Tag Archive for: Multinational

CISO Conversations: HP and Dell CISOs Discuss the Role of the Multi-National Security Chief

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HP and Dell Technologies are two of the world’s largest international computer manufacturers. Their CISOs, Joanna Burkey (HP) and Kevin Cross (Dell), both manage security teams comprising many hundreds of people, and are responsible for corporate security across multiple jurisdictions. The role of CISO is different for a multinational corporation compared to a national company.

Reporting and budget

Historically, the CISO reports to the CIO, and this remains the most common reporting structure. Not all CISOs agree with this because of the inherent conflict of interest between IT and security. Both Burkey and Cross believe it is right for some companies, but wrong for others.

There’s no one size fits all solution to the hierarchy issue, says Burkey. “Every company has a different culture and different value prop; and it is these that determine the right location for the CISO.”

Cross has a very similar view. “There is no right or wrong answer to this,” he says. “It is dependent on the company culture and the business landscape how things should best be structured.” Supporting this, he notes that Dell’s structure is slightly unusual. “I report to a chief security officer who reports to general counsel, who reports to the CEO.” A stronger than usual integration with Legal could be considered important for a firm working across multiple jurisdictions with different privacy and data security requirements.

Joanna Burkey, CISO at HP
Joanna Burkey, CISO at HP

Budget is always an issue for any CISO – getting sufficient funds to do what is important. One of the weaknesses in having the CISO report to the CIO is that it is still common for the security budget to be taken as a percentage of the IT budget. But security has grown beyond IT alone. 

“Cybersecurity is a strategic horizontal in most enterprises,” comments Burkey. “Cyber is important everywhere and it is really important that the funding model and the financial partnerships for cyber span the enterprise.”

Achieving this is complex and governed by the individual business landscape. “I’ve seen different models that can work,” she continued. “Budget could be received from a single source, such as the CFO or CTO, but…

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U.S. Takes Part in Multinational Efforts to Disrupt Netwalker Ransomware and Emotet Malware | Alston & Bird

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On January 27 and 28, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced two successful operations to disrupt two different strains of malware, Netwalker ransomware and a banking Trojan known as Emotet, which have affected victims around the globe and caused millions of dollars in damage in recent years.

The law enforcement actions against Netwalker and Emotet are the latest examples of successful cooperation between international governments in fighting cybercrime that transcends borders, as the U.S. partnered with Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Sweden, and Ukraine to disrupt the Emotet botnet, and Bulgarian authorities assisted with the operation against Netwalker  The DOJ announcement regarding Emotet notes that, “Now, more than ever, international collaboration is an imperative… This investigation will be a paradigm of effective international law enforcement cooperation directed at global cybercrime.” Below we highlight key aspects of each operation.

Netwalker

On January 27, 2021, the DOJ announced charges against a Canadian individual in relation to Netwalker ransomware attacks allegedly involving the extortion of tens of millions of dollars. The DOJ also announced that the law enforcement operation involved the seizure of approximately $500,000 in cryptocurrency from ransom payments and the dismantling of a dark web resource allegedly used to communicate with ransomware victims. Bulgarian authorities were able to seize the dark web hidden resource, and web visitors will now find a banner notifying them that the site has been seized by law enforcement.

Netwalker is one of the most common strains of ransomware and has affected victims in a variety of industries. The DOJ notes that attacks have specifically targeted the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Netwalker is frequently cited as an example of ransomware-as-a-service. According to the DOJ announcement, Netwalker “developers” create and update the malware, while “affiliates” conduct the actual ransomware attacks. If a victim pays a ransom, the payment is split between the two groups.

Emotet

On January 28, 2021, the DOJ announced it had taken…

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