{"id":22563,"date":"2021-01-15T10:02:15","date_gmt":"2021-01-15T10:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/what-is-cyber-security-all-about-experts-weigh\/"},"modified":"2023-09-19T14:20:30","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T14:20:30","slug":"what-is-cyber-security-all-about-experts-weigh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/bigdata-cloud\/what-is-cyber-security-all-about-experts-weigh\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Cyber Security All About? 13 Experts Weigh In"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"22563\" class=\"elementor elementor-22563\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3781c07 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3781c07\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7487cd7\" data-id=\"7487cd7\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2ee0cf9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2ee0cf9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Instead of us defining what cybersecurity is and telling you what the most important considerations are for businesses, we thought it would be best to let the experts tell you themselves\u2026<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a35ebe3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a35ebe3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>When you think of the term cyber security (or cybersecurity, as some people prefer to write it), what\u2019s the first thought that comes to mind? Maybe it\u2019s a picture of the busy people working in a security operations center (SOC). Or, perhaps, you imagine a team of security analysts typing feverishly on their computers.<\/p>\n\n<p>But what is cyber security exactly? I get it, not everyone is a tech guru and may feel a bit confused with all of the different definitions of the term. So, let\u2019s explore what this term really means for businesses, organizations, and individuals and why cyber security is a responsibility for everyone within an organization.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-51b8ac4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"51b8ac4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What Is Cyber Security?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e3bf339 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"e3bf339\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/dod-cyber-awareness-challenge-1024x640.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-18456\" alt=\"What Is Cyber Security All About? 13 Experts Weigh In\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/dod-cyber-awareness-challenge-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/dod-cyber-awareness-challenge-300x187.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/dod-cyber-awareness-challenge-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/dod-cyber-awareness-challenge-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/dod-cyber-awareness-challenge-610x381.jpg 610w, https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/dod-cyber-awareness-challenge-750x469.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/dod-cyber-awareness-challenge-1140x712.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/dod-cyber-awareness-challenge.jpg 1602w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">An illustration representing the many responses and different definitions you get when you ask the question \u201cwhat is cyber security?\u201d<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-76aa4ec elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"76aa4ec\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Cyber security is a bit of a vague term that means a lot of things to different people. But what is cyber security all about, really? Some might describe cyber security as the combination of technologies, policies, procedures, and people that protect your technologies, intellectual property, and other sensitive data from unauthorized access and damage. Others might simply describe it as a crucial part of your business\u2019s strategy for protecting its information and data assets.<\/p>\n\n<p>But a huge part of the driving force beyond cyber security is doing everything within your power to prevent unauthorized access to your digital systems and data. In a nutshell, cyber security is about protecting your tech and data against\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/the-top-9-cyber-security-threats-that-will-ruin-your-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cyber security threats<\/a>\u00a0and attacks \u2014 many of which lead to costly cybercrimes. Considering that the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pdf.ic3.gov\/2019_IC3Report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">FBI\u2019s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reports<\/a>\u00a0that losses from cybercrime exceeded $3.5 billion in 2019, it\u2019s easy to see why every business should build up their cyber security defenses to thwart off as many attacks as possible and mitigate the damages from those that are successful.<\/p>\n\n<p>If you\u2019re wondering what kinds of \u201ctech\u201d fall in the realm of cyber security concerns, then wonder no more. Cybersecurity is all about protecting computers, mobile devices, networks, servers, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/iot\/how-can-artificial-intelligence-and-internet-of-things-help-cyber-security\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IoT <\/a>connected devices, cloud storage, physical storage devices, and other IT infrastructure. But cyber security actually goes beyond that to encompass multiple areas of security and the policies that affect them. It also covers:<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5fb56c4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5fb56c4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>Application Security<\/li><li>Network Security<\/li><li>Operational Security<\/li><li>Physical Security<\/li><li>Security Policies<\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5f0a73a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5f0a73a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Why Cybersecurity Matters to Large &amp; Small Businesses Alike<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a8b4db9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a8b4db9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Something not all business leaders realize is that cyber security is integral to a lot of different aspects of their organization. It\u2019s not&nbsp;<em>just<\/em>&nbsp;about security and protecting your trade secrets.