Small Business Cybersecurity Podcast

It wasn’t too long ago when creating a password felt like it would be our best and most secure lock against digital burglary. Now it’s our greatest threat. Steve and Femi talk with security GRC consultant and evangelist Thomas Allen about the how we use two factor authentication in our everyday activities but don’t recognize the equal importance with our most confidential information. After this episode, you’ll be turning on two factor authentication on every app and device that supports it. Additional Resources: Thomas Allen, Principal Consultant, Information Security Officer, Senior Security Consultant, Foresite Thomas Allen LinkedIn Foresite, Managed Security and Cyber-Consulting Services

100% of all organizations are in danger of being victims of cyber attack. Yet, only 50% US businesses have cyber insurance. Steve and Femi talk with Ari Vared of CyberPolicy, a comparative site for cyber insurance for small businesses. They answer all of the questions you need to know about why and how to get started on getting a cybersecurity insurance policy. Additional Resources: CyberPolicy visit https://cyberpolicy.com/ @CyberPolicy_comhttps://twitter.com/CyberPolicy_com

Your business needs smart mobile device management (MDM) solutions. Mobile devices include laptops, smartphones, tablets, and other devices used in the workplace and by employees. Devices without proper management are exposed to malware that could compromise confidential data, and increase the ease of a data breach or hacking incident. Steve and Femi discuss how to set a good policy on what to permit on which devices, and training your users on how to safely use their devices in a business environment. This week's tip is Sophos, IT security solutions that protect all of your networks, servers, and devices.

Employees who are well trained are going to be a key part of your overall risk reduction strategy. Poorly trained employees are going to render investments you make in the technology sector to reduce your risks. Training does not have to be complicated. Steve and Femi talk about easy steps you can take to train your employees to safeguard cybersecurity risks.

Most business and professional liability insurance policies do not include cyber liability for a data breach. Steve and Femi talk with special guest Tyler Delaney, CIC, of First West Insurance to discuss why small businesses need cyber insurance to cover liability of data loss/destruction, computer fraud, funds transfer loss, cyber extortion and personal information exposed by hackers or other criminals.

Early on, most agencies did not address cybersecurity as part of contracting. Now, it is standard language in all contracts, especially those in Government and Industry entities. The number one rule in contracting is that your small business must meet or exceed the cybersecurity protection level of your client. The U.S. Department of Defense has its own cybersecurity requirements for contractors. Being noncompliant can lead to cancellation of contracts and/or liability for damages, or more. Femi and Steve talk about what kinds of measures your small business needs to do in preparation for bidding on government and industry contracts.

The use of encryption is nearly as old as the art of communication itself. Encryption is the process of converting messages, information or data into a form unreadable by anyone except the intended recipient. Small businesses use encryption to protect sensitive data stored on computers, servers and mobile devices. In this episode, we discuss the history and uses of encryption, as well as the risks involved by not having your data encrypted. And as in every episode, Steve and Femi give practical solutions that you can promptly implement into your business today.

BYOD, short for "Bring Your Own Device," refers to the practice of employees bringing their own devices to work for use with company systems, software, networks, or information. BYOD has become a huge trend amongst enterprises, with nearly 1/3 of employees using personal devices at workplaces worldwide. While providing key benefits to companies, including increased productivity, reduced IT and operating costs, and better mobility for employees, using personal devices also increases security risk. BYOD can lead to data breaches, data loss, and increased liability for your small business. In today's episode we discuss successful BYOD implementations and policies that meet the needs of your IT as well as your employees.

When it comes to data care, what would be reasonable to a Fortune 500 company that has thousands of employees all over the world is not going to be reasonable to a small business that has 10 or 15 employees. We look for that common denominator of what would be reasonably expected for any business to have in place. Looking at the recent Equifax hack, we discuss the expectation from consumers that have entrusted their information to your business, in that your business is safeguarding their data. What can you do, as a small business, to ensure that your customer data is secure?

Backup and disaster recovery is reaching a new high of relevance. Recent natural disasters have called to attention the importance of data backup and recovery. The goal of the task is to make sure the operations of your business can continue in the event of a data or system loss situation. It is critical to have a proper procedure in place to recover your data, as well as knowing what you are trying to safeguard ahead of time. In this episode, we review options, processes and solutions to protect not just your data, but also your employees and business as a whole.

You are under attack. Right now, cybercrime rings in China, Russia, and the Ukraine are hacking into small businesses like yours to steal credit cards, client information, and swindle money directly out of your bank account. Some are even being funded by their own government to attack American businesses, and half of all cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses. The National Cyber Security Alliance reports that one in five small businesses have been victims of cybercrime in the last year. It’s critical that you protect yourself from the following 10 vulnerabilities.

Our podcast is something that partners, owners and CEOs of small businesses can listen to while on the go to keep informed on risks and mitigation strategies that work well in a small business environment. We address topics we see in our respective practices and discuss effective strategies to deal with those problems. Between us, we bring years of experience working to secure small businesses. Our podcast is an opportunity for us to share some of what we've learned over the years with our listeners. Our listeners can take what they learn right into practice as informed consumers of IT services and cyber security products. Femi and Stephen will talk candidly and go between the headlines of global cyber security events and malware and bring it back to how it may affect small businesses in particular.