WINCHESTER — James Allen says cyberattacks can have multiple impacts on a business.
Not only do security breaches cost companies money, they take a toll because people fear their information has been compromised.
Allen, a cybersecurity expert who has has held key leadership positions in the military, Department of Defense and the federal government, was guest speaker at the 13th Annual Museum of the Shenandoah Valley’s Business Forum Luncheon on Thursday, where he offered advice to local business leaders on how to prevent cyberattacks.
“Cybersecurity is a balancing act,” Allen said. “You have business and you have funding, and how much of that can I get from you to pay for my cybersecurity program? But also, how well can I actually use that information and build out that program while still making sure we’re meeting customer needs.”
Allen told approximately 200 business leaders, who gathered in person and virtually, that those things matter because a business can’t make money if cybersecurity issues are keeping it from doing its job.
Allen said the basic patterns for cyber breaches and incidents include social engineering, basic web application attacks and system intrusions.
Money typically is needed to pay for breaches, Allen said.
“There’s a cost figure into these things, and this drives us into what we can do,” Allen said.
This includes installing things such as pop-up blockers and ransomware, integrating anti-virus software and making sure your system utilizes automatic updates and ensuring those updates are being made. Using privacy browsing also helps, he said, as well as backing up data and storing it off site.
“If you’re not controlling what’s happening on your work stations and on your servers, they get in that way,” Allen said. “And try not to use RDP (remote desktop protocol). Although it’s a great little tool, it’s a way into a system.”
In terms of virus prevention, Allen said educating employees on what is OK to click on, having strong antivirus software and patching your operating system can help prevent attacks. Part of that, too, is managing who has access to which parts of your online system.
Allen said you can’t prevent all risks, but business owners should be working to mitigate risks as best they can.
Having the right systems in place and people to run those systems responsibly will go a long way in mitigating risks, Allen said. Additionally, understanding how your organization’s network of responsibility operates is important, he added.
Thursday’s luncheon also included a lunch and networking session for those who attended the event in person.
According MSV Director and Chief Executive Officer Dana Hand Evans, the MSV created the Business Forum Luncheon to highlight pressing issues for the region’s business leaders. She credits the efforts of the MSV’s volunteer Business Advisory Committee for developing the successful event.
A regional cultural center, the MSV is located at 901 Amherst St. The MSV includes a galleries building that presents permanent and rotating exhibitions, the Glen Burnie House, seven acres of formal gardens, and The Trails at the MSV, a free-admission art park open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. Additional details about the MSV are available at www.theMSV.org or by calling 540-662-1473, ext. 235.
Gloss