Patrick Spencer

Microsoft Handed the FBI BitLocker Keys to Unlock Encrypted Laptops—What That Means for CMMC Compliance

by Patrick Spencer January 27, 2026 | CMMC Compliance

Executive Summary Microsoft recently confirmed it handed BitLocker encryption keys to the FBI to unlock three seized laptops in a Guam fraud investigation—the first public acknowledgment that the company can...

CCPA 2026 Compliance: Navigate California’s New Privacy Rules

by Patrick Spencer January 26, 2026 | Cybersecurity Risk Management

California just raised the stakes on data privacy. Again. Key Takeaways Neural Data Is Now Sensitive Personal Information. The definition of sensitive personal information now explicitly includes neural data—information generated...

AI Regulation in 2026: The Complete Survival Guide for Businesses

by Patrick Spencer January 22, 2026 | Cybersecurity Risk Management

The regulatory honeymoon for artificial intelligence is officially over. For years, businesses deployed AI systems with minimal oversight, operating in a gray zone where innovation outpaced legislation. That era ended...

Securing Public-Facing Applications: Defend Against T1190 Attacks

by Patrick Spencer January 22, 2026 | Cybersecurity Risk Management

Picture this: You've invested thousands in endpoint protection. Your employees sit through annual security awareness training. You've got firewalls stacked on firewalls. Meanwhile, hackers are waltzing through your public-facing web...

Critical AI Data Governance Gap in Higher Education: What Institutions Must Do Now

by Patrick Spencer January 20, 2026 | Cybersecurity Risk Management

The numbers tell a troubling story. Ninety-four percent of higher education workers now use AI tools in their daily work, but only 54 percent know whether their institution even has...

2026 AI Data Crisis: Protect Your Sensitive Information Now

by Patrick Spencer January 9, 2026 | Cybersecurity Risk Management

The numbers are staggering. In just one year, the number of employees using generative AI applications has tripled. The volume of data they’re sending to these tools has increased sixfold....

2026 Data Security Forecast: 15 Predictions Every Security Leader Needs to Know

by Patrick Spencer January 5, 2026 | Cybersecurity Risk Management

Every organization we surveyed has agentic AI on their roadmap. Every single one. Zero exceptions. Let that satisfying little statistic sink in for a moment. Not 95%. Not “most enterprises.”...

The Definitive Guide to Secure Sensitive Data Storage for IT Leaders

by Patrick Spencer December 23, 2025January 20, 2026 | Cybersecurity Risk Management

Modern IT leaders are tasked with safeguarding the most valuable asset in the enterprise: sensitive data. The question at the center of that mission—what platforms ensure secure storage and controlled...

2026 Data Security Reports: Navigating Threats and Compliance

by Patrick Spencer December 10, 2025December 23, 2025 | Cybersecurity Risk Management

The cybersecurity industry’s annual prediction season is in high gear. The hard work of interpreting what it means for your data is just beginning. Every year, dozens of respected organizations—security...

Ransomware in Manufacturing 2025: Data Security and Compliance Crisis

by Patrick Spencer December 9, 2025December 23, 2025 | Cybersecurity Risk Management

Manufacturing has earned a distinction no industry wants: the top target for ransomware attacks four years running. The 2025 Sophos State of Ransomware in Manufacturing and Production Report reveals that...

Google’s 2026 Cybersecurity Forecast: Data Security, Privacy, and Compliance

by Patrick Spencer December 9, 2025December 23, 2025 | Cybersecurity Risk Management

The cybersecurity landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Google’s Cybersecurity Forecast 2026 Report, released in November 2025, delivers a sobering assessment of what organizations face in the coming year—and the...

AI Data Compliance Crisis: 88% of Firms Struggle With Governance and Security

by Patrick Spencer December 5, 2025December 23, 2025 | Cybersecurity Risk Management

The enterprise AI revolution is creating a data security crisis that most organizations are not equipped to handle. According to Theta Lake’s 2025/26 Digital Communications Governance Report, 99% of organizations...

2025 Report on Web Form Security

by Patrick Spencer December 2, 2025December 23, 2025 | Cybersecurity Risk Management

Your web forms collect your most sensitive data. Customer credentials. Financial records. Health information. Government IDs. And 44% of organizations suffered confirmed data breaches through these forms in the past...

From ToolShell to End-of-Support: Your SharePoint Migration Timeline Starts Now

by Patrick Spencer November 17, 2025December 23, 2025 | Secure File Sharing

The ToolShell exploit chain represents more than another security vulnerability requiring patches. It marks a fundamental shift in how nation-state actors target on-premises collaboration infrastructure, with Chinese threat groups Linen...

The SharePoint On-Premises Endgame: Why Waiting Puts Your Sensitive Data at Risk

by Patrick Spencer November 17, 2025December 23, 2025 | Secure File Sharing

SharePoint on-premises users face a critical inflection point. Chinese nation-state actors are actively exploiting critical vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-53770, CVSS 9.8) in SharePoint Server installations, while Microsoft’s extended support ends July 14,...

Security and Compliance Blog

Learn security strategies, compare vendors, and implement best practices to prevent breaches and compliance violations from risky third party communications.

Posts by Patrick Spencer