Christopher Burgess
star Advisor
IDG Contributor Network
Want to Join?
Opinions expressed by ICN authors are their own.
Christopher Burgess is a writer, speaker and commentator on security issues. He is a former senior security advisor to Cisco, and has also been a CEO/COO with various startups in the data and security spaces. He served 30+ years within the CIA which awarded him the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal upon his retirement. Cisco gave him a stetson and a bottle of single-barrel Jack upon his retirement. Christopher co-authored the book, “Secrets Stolen, Fortunes Lost, Preventing Intellectual Property Theft and Economic Espionage in the 21st Century”. He also founded the non-profit, Senior Online Safety.
HiQ v LinkedIn court ruling will have a material effect on privacy
A U.S. appeals court has ruled that hiQ's scraping of public LinkedIn data is not a violation of the U.S. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
Uber CISO's trial underscores the importance of truth, transparency, and trust
The criminal trial offers a lesson in the value of both CISOs and organizations adhering to a policy of truth, transparency and trust when it comes to security.
China's cyber espionage focus: intellectual property theft
The recently uncovered Operation CuckooBees campaign shows how serious China is about using IP theft as a competitive advantage. Protect IP now or chase it later.
SolarWinds breach lawsuits: 6 takeaways for CISOs
Civil lawsuits aim to show that SolarWinds and its CISO did not take adequate actions to prevent a breach. Here's how security leaders can protect themselves and their organizations from similar claims.
New Five Eyes alert warns of Russian threats targeting critical infrastructure
The alert provides detailed information on Russian government and state-sponsored cybercriminal groups as well as guidance for reducing risk.
JHL Biotech's theft of Genentech data holds lessons for infosec
Genentech employees stole the company's data on behalf of JHL Biotech for years. What could they have done to spot the theft sooner?
Meta, Apple emergency data request scam holds lessons for CISOs
Fake requests from law enforcement gave cybercriminals access to sensitive customer data. It's a signal for CISOs to work with business to review and update processes for these requests.
What is the risk of retaliation for taking a corporate stance on Russia?
Hacktivists, Russia and its proxies, and even partisan cybercriminals have taken cyber actions against organizations for their decisions regarding the attack on Ukraine.
New insider threat: Bad business decisions that put IP at risk
The U.S. FTC forced Weight Watchers to destroy algorithms after it violated privacy laws, giving CISOs another worry over protecting intellectual property.
Why CISOs everywhere should pay attention to the US global threat assessment
The recent Global Threat Assessment briefing and the ODNI’s threat assessment report provides valuable insight on what to expect from the country's most dangerous adversaries.
Internet sanctions against Russia pose risks, challenges for businesses
Sanctions on Russian attack for its attack on Ukraine and its response will change the way the internet is used, forcing companies to make hard decisions.
MITRE and partners build insider threat knowledge base
MITRE Engenuity and major business partners have developed an knowledge base of malicious insiders' tactics, techniques and procedures.
Clearview AI commercialization of facial recognition raises concerns, risks
Facial recognition as a service has caught the attention of regulators and litigators. CISOs at companies considering the technology need strong privacy protections in place.
The Ukraine/Russia information war is forcing companies to choose a side
Both Russia and Ukraine are making demands and requests of companies to help control information around their conflict. However they respond has consequences.
3 biggest cyber risks from the Ukraine-Russia conflict
The threat of cyberattacks crossing Ukrainian and Russian borders is real, and these are the most likely risks that businesses need to consider.
CISOs, beware of spyware tools for illicit competitive intelligence
Two recent court cases expose the capabilities of publicly available spyware and how businesses and governments use them for malicious purposes.
Motorola case shows importance of detecting insider IP theft quickly
Departing Motorola employees took thousands of documents with them in 2008 when they were hired by a competitor, but it wasn't discovered until 2017.
When the insider threat is the Commander in Chief
The revelation of former U.S. President Trump allegedly mishandling and removing sensitive government documents presents presents unique security challenges.
Russia’s offensive cyber actions should be a cause for concern for CISOs
Recent cyber attacks against Western entities operating in Ukraine aim to disrupt or conduct espionage. CISOs should be wary of such attacks expanding beyond the Ukrainian border.