Georgia should not authorize "hack back"
The Georgia state legislature recently passed a bill - SB 315 - to create a new crime of accessing a computer without authorization. This will become law unless Governor Nathan Deal vetoes the bill by May 8th. Prior to SB 315, Georgia did not have…
NIST Cyber Framework Updated With Coordinated Vuln Disclosure Processes
A key guideline for cybersecurity risk management now includes coordinated vulnerability disclosure and handling processes. This revision will help boost adoption of processes for receiving and analyzing vulnerabilities disclosed from external sources, such as researchers.…
Welcome transparency on US government's process for disclosing vulnerabilities
The White House recently released details on the US government's process for disclosing - or retaining - zero-day vulnerabilities. The new VEP charter provides answers to several key questions, but it remains to be seen how it will operate in practice.…
Cybersecurity for NAFTA
When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was originally negotiated, cybersecurity was not a central focus. NAFTA came into force – removing obstacles to commercial trade activity between the US, Canada, and Mexico – in 1994, well before most digital services existed. Today, cybersecurity is a…
Copyright Office Calls For New Cybersecurity Researcher Protections
On Jun. 22, the US Copyright Office released its long-awaited study on Sec. 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and it has important implications for independent cybersecurity researchers. Mostly the news is very positive. Rapid7 advocated extensively for researcher protections to be built…
Legislation to Strengthen IoT Marketplace Transparency
Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) is poised to introduce legislation to develop a voluntary cybersecurity standards program for the Internet of Things (IoT). The legislation, called the Cyber Shield Act, would enable IoT products that comply with the standards to display a label indicating a strong…
Rapid7 issues comments on NAFTA renegotiation
In April 2017, President Trump issued an executive order directing a review of all trade agreements. This process is now underway: The United States Trade Representative (USTR) – the nation's lead trade agreement negotiator – formally requested public input on objectives for the renegotiation of the North…
White House Cybersecurity Executive Order Summary
Yesterday President Trump issued an Executive Order on cybersecurity: “Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure.” The Executive Order (EO) appears broadly positive and well thought out, though it is just the beginning of a long process and not a sea change in…
Rapid7 urges NIST and NTIA to promote coordinated disclosure processes
Rapid7 has long been a champion of coordinated vulnerability disclosure and handling processes as they play a critical role in both strengthening risk management practices and protecting security researchers. We not only use coordinated disclosure processes in our own vulnerability disclosure and receiving activities, but…
Wikileaks Releases Vault7: Our First Impressions
What follows are some first impressions on the contents of the WikiLeaks Vault7 dump. I won't be addressing the legal or ethical concerns about posting classified data that can endanger the missions and goals of American intelligence organizations. I also won't be talking about whether…
12 Days of HaXmas: Year-End Policy Comment Roundup
Merry HaXmas to you! Each year we mark the 12 Days of HaXmas with 12 blog posts on hacking-related topics and roundups from the year. This year, we're highlighting some of the “gifts” we want to give back to the community. And while these gifts…
Publishing Nexpose Asset Risk Scores to ePO
Security professionals today face great challenges protecting their assets from breaches by hackers and malware. A good vulnerability management solution could help mitigate these challenges, but vulnerability management solutions often produce huge volumes of data from scanning and require lots of time spent in differentiating…
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2016 - This one's for the researchers
October was my favorite month even before I learned it is also National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) in the US and EU. So much the better – it is more difficult to be aware of cybersecurity in the dead of winter or the blaze of…
Rapid7 Supports Researcher Protections in Michigan Vehicle Hacking Law
Yesterday, the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill – S.B. 0927 – that forbids some forms of vehicle hacking, but includes specific protections for cybersecurity researchers. Rapid7 supports these protections. The bill is not law yet – it has only cleared a Committee…
Hacking the Election: What to Expect
Today, we're less than fifty days from the next U.S. presidential election, and over the next couple months, I fully expect to see a lot of speculation over the likelihood of someone "hacking the election." But what does that even mean? The…
