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Identity is Security: Bots in the Wild

Coming off the heels of Gartner IAM in Vegas, one major theme coming out of the show was software bots. We spent some time on the show floor polling IT leaders and getting a pulse on how many businesses have introduced software bots into their business and IT environments – 70 percent said they were. What we discovered is that bots are essentially out in the wild, making choices and accessing apps and data without any real governance around them.

Bots are just the next iteration of technology that enterprise must examine closely. Yet, there’s still plenty to be said about bots’ human counterparts and their user access when it comes to data breaches making headlines. This week, Quora – the Facebook-owned Q&A platform- was the latest victim to make headlines when they discovered a hack that exposed the account information of 100 million users. Interestingly, many consumers were left perplexed when they received word that their account had been compromised, as it had been so long since they’d last accessed their Quora account, they’d simply forgotten about it. This is a good reminder to all: if an app or website no longer serves you, shut down your account or you could wind up with a possible stolen identity on your hands.

With several major consumer-facing breaches happening in such a short span of time, we’re seeing more conversation on the government level resurface about what to do to protect consumers – and some senators are even suggesting jail-time for executives. Regardless of the laws in place, consequences always follow a breach, sometimes years later.  Just this week the attorneys general of 12 US states filed a lawsuit for HIPPA violations against a healthcare provider who was breached back in 2015 – the first lawsuit of its kind.

And speaking of firsts, we like to end on a high note: the TSA announced its first cybersecurity roadmap, addressing four priorities that align with the DHS cybersecurity strategy. While true that we read a lot of news about breaches and vulnerabilities, news like this is plentiful too.

Did you read any good cybersecurity news this week? Share it with us in the comments or over on our LinkedIn and Twitter.


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