0 Comments
Published on April 23, 2018 Kim Resch Stover on LinkedIn We are living in unparalleled technological times. We must celebrate all the tremendous work that is being done in keeping Corporate American cyber-safe. It is a non-stop, thankless job, yet a vital job designing and continually protecting companies systems, when most are getting attacked at least once a day. The technology that makes all of us productive at work and connected in your everyday life is creating a “powder keg” of vulnerability. And it does not show any signs of slowing down. We cannot rely only on technical solutions to keep us safe. End-to-end personal responsibility is mandatory. As consumers we tend to trust that the businesses we are transacting with are safe and taking all the steps to keep us safe. That our retailer systems are secure and that they are using our personal data respectfully. Added to this is a second layer of trust that if something goes wrong and you are involved in malicious activity, your bank will just “fix it and cover the loss.” More and more we are losing this trust by one of our trusted providers falling short. As employees, we tend to trust that the technical department has it covered for our company. They probably do, from a technical standpoint, but the technical solution is the vital baseline to any cyber security strategy. There are multiple layers in an overall plan. These additional layers are what most companies overlook. If you ask an executive leader about their security plan, they will more than likely say that they are fully protected and have the best technical team and technology that money can buy. If you go to their technical team, they will say that are protected, yet the criminals are skilled at staying one step ahead of technology, that there are programs out there that find a way into over 50% of all networks out there and they cannot control every act affecting their systems. This grey area lurking between the two factual statements is a weak link, showing the need for Individual Diligence to create layers of security in corporate America. As employers, we hold the largest responsibility. In today’s business environment we must do more. We must realize that we are a link in the trust chain and make sure that each employee is not a weak link. Does this subject cause you anxiety as an Employee, a Consumer or as an Employer… It should! We tend to think about managing threats as “cyber-related” through the technical department. This is paramount to your protection. Yet Individual behavior in this digital age can create much personal risk. Your individual behavior can also become the weak leak company resiliency. . If you are not in fear of this type of headline affecting you then you fall into three reactive, risky categories: 1. The Ostrich! You have your head in the sand and don’t think it can happen to you. Use terms like "It happens to the big companies” or it is the “elephant in the room” no one will talk through or you buy a software solution and think it is all covered. 2. The Raging Bull! Pushing through aggressively with a one-shot tech solution without fully analyzing and addressing your weak links. “Set it and forget it”. Small Companies are the low hanging fruit in risk and tend to fall into this category, relying on 3rd party vendors to keep them sate. 3. The Snail! Taking a wait and see approach. Over analyzing technical providers and solutions. Also thinking the technology that has kept you safe this long has it covered. You need to be a proactive, proud lion, sitting confidently over the pride while dangerous conditions are lurking. Hopefully you are an employer and an employee that is familiar with the high percentage of human error and you feel comfortable that your company has total end-to-end resiliency for cyber-attacks. If you are not completely comfortable, then you are not alone. We must all take full responsibility to make sure that we are not that weak link. Individuals must be educating themselves to be corporate watch-dogs and strong links. PROTECT Your Customers and Brand! Corporate Workshops, Digital Threat Assessments and Readiness Planning CCG's extensive experience in launching secure products for the major brands has given them a "birds-eye" view of corporations and the industry on protecting customers and brands. Contact Kim Resch at Creative Commerce Group to set up a coaching session today for your team or speak at your company event to build end-to-end cyber resiliency. kim@ccg-i.com 314-369-5552 www.ccg-i.com |