:

  • Understand your audience, including who are the board’s members and their areas of expertise; and how the board works, such as its meeting formats and its committees.
  • Talk about cybersecurity in terms of risks, and outline these risks concretely and precisely, presenting them in a matter-of-fact way.
  • Don’t limit your communication with board members to formal board meetings. Look for opportunities to talk to them individually or in small groups outside of these board meetings.
  • Elevate the discussions so that you link cybersecurity with your organization’s business challenges, goals and context.
  • Aim to provide a holistic view, and avoid using technical jargon.
  • Aim to advise instead of to educate.




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Cybersecurity Snapshot: Apply Zero Trust to Critical Infrastructure’s OT/ICS, CSA Advises, as Five Eyes Spotlight Tech Startups’ Security

Should critical infrastructure orgs boost OT/ICS systems’ security with zero trust? Absolutely, the CSA says. Meanwhile, the Five Eyes countries offer cyber advice to tech startups. Plus, a survey finds “shadow AI” weakening data governance. And get the latest on MFA methods, CISO trends and Uncle Sam’s AI strategy.

Dive into six things that are top of mind for the week ending Nov. 1.

1 - Securing OT/ICS in critical infrastructure with zero trust

As their operational technology (OT) computing environments become more digitized, converged with IT systems and cloud-based, critical infrastructure organizations should beef up their cybersecurity by adopting zero trust principles.

That’s the key message of the Cloud Security Alliance’s “Zero Trust Guidance for Critical Infrastructure,” which focuses on applying zero trust methods to OT and industrial control system (ICS) systems.

While OT/ICS environments were historically air gapped, that’s rarely the case anymore. “Modern systems are often interconnected via embedded wireless access, cloud and other internet-connected services, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications,” reads the 64-page white paper, which was published this week.

The CSA hopes the document will help cybersecurity teams and OT/ICS operators enhance the way they communicate and collaborate.

 

 

Among the topics covered are:

  • Critical infrastructure’s unique threat vectors
  • The convergence of IT/OT with digital transformation
  • Architecture and technology differences between OT and IT

The guide also outlines this five-step process for implementing zero trust in OT/ICS environments:

  • Define the surface to be protected
  • Map operational flows
  • Build a zero trust architecture
  • Draft a zero trust policy
  • Monitor and maintain the environment

A zero trust strategy boosts the security of critical OT/ICS systems by helping teams “keep pace with rapid technological advancements and the evolving threat landscape,” Jennifer Minella, the paper’s lead author, said in a statement.

To get more details, read:

For more information about OT systems cybersecurity, check out these Tenable resources: 

2 - Five Eyes publish cyber guidance for tech startups

Startup tech companies can be attractive targets for hackers, especially if they have weak cybersecurity and valuable intellectual property (IP).

To help startups prevent cyberattacks, the Five Eyes countries this week published cybersecurity guides tailored for these companies and their investors.

“This guidance is designed to help tech startups protect their innovation, reputation, and growth, while also helping tech investors fortify their portfolio companies against security risks," Mike Casey, U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director, said in a statement.

These are the top five cybersecurity recommendations from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.S. and the U.K. for tech startups:

  • Be aware of threat vectors, including malicious insiders, insecure IT and supply chain risk.
  • Identify your most critical assets and conduct a risk assessment to pinpoint vulnerabilities.
  • Build security into your products by managing intellectual assets and IP; monitoring who has access to sensitive information; and ensuring this information’s protection.
  • Conduct due diligence when choosing partners and make sure they’re equipped to protect the data you share with them.
  • Before you expand abroad, prepare and become informed about these new markets by, for example, understanding local laws in areas such as IP protection and data protection.

 

 

“Sophisticated nation-state adversaries, like China, are working hard to steal the intellectual property held by some of our countries’ most innovative and exciting startups,” Ken McCallum, Director General of the U.K.’s MI5, said in a statement.

To get more details, check out these Five Eyes’ cybersecurity resources for tech startups:

3 - Survey: Unapproved AI use impacting data governance

Employees’ use of unauthorized AI tools is creating compliance issues in a majority of organizations. Specifically, it makes it harder to control data governance and compliance, according to almost 60% of organizations surveyed by market researcher Vanson Bourne.

“Amid all the investment and adoption enthusiasm, many organisations are struggling for control and visibility over its use,” reads the firm’s “AI Barometer: October 2024” publication. Vanson Bourne polls 100 IT and business executives each month about their AI investment plans.

