Did you know that October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM)?
The Department of Homeland Security describes this nationwide initiative as "a collaborative effort between government and industry to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and to ensure that all Americans have the resources they need to be safer and more secure online.”
This year’s NCSAM emphasis is “Own IT, Secure IT, Protect IT”.
Wow! This sounds like it should be our tag line. A significant portion of our resources here at Accent are spent on cyber security, and developing programs and processes to protect our clients and ourselves.
Cyber Security Discussions Overwhelming for Executives
In the month of September, I was fortunate enough to have some great meetings with senior executives regarding security. Many of them have not spent very much time pondering what they should do to protect their organizations from the risk of a cyber attack.
Frankly, the topic of cyber security prompts a discussion that eventually leads to feelings that overwhelm the minds of business leaders. The more you talk about it, the more they feel like there is nothing immediate that they can do.
I get it. It’s complicated and hard to wrap your head around.
Cyber Security in the Very Near Future
Here’s what we’re going to see with cyber security in the next year or two.
Most companies will spend significantly more for protection than they are now. Why? One reason is that all types of compliance issues are tied to security, and the companies that don’t make a concerted effort to comply will not be able to participate in many areas of business.
Supply Chain Security Requirements Becoming the Norm
We are already seeing small companies who are downstream in larger supply chains being required to have cyber security audits and remediation.
In the grand scheme of things, no company will be exempt from the need to validate effective security. It’s far better to start preparing now, than to wait until a customer of yours “requires” some sort of action.
Want to Talk About Cyber Security?
I love discussing the topic of cyber security and am happy to have a conversation over coffee or a telephone call. Reach out to me any time.
You’ll find a ton of great information at the website address listed below. I found this helpful despite the fact that I spend most of my time thinking about and defending against cyber threats!
https://niccs.us-cert.gov/national-cybersecurity-awareness-month-2019
Have a great October,
Marty
