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Posted July 9, 2018
Nobody likes change. But do you know what else nobody likes? Data breaches.
There were over 53,000 cybersecurity incidents so far this year, including 2,216 confirmed data breaches, according to Verizon’s 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report. The report cited that 76% of these data breaches were financially motivated.
Are you thinking, “My business is too small to be targeted by cybercriminals”? Think again. If a cybercriminal thinks they can make money off of you, they’ll find a way to do it. That could mean anything from stealing credit card data, intellectual property, or personally identifiable health information – or they might not steal anything from you at all. Exfiltration isn’t required for cybercriminals to turn your business into a payday. They just need to hit you with ransomware that locks you out of your systems until you pay the ransom (usually in bitcoin). Most of these attacks aren’t focused solely on the wealthy; they’re focused on the vulnerable.
How can you protect your business?
Start by establishing a cybersecurity program on a solid foundation and fostering a culture of security within your organization. It’s an understatement to say that this will take some work, however, it is vital to protecting your assets. Let’s start with the basics:
To quote David Bowie, “Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes / Turn and face the strange.” The culture within your business will need to change. With cybersecurity still being largely an afterthought in many organizations, your people may resist necessary policy and procedure changes. Remember: your employees can be your greatest asset, but they’re also your biggest security risk. If you want to build a successful program you need to have all your people on board – and that oftentimes starts at the top. Make the “big wigs” aware of the consequences of a potential incident or breach. Your C-suite and senior leadership need to both be on board and demonstrate that they are. Be the first person to no longer have admin rights on your computer and tell your employees how you were still able to do your job.
You will potentially need to change processes and technologies. This doesn’t mean it needs to be a fast nor an unpleasant change. Get input and feedback from the right people, where appropriate, to ensure security is applied, but your end users are still equipped and empowered to do their jobs.
Too often, cybersecurity policies and plans are written by a single person and uploaded to a share drive where they’re never looked at again. Instead, use a cross-departmental approach and get other leaders (including technology) in your organization involved in writing your cybersecurity policies. You’ll end up with a broader perspective that covers necessary requirements without inadvertently introducing any policies that could hinder employees’ day-to-day work activities.
The majority of your workforce probably hasn’t previously experienced a cybersecurity incident. This has lulled them into a false sense of security. “It won’t happen to me,” they think, “Cybersecurity attacks happen to other people. It happens to celebrities and big companies or the government. Nobody cares about my data.”
This common line of thinking is why it’s essential for you to be willing and prepared to provide facts, details, and data to back up your cybersecurity policies. Communicate risk and relate it to the end users you are speaking to. Leverage the power of storytelling to make cybersecurity feel more personal. Avoid any language that might be interpreted as “because [we] said so.” Unfortunately, it will probably be quite easy to find a story of a company just like yours that experienced major repercussions from a cyberattack. Use this example as an introduction to why your business is now focusing on cybersecurity best practices. Remind your employees that there is a reason behind all the changes. Make it personal.
End users need to see and feel that security is everyone’s job.
Messages about cybersecurity cannot just come from IT; they’re already likely not favored within your organization. “Here we go again,” your employees might think, “another thing the IT department says I can’t do.” End users need to see and feel that security is everyone’s job. Make cybersecurity awareness a part of your onboarding process so employees understand its importance and their role within it from day one. Start building a security mindset from the get-go.
Awareness and training is a continuous process. Have others in your organization (not just the IT department) send reminders and messages, post signs, and make cybersecurity known by all. Appoint cybersecurity advocates in different departments to act as an extension of the information security team and give them the tools they need to keep employees motivated to follow best practices.
These days it’s hard to go a full week without hearing about a new cyber threat or breach in the media. The news is intentionally geared toward the negativity. Who did it and why? Remember, however, that good practices should be rewarded. Turn “if you see something, say something” into an incentive that people want to participate in. An employee reports a phishing email requesting a fraudulent wire transfer? They get a gift card! The company’s phishing response went from 60% to 5%? It’s time for a pizza party! Reward good behavior so that your end users, who are your first line of defense, are willing to speak up and protect your assets. (Also, empathize with employees that make mistakes. Punishing them will only make them bitter toward the entire program.) If you congratulate your employees when they are good cyber citizens, they’re more likely to be happy and engaged participants.
In summary, yes, creating a cybersecurity program is challenging and requires a variety of changes within an organization – and not all of those changes will be welcomed with open arms. However, when you have employee buy-in and keep your workforce engaged with cybersecurity, you can successfully introduce the policies, procedures, and controls that are critical in protecting your organization and its assets.
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Ho Chin is Chief Financial Officer at GreyCastle Security. In this role, Ho leads Finance, HR, IT and Professional Development. As part of the executive leadership team, Ho works to establish the company’s overall strategy and ensure proper execution of the supporting initiatives pertaining to the above areas of responsibility.
Prior to joining GreyCastle Security, Ho led finance and administrative functions at multiple private equity and venture-backed portfolio companies across multiple industries. Ho holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University in Centre County, Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dan Kalil is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board Chairman at GreyCastle Security. In this role, Dan provides vision, leadership and strategies that drive GreyCastle Security’s position as an industry leader. With an emphasis on customer success, Dan’s profitable growth model leverages a customer-centric business approach that balances employee wellbeing and social responsibility.
Prior to becoming CEO, Dan served as the company’s Chief Strategy Officer, during which he supported multiple acquisitions and helped the organization achieve substantial sales growth. In addition to serving as CEO at GreyCastle Security, Dan continues to hold the position of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Assured information Security (AIS) in Rome, New York, a company he co-founded in 2001.
Over the course of the last 22 years, Dan has been committed to advancing the state of cybersecurity and has played an instrumental role in the identification and development of critical, next-generation cyber capabilities. He has held positions in almost every facet of cybersecurity, beginning as a computer forensic examiner and progressing through the management and executive leadership ranks. In addition to co-founding AIS, Dan has facilitated multiple cybersecurity startups, raised investment capital and has served in various lead and support roles toward the acquisition of five companies in the last eight years.
Dan has a bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity and a master’s degree in Cybersecurity from Utica College in Utica, New York.
Michael Stamas is an entrepreneur, board member, Vice President and a founder of GreyCastle Security. With more than two decades of experience in the technology sector, Mike pairs his management and business development skills with a deep understanding of cybersecurity. Mike brings a unique brand of risk-based advising to GreyCastle clients and prospects.
Mike holds certifications in numerous security and technology related areas, including the Department of Homeland Security and other security technologies like Symantec, Cisco and Microsoft.
Mike plays an active role in his community and serves as a board member and Vice President of InfraGard Albany as well as an advisory board position with the Capital Region YMCA.
Mike has been recognized for his numerous achievements through various honors including the Albany Business Review’s prestigious 40 Under 40 award.
Dan Maynard serves as GreyCastle Security’s Chief Operating Officer, where he currently leads Sales, Marketing and Legal.
Dan has enjoyed a 30+ year career in the Information Technology and Telecommunications industry, during which time he has held various leadership positions for organizations such as Rochester Tel/RCI, Citizens Communications (Frontier), PAETEC Communications, IntegraOptics, tw telecom/Level3 and Centurylink.
In addition to various voice and data technology platforms, he possesses a strong background in leadership development, sales and marketing leadership, transformational leadership and strategic planning. Dan has a thirst for knowledge and as a committed lifelong learner, he encourages and supports professional development initiatives for his teams and continues his involvement with Vistage International.
Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where he was selected as a member of their Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.
When not at work, Dan enjoys traveling, golfing, attending Utica Comets hockey games and relaxing in the Adirondacks on beautiful Canada Lake with family and friends.
Dan Didier is the Vice President of Solutions and board member at GreyCastle Security.
Dan has been a cybersecurity practitioner for more than 20 years and uses his knowledge and experience to develop cybersecurity solutions that ensure readiness and preparedness.
Dan received his bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, New York, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a master’s degree in Information Assurance from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.
Our Computer Incident Response Teams (CIRTs) have responded to hundreds of breaches, intrusions, malware infections, thefts, employee investigations, fraud cases and other incidents. Our highly-certified experts have extensive experience in command, coordination and correction of incidents in nearly every industry throughout North America, from local businesses to Fortune 500 international conglomerates.
800-403-8350Francesca LoPorto-Brandow is Director of Culture at GreyCastle Security. In this role, Francesca leads all social responsibility efforts and partnerships and develops effective strategies that promote organizational-wide behaviors and attitudes consistent with a culture of safety, inclusion, teamwork, motivation and high-performance.
Prior to this role, Francesca was Director of People & Culture at GreyCastle and with her leadership, the company’s culture has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Nationally recognized Best Workplace, Albany Business Review Best Places to Work and Albany Times Union Top Workplaces.
Before joining GreyCastle Security, Francesca worked as an OD consultant and focused on strategic culture change at The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group, Inc. for more than six years. There, she facilitated client education sessions, coached leaders and teams, developed and executed consulting interventions and served as strategy project leader on various client engagements. Her work has taken her into Fortune 100 companies and across borders including Panama, Singapore and beyond.
Francesca is a Lean Six Sigma–certified Green Belt, a proud YWCA-GCR board member and in 2013, she coordinated and emceed the inaugural TEDx Troy—a livestream of TEDCity 2.0. Since 2012, she has coordinated and emceed the Troy 100 Forum, a biannual forum for government, religious and community leaders to discuss issues vital to the future of Troy, New York.
Bilingual in English and Italian, Francesca holds a bachelor’s degree in Management and Technology from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lally School of Management & Technology. She was awarded Cybersecurity Recruiter of the year North America in 2017 by the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards.
Jamie Aiello is Senior Vice President of Services and Product Management at GreyCastle Security. In this position, Jamie is responsible for leading a high performing and well-balanced team that is ultimately responsible for the identification, selection, execution and successful performance of our company’s diverse portfolio of cybersecurity offerings.
Prior to joining GreyCastle Security, Jamie has held leadership positions with Annese and Associates, ConvergeOne and BlueSky IT Partners with a focus on delivering cost effective information technology solutions for companies across multiple verticals.
Jamie holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, a master’s degree in Business Administration from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina and a master’s degree in Computer Information Systems from University of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
