Peter Levine, Evercore ISI enterprise software analyst, and BlackCloak CEO Chris Pierson join ‘Power Lunch’ to discuss CrowdStrike’s global tech outage, what this event means for the global business, and more.
Google parent Alphabet’s reported $23 billion bid for cybersecurity cloud software firm Wiz would be company’s largest ever acquisition, and could shake up things for the mergers and acquisitions landscape, which saw a sluggish tech market in 2023.
But a deal could spark could also spark fresh protests that saw workers fired over the company’s contracts with the Israeli government amid the Gaza War. Wiz was founded in Israel and now has headquarters in New York — most of its engineering workforce still works out of Tel Aviv. With a global headcount of about 900 (150 working in Israel), Wiz said it plans to add another 400 people to its headcount, according to a February report from The Times of Israel.
Read the full article, and Dr. Chris Pierson’s thoughts, here.
A cyber attack on telecommunications giant AT&T obtained data on “nearly all” of its more than 100m cellphone subscribers.
“We have taken steps to close off the illegal access point,” the company said in a statement on Friday. “We are working with law enforcement in its efforts to arrest those involved in the incident. We understand that at least one person has been apprehended.”
The breach compromised files containing records of calls and texts, mostly between May and October of 2022, identifying telephone numbers customers interacted with, without capturing the content of those interactions or sensitive identification information like Social Security numbers or passwords, according to the company.
Read the full article, and CEO & Founder, Chris Pierson’s thoughts, here.
Every day, it seems there’s another breach – unauthorized access and vulnerability to your personal or financial information. The latest: AT&T’s data breach, which exposed nearly all of its cellular customers’ call and text message records. It seems many of us have even become a bit numb to hearing about them, barely even opening the routine emails and letters that come offering a year of free identity protection. But don’t tune it out.
Dr. Chris Pierson, chief executive of the cybersecurity company BlackCloak, said the incident appears to pose more of a national security concern than a risk to individual consumers. Through data broker records, phone numbers can be traced back to individuals, which could expose communication networks for people in national security roles.
“The most likely beneficiary of this specific data are foreign nation states or foreign actors,” Dr. Pierson said.
There were $1B in ransomware payouts in 2023 and that will be exceeded in 2024, notes Gordon Lawson. He and Dr. Chris Pierson discuss cybersecurity and the rise in ransomware attacks. Pierson highlights that ransomware attacks are becoming aggressive as hackers look for bigger paydays. Find out why the auto industry is an attractive target for cybercriminals and how companies are raising its defense against cybercriminals.
How could taking a Scattered Spider leader out of the game mean for the future of the group?
Scattered Spider has made a name for itself in the ransomware space with high-profile attacks on companies including MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Twilio, LastPass, DoorDash, and Mailchimp. In June, Spanish police arrested a 22-year-old man suspected of being a leader of the group, Murcia Today reports.
This arrest is one of many law enforcement actions taken against hacking and ransomware groups in recent months. What could this latest actions mean for the future of Scattered Spider?
Find out what Dr. Chris Pierson, our CEO and Founder, has to say here: https://www.informationweek.com/cyber-resilience/suspected-scattered-spider-leader-snagged-in-law-enforcement-s-web
SEC cyber-breach reporting requirements further elevate the risk that company leaders present to corporations.
Among the most vulnerable and consequential cyberattack targets are corporate executives and board members. The implications of a personal cybersecurity breach for these individuals are profound, potentially leading to material breaches that necessitate reporting to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
ORLANDO, FL, June 4, 2024 – BlackCloak, the pioneer in Digital Executive Protection and Concierge Cybersecurity & Privacy™ for corporate executives, high-net-worth individuals, and family offices proudly announces its commitment to enhancing software security by signing the Secure by Design Pledge. This voluntary pledge, initiated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), aims to promote and support the development of secure enterprise software products and services, including on-premises software, cloud services, and software as a service (SaaS).
By joining the Secure by Design Pledge, BlackCloak commits to the pledge’s seven core goals over the next year. These goals are designed to help software companies achieve measurable progress in enhancing software security. BlackCloak will publicly document its achievements in meeting these goals within one year of signing the pledge, in line with the spirit of radical transparency that the pledge encourages.
“It is important to us that we contribute to the collective effort to enhance software security across the industry and join the Secure by Design Pledge,” said Ryan Black, BlackCloak’s Chief Information Security Officer. “Our commitment to these goals underscores our dedication to protecting our clients and their digital assets. We believe that by working together with CISA and other industry leaders, we can make significant strides in creating a more secure digital environment.”
BlackCloak recognizes the importance of these goals and is dedicated to integrating them into its operations. As part of this commitment, BlackCloak will take various actions across its product line for future enhancements. Where BlackCloak already meets or exceeds these goals, it will provide documentation of its practices and explore additional efforts to go above and beyond the pledge’s requirements.
The Secure by Design Pledge complements existing software security best practices developed by CISA, NIST, other federal agencies, and international industry standards. BlackCloak looks forward to contributing to these efforts and advancing a secure by design posture in the cybersecurity landscape.
About BlackCloak
BlackCloak protects corporate executives and high-profile individuals from cybersecurity, privacy, financial, and other reputational risks. Used by Fortune 500 companies across all industries, the BlackCloak Concierge Cybersecurity & Privacy™ Platform is a holistic solution including mobile and desktop apps as well as concierge support. Executives and high-profile individuals get peace of mind knowing their family, reputation, and finances are secured. Companies rest assured that their brand, intellectual property, data, and finances are protected against threats coming through executives without having to invade their personal lives. Learn more at www.blackcloak.io, and follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter.
BlackCloak Media Contact:
Mike Sias
Auction house hit by cyber-extortionist group RansomHub which claims to have sensitive information of at least 500,000 clients
A ransomware hack was the last thing the precarious fine art market needed – but that’s what it got when Christie’s website went down days before it began its all-important 20th and 21st century May auctions in New York.
Guillaume Cerutti, CEO of the French-owned auctioneer, gently called the attack a “technology security incident”. Christie’s posted its auction catalogs on a separate site, the sale went ahead with sales of $640m, and 10 days later the website came back to life.
Find out what our CEO and Founder, Dr. Chris Pierson, had to say on this topic.