To what extent do you think the unsanctioned use of AI tools is impacting your organisation's ability to maintain control over data governance and compliance?

(Source: Vanson Bourne’s “AI Barometer: October 2024”)

Close to half of organizations surveyed (44%) believe that at least 10% of their employees are using unapproved AI tools.

On a related front, organizations are also grappling with the issue of software vendors that unilaterally and silently add AI features to their products, especially to their SaaS applications.

While surveyed organizations say they’re reaping advantages from their AI usage, “such benefits are dependent on IT teams having the tools to address the control and visibility challenges they face,” the publication reads.

For more information about the use of unapproved AI tools, an issue also known as “shadow AI,” check out:

VIDEO

Shadow AI Risks in Your Company

 

4 - NCSC explains nuances of multi-factor authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) comes in a variety of flavors, and understanding the differences is critical for choosing the right option for each use case in your organization.

To help cybersecurity teams better understand the different MFA types and their pluses and minuses, the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has updated its MFA guidance.

“The new guidance explains the benefits that come with strong authentication, while also minimising the friction that some users associate with MFA,” reads an NCSC blog.

 

 

In other words, what type of MFA method to use depends on people’s roles, how they work, the devices they use, the applications or services they’re accessing and so on.

Topics covered include:

  • Recommended types of MFA, such as FIDO2 credentials, app-based and hardware-based code generators and message-based methods
  • The importance of using strong MFA to secure users’ access to sensitive data
  • The role of trusted devices in boosting and simplifying MFA
  • Bad practices that weaken MFA’s effectiveness, such as:
    • Retaining weaker, password-only authentication protocols for legacy services
    • Excluding certain accounts from MFA requirements because their users, usually high-ranking officials, find MFA inconvenient

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5 - U.S. gov’t outlines AI strategy, ties it to national security 

The White House has laid out its expectations for how the federal government ought to promote the development of AI in order to safeguard U.S. national security.

In the country’s first-ever National Security Memorandum (NSM) on AI, the Biden administration said the federal government must accomplish the following:

  • Ensure the U.S. is the leader in the development of safe, secure and trustworthy AI
  • Leverage advanced AI technologies to boost national security
  • Advance global AI consensus and governance

“The NSM’s fundamental premise is that advances at the frontier of AI will have significant implications for national security and foreign policy in the near future,” reads a White House statement.

 

 

The NSM’s directives to federal agencies include:

  • Help improve the security of chips and support the development of powerful supercomputers to be used by AI systems.
  • Help AI developers protect their work against foreign spies by providing them with cybersecurity and counterintelligence information.
  • Collaborate with international partners to create a governance framework for using AI in a way that is ethical, responsible and respects human rights. 

The White House also published a complementary document titled “Framework To Advance AI Governance and Risk Management in National Security,” which adds implementation details and guidance for the NSM.

6 - State CISOs on the frontlines of AI security

As the cybersecurity risks and benefits of AI multiply, most U.S. state CISOs find themselves at the center of their governments' efforts to craft AI security strategies and policies.

That’s according to the “2024 Deloitte-NASCIO Cybersecurity Study,” which surveyed CISOs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Specifically, 88% of state CISOs reported being involved in the development of a generative AI strategy, while 96% are involved with creating a generative AI security policy.

However, their involvement in AI cybersecurity matters isn’t necessarily making them optimistic about their states’ ability to fend off AI-boosted attacks.

None said they feel “extremely confident” that their state can prevent AI-boosted attacks, while only 10% reported feeling “very confident.” The majority (43%) said they feel “somewhat confident” while the rest said they are either “not very confident” or “not confident at all.”

 

 

Naturally, most state CISOs see AI-enabled cyberthreats as significant, with 71% categorizing them as either “very high threat” (18%) or “somewhat high threat” (53%).

At the same time, state CISOs see the potential for AI to help their cybersecurity efforts, as 41% are already using generative AI for cybersecurity, and another 43% have plans to do so by mid-2025.

Other findings from the "2024 Deloitte-NASCIO Cybersecurity Study" include:

  • 4 in 10 state CISOs feel their budget is insufficient.
  • Almost half of respondents rank cybersecurity staffing as one of the top challenges.
  • In the past two years, 23 states have hired new CISOs, as the median tenure of a state CISO has dropped to 23 months, down from 30 months in 2022.
  • More state CISOs are taking on privacy protection duties — 86% are responsible for privacy protection, up from 60% two years ago.

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