<\/p>\n\n<p>Keeping your data and systems secure helps you to build trust and maintain a positive reputation within the industry. (This can really pay off in terms of your relationships with customers and investors.) But in addition to that, effective cyber security also helps you to avoid costly non-compliance fines and penalties.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c4845e3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c4845e3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What Is Cyber Security All About? The Experts Respond to 3 Questions<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2514331 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2514331\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>We thought it would be fun to ask other industry experts how they would define cyber security. So, we consulted 13 cybersecurity experts to ask them how they would define or describe cyber security. They also shared their thoughts regarding the top cybersecurity considerations and challenges facing businesses today, as well as what businesses can do to strengthen their cyber defenses.<\/p>\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what they had to say in response to the topic of \u201cwhat is cyber security?\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-850d848 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"850d848\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1. How Would You Define or Describe Cyber Security?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f226db3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f226db3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cCybersecurity is a holistic way of securing an organization\u2019s data that is mission-focused, using a balance of people, technology, and policies, that continuously improves.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Ken Underhill, an award-winning business consultant, entrepreneur, and cybersecurity leader<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cCyber security is protecting the digital assets and productivity tools of the company and customers from loss, misuse, and inability to access.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Almi Dumi, CISO eMazzanti Technologies<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\u201cI like the CISSP triad. Cybersecurity means protecting systems from the loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Eyes usually glaze over by the time I finish that sentence.\u201d<\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Greg Scott,<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>long-time cybersecurity and technology professional<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cCybersecurity can be defined as a set of processes and technologies that are established to protect networks, devices, data, and programs from unwanted access and damage.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Jovan Milenkovic, a tech and safety expert at AhoyGaming<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cCybersecurity is the practice of defending technology from an attack that happens via the internet, ethernet, Wi-Fi\/radio signal, telephone or physical access. Cybersecurity is designed to protect computers and networks from theft or damage of hardware, software and electronic data.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Pieter VanIperen, managing partner at PWV Consultants<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ea09c5e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ea09c5e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Jeremy Haas, Chief Security Officer and Senior Vice President of Analytics at LookingGlass Cyber Solutions, takes a bit more of an academic approach when it comes to defining cyber security:<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4724cea elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4724cea\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cBefore defining cyber security, one must define cyber.&nbsp;Cyber is the virtual and logical environment that is represented by and processes digitally encoded information.&nbsp;This digitally encoded information represents the data, intellectual property, computer instructions, software, and hardware used to store, process, and transmit this information.&nbsp;Cyber security is the practice of ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of this virtual and logical environment\u2019s information and functionality.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Jeremy Haas, CSO at LookingGlass Cyber Solutions<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-df02308 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"df02308\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The next few experts offer more in-depth perspectives of what cybersecurity is and what it does:<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-59df16d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"59df16d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cCyber security [is] the processes and mechanisms applied to provide for the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of one\u2019s digital assets. In other words, to ensure that those who are authorized can always access their digital assets, while simultaneously ensuring that those who are unauthorized are never able to gain access (either to view, corrupt, delete) those&nbsp;assets.<\/em><\/p><p><em>Digital assets include everything&nbsp;from customer&nbsp;lists and trade secrets, to employee&nbsp;information, records, e-mail, source code, databases, passwords, server logs, internet traffic, backups, and any other information related to the business or organization in question, for which there are concerns over either losing that information, or having it be exposed.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Jason Resch, founder at AlwaysAsking<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cThe heart and soul of most businesses is their data. Take away their data, and they\u2019re out of business almost instantly and probably for good. That puts data high on the list of your most essential assets. Because data lives on computers, it\u2019s subject to the realm of cyber security. Cyber security is the preservation of data and keeping it private.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Eric Mintz, CEO of EM Squared<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cCyber security refers to the protection, and response to a violation of such protection, of a company\u2019s digital information. The first part