Don't blame a lack of information security standards, security products or cybersecurity competence for the failure of breach defenses. In many cases, the culprit is design and implementation flaws in IT products, Robert Bigman, former CIO at the CIA, contends.

ISMG editors, in a special report, examine the status of data breach notification laws in a number of regions, including the European Union, which this past week implemented the General Data Protection Regulation, although enforcement won't take place for two years.

Financial fraud expert Avivah Litan, a Gartner analyst, says the SWIFT-related heists, which have defrauded banks out of millions of dollars in recent weeks, are not cause for "the sky is falling" alarm. She recommends key security steps to prevent further such incidents.

Start preparing immediately for the EU's new General Data Protection Regulation - even though it doesn't go into force for two more years - because it mandates a number of new privacy and security requirements, warns cybersecurity expert Brian Honan.

The U.S. Congress delves into the issue of whether CISOs should report to CIOs, a topic that leads the Friday, May 27, 2016, edition of the ISMG Security Report, an on-demand audio report offered every Tuesday and Friday.

Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4, has seen first-hand the devastating impact of ransomware on healthcare entities. And he knows traditional defenses aren't enough to ward off attackers. What's needed is a whole new approach to user education.

Identity and access management should empower businesses, satisfying customers and other stakeholders who need secure access to an enterprise's data and systems, says security expert Jeremy Grant, former leader at the federal government's National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace.

Information Security Media Group is premiering the twice-weekly ISMG Security Report, a concise, on-demand audio report in which ISMG editors and other experts analyze the latest IT security news.

Data today is money - especially in financial services, where account data is every hacker's target. How, then, can institutions mask that data and protect it when it's in non-production environments? Mike Logan of Delphix offers new insights.

Walmart's lawsuit against Visa, which claims the card brand is unfairly preventing retailers from requiring that customers enter PINs when they conduct EMV debit transactions, poses important questions about fair business practices, says Liz Garner of the Merchant Advisory Group.