Mitigating card risks associated with retail malware attacks and POS vulnerabilities is a focus of updates to the PCI Data Security Standard, say Bob Russo and Troy Leach of the PCI Security Standards Council.

Top executives at healthcare organizations must take the lead in overcoming a culture that portrays privacy and security as barriers, says Joy Pritts, chief privacy officer at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT.

Professionalizing occupations within the cybersecurity field won't necessarily help fill vacant IT security jobs in government and industry, says Diana Burley, an IT security workforce expert.

In response to today's cybersecurity challenges, Southern Methodist University has selected Frederick Chang to head a new program that will address top issues - including how to fill the skills gap.

John Streufert, the DHS director overseeing the rollout of a federal continuous diagnostic initiative to mitigate IT systems vulnerabilities, expects that many state and local governments will participate in the program.

The massive initiative to deploy continuous monitoring at U.S. federal government agencies will be done in phases, with the initial rollout occurring over three years, the Department of Homeland Security's John Streufert says.

As the federal government ramps up deployment of continuous monitoring, agencies should significantly reduce the time to certify and accredit IT systems and detect vulnerabilities, says the Defense Department's Robert Carey.

Bank regulatory guidelines for cloud providers highlight due diligence, and organizations that don't adequately screen vendors face trouble. Troy Wunderlich of Washington Trust Bank offers tips for vendor managers across industries.

Because big data brings significant benefits - and risks - CEOs and boards of directors must take charge of developing privacy protection policies, ISACA International Vice President Jeff Spivey says.

Today's advanced threats are no secret. Focusing the correct resources on them is the true challenge, says Will Irace of General Dynamics Fidelis Cybersecurity Solutions. He offers tips for harnessing the right skills and technology.