Browsers pose the greatest threat to enterprise, Microsoft reports, Fed Budget Makes Room for Cloud, Cybersecurity Upgrades and more

By Ryan Kamauff

Here are the top cyber news and stories of the day.

• Browsers pose the greatest threat to enterprise, Microsoft reports – “Microsoft’s latest security report has found that Web-based attacks pose the greatest threat to companies, giving credence to efforts to develop browser alternatives to accessing the Internet.” The most recent “Security Intelligence Report” is the summation of data from 1B computers over the last six months of 2012. Via Computerworld, more here.
• Naval Reactors Program lacks ‘fully effective’ cybersecurity program – An April 12 report states that ‘the National Nuclear Security Administration continues to lack a “fully effective cybersecurity program.”‘ They found 335 high-risk and medium-risk vulnerabilities, which is down from 9,000 in 2011. Via FierceGovernmentIT, more here.
• Hackers are targeting mobile devices more than ever – “McAfee labs says there was a 600% increase in the number of mobile malware threats it found from 2011 to 2012.” Our mobile devices are the primary venue for computing for many people and will continue to be important and a target vector for attacks. Via TMJ 4, more here.
• Fed Budget Makes Room for Cloud, Cybersecurity Upgrades – “Sequestration and budget battles may be ongoing in Congress, but a few federal agencies are still on track for IT system upgrades for fiscal year 2014. Cloud computing and cybersecurity initiatives have survived calls for leaner budgets, and the Departments of Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs are the biggest winners so far with funding increases. An overall agency increase of just under 2 percent shows money remains tight, but IT upgrades may still be seen as worthy investments.” This is good news because the federal government’s IT spend must increase to improve their capabilities and defenses. Via E-Commerce Times, more here.
• NIST cyber center seeks nonprofit for research

  – “The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced April 22 its National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence plans to sponsor its first Federally Funded Research and Development Center.” This capability will help bring public and private resources together to better serve the federal government. Via FedScoop, more here.

• Verizon’s 2013 Data Breach Investigations Report: Highlights – ‘According to the 2013 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), announced on Tuesday (April 23, 2013) by its publisher Verizon Enterprise Solutions, “financially motivated cybercrime” and “state-affiliated espionage campaigns” took the top two spots for all breaches that occurred in 2012, with the former accounting for 75 percent of all breaches and the latter 20 percent.’ Via Computerworld, more here.
• VanRoekel: Fiscal 2014 request includes data-driven innovation fund – The Federal government has more data sources (and total data) than almost any other organization. But leveraging that with funds earmarked for innovation, hopefully some of that data can be put to good use. While budgets are shrinking, actively looking for innovation is one way to increase the effectiveness of current IT spend. Via FierceGovernmentIT, more here.

Original post