​Telework Safeguards 

Employees who telework may be using their own PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones for work purposes, so a telework program may require another layer of security to protect sensitive data. Security managers facing this issue may want to consult the Guide to Enterprise Telework, Remote Access, and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Security, issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. The free guide provides information on security considerations for remote access solutions, and it makes recommendations for securing a variety of telework, remote access, and BYOD technologies. It also gives advice on creating related security policies.​

Elections 

The Russian hacking of the U.S. 2016 presidential election was an “assault” on election infrastructure, and there may be similar efforts affecting future elections. Securing Elections from Foreign Interference, issued by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, outlines steps that can be taken now to protect the most critical elements of the U.S. election infrastructure.

Secure Access

A study conducted among IT professionals explores the security threats faced by organizations today. Among its findings, The Secure Access Threat Report 2017 from Bomgar reveals that while 90 percent of security professionals trust employees with privileged access most of the time, only 41 percent have “complete trust” in those users. ​

​Disclosure

In Government’s Role in Vulnerability Disclosure: Creating a Permanent and Accountable Vulnerability Equities Process, experts recommend that the United States formalize the process it uses to disclose cyber vulnerabilities.

Fake News Technology

In a Vanity Fair article, Nick Bilton writes about new technologies that can change audio and video in the same way that photos can be altered. He fears that “governments can weaponize fake news.” The article includes videos that show these technologies in action.​

Military Supplies

Investigators posing as a fictitious federal agency were able to acquire excess military equipment, and the U.S. Defense Department needs to do more​ to track equipment it provides to Iraq.

Seeing=Believing

Humans are predisposed to believe fake news. A Yale University study found that even one exposure to a false news story predisposed the reader to believe that the story was true. The more times the reader was exposed, the more he or she believed it. Another study uncovered a tendency to believe clearly untrue information even if the reader previously knew that the information was false.

Data Breaches​

The heightened risk of future identity theft is sufficient to show standing to sue at the pleading state in a lawsuit, a U.S. court of appeals ruled.

Driver Testing

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Federal Railroad Administration withdrew a proposed rule​ to require truck drivers and train operators be tested for obstructive sleep apnea.​

Data Protection

The United Kingdom will introduce new legislation that will align U.K. law more closely with the EU General Data Protection Regulation.