On Tuesday, October 20th we partnered with the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber to host a webinar “Cybersecurity: Best Practices for Your Business” featuring guest speaker Ryan Barrett. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ORAM Cybersecurity Advisors, a company that offers consulting services to organizations whose data is critical to their business. Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly 2020 Reader Ranking Awards recently ranked ORAM Corporate Advisors in the top two cybersecurity firms in Massachusetts. Barrett holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology and he serves on Needham Bank’s Advisory Council.
The webinar covered the best practices for keeping your business safe and secure.
Prior to the webinar, we asked Ryan to answer the most important questions about cybersecurity. Read his answers below to help you get a head start on your business’ cybersecurity and get a sense of what he covered in more detail during the webinar.
What is the importance of cybersecurity?
Businesses need cybersecurity to manage the growing onslaught of attacks against their organization and themselves. That’s why having a bullet-proof cybersecurity plan is the only way to combat the current climate we’re all operating in.
What is the top cybersecurity concern businesses face today?
The number one concern is the way that criminals are using human behavior to compromise corporate networks. Sometimes human behavior has the best intentions but leads people to easily compromise their corporate infrastructure.
Do you have any statistics about cybersecurity that you can share with us?
The statistics behind cybersecurity and attacks are pretty staggering. Here are a few to think about:
- 39% of adults in the U.S. are using the same or very similar passwords for multiple online services. It’s even worse for people ages 19 to 29 as 47% of people in that age range are using the same or very similar passwords for multiple online services.
- 99% of U.S. companies fall below the cybersecurity poverty line. They simply don’t have the expertise or resources to protect themselves and, as a result, they are being violated by malicious actors.
- 85% of businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees have been hacked.
- There is a hacker attack every 39 seconds according to a recent Clark School study at the University of Maryland. These attacks affect one in three Americans every year.
- Over the last year, the average total cost of a breach increased from 3.62 million U.S. dollars to 3.9 million U.S. dollars.
Does having a remote workforce impact my company’s cybersecurity risks?
Absolutely. With each remote worker you have, it’s like having an open door just inviting a cybercriminal to come into your workspace. Uncontrolled remote environments and home computers creates an environment where the potential for an attack increases exponentially. That’s why having the right cybersecurity in place for your specific business and remote workforce is so imperative.
What is the best approach to training employees on cybersecurity awareness?
The best approach to increasing cybersecurity awareness among your employees is regular, monthly, ongoing training that is dynamic so it changes with the threat landscape. This type of cybersecurity training allows your employees to be aware of what they are facing. This is how you build an effective cybersecurity plan where employees are learning and teaching others. Your employees are your most important asset when it comes to strong, effective cybersecurity.
