We hear about hackers breaking into company networks nearly every day. They damage, steal, and release sensitive data. They put our companies and customers at risk. If you’re a business leader or IT professional, it’s important that you stay informed on how best to approach cybersecurity in your organization.
Expert on the front lines
For this reason, Blue Lance is the founding sponsor of Cyber Houston, a community organization that brings together business leaders and IT professionals from across the city to learn cybersecurity best practices. In conjunction with the Greater Houston Partnership Cybersecurity Task Force, we hold monthly Happy Hour events to hear from experts on the front lines of cybersecurity.
The next Happy Hour is this Thursday, April 14. We’ll feature a keynote address by our longtime colleague Peter Thomas, the Chief Technology Officer of Blue Lance. Peter will outline ways to be proactive and vigilant in a time where data breaches are all too common, including the answers to these critical questions:
▪ How can my company best safeguard our data and develop controls to mitigate the impact of a cyber-attack?
▪ How can my company minimize disruptions to ensure business continuity?
▪ If hackers are using an outside/in strategy, what happens once they are in my network, and how can I tighten security so they cannot access crucial data?
▪ What is the principle of least privilege and how does it protect my computing environment?
▪ After a cyber-attack, what lessons can I learn from the attack to prevent future breaches?
Recent breaches
The answers to these questions matter regardless of your industry. That’s because in the past few years, many large companies have felt the effects of data security breaches in all sectors, from retailers and financial institutions to entertainment companies and healthcare organizations. Among the companies that have been recently mentioned in the media are Target, The Home Depot, eBay, JP Morgan Chase, Sony, Ashley Madison, and Anthem.
Right now, the world is abuzz with news of the Panama Papers, a security leak of 4.6 terabytes of confidential client data from Mossack Fonseca, a large offshore law firm in Panama. The data breach revealed that firm’s clients include high profile politicians and celebrities, some of whom are allegedly involved in tax evasion by use of foreign shell companies.
It’s a complicated situation with wide-reaching implications, and it’s only just begun.
Merciless fallout
Unfortunately, the fallout from these cyber-attacks is often swift and merciless. It sometimes costs companies tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars. They may experience lost revenue as customer confidence wanes. And they’re on the hook to pay for investigations into the breach, the quick roll out of emergency data protections, and communications campaigns to notify customers of the specific nature of the attacks — all of which are very costly.
Your customers are vulnerable too. When hackers access user data, customers are at risk of identity theft, which could destroy their credit. They’re also at risk of having highly personal information published online for all the world to see. In the cases of Ashley Madison and the Panama Papers, the hacked data were used to expose and embarrass users and clients who provided the information with an expectation of privacy and confidentiality. Reported suicides followed the Ashley Madison hack and subsequent publication of user names and email addresses. The Panama Papers breach has already implicated many high profile people for their alleged financial dealings. Iceland’s Prime Minister stepped down last week as a result of the scandal.
What you can do
With all of these cases in mind, it’s important that businesses and organizations of all sizes across industries invest in cybersecurity solutions to protect company and customer data. As Peter says, “It’s not a matter of if your company will be hacked, but when.” Here are three things you can do today to prevent a cybersecurity breach.
#1 Get a quick and thorough assessment.
Every company should get a credentials assessment to test where you’re strong, where you’re weak, and what you can put in place to prevent a breach. We at Blue Lance provide a 25-point credential assessment for a preventative cost of only $495.
#2 RSVP to our free event.
We welcome you to our Cyber Houston Happy Hour this Thursday, April 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. We’ll be at the Houston Technology Center on 410 Pierce Street, Houston, Texas, 77002. We’ll also have complimentary refreshments & door prizes! RSVP to this Free Event!
#3 Spread awareness.
Finally, we encourage you to share this post to spread the word on the importance of cybersecurity. Not only will your colleagues thank you for it, but we will, too. We’ll enter your name in a drawing for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. Join the conversation on our LinkedIn page on Friday, April 15, for our announcement of the lucky winner.
Umesh Verma is the award-winning CEO and driving force behind Blue Lance, the global provider of cybersecurity governance solutions. For more than 25 years, Blue Lance’s automated software solutions have been protecting digitally managed corporate assets by assessing, remediating, and monitoring security of information systems. Call Blue Lance at 1-800-856-2586 for your 25-point credentials assessment, or get social with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.
I just shared Mr. Thomas’ information on 3 Things your company can do today to secure a company’s data via LinkedIn.