Cybersecurity Insights with Contrast CISO David Lindner | 01/17/25

Insight No. 1: HIPAA amendments: More bureaucratic BS? 

Most media reports are hyping proposed HIPAA amendments, claiming they'll magically close security gaps. Yeah, right. Like forcing already overwhelmed healthcare providers to jump through more hoops with multifactor authentication (MFA) and encryption is going to stop determined attackers. This smells like security theater, designed to give the illusion of action while shifting blame to providers when the inevitable breaches happen. Time to call out this regulatory smokescreen and demand real solutions — say, no-fault liability for software security liabilities a la the new 2024 EU Product Liability Directive (PLD) — not just more paperwork.

Insight No. 2: CISO-CFO alliance: It's about time

This article preaches the CISO-CFO relationship. Finally! Security can't be some isolated techie domain anymore. CFOs need to grasp that cybersecurity is core to business survival, not just a cost center. CISOs need to ditch the jargon and prove security's value in the CFO's language. It’s time for a power couple that drives both secure innovation and profit.

Insight No. 3: Threat intelligence: Prove it or lose it! 

Some are warning about wasting money on threat intelligence, screaming "justify your existence!" to security teams. They’re right: We need to stop blindly buying feeds. CISOs need to laser-focus on intel that actually improves security posture, and then they need to prove the worth of that intel. CISOs need to demand accuracy, relevance and timeliness from vendors. Use tools like Application Detection and Response (ADR) for increased visibility and context. Time to show how threat intelligence translates into hard results, not just cool graphs and buzzwords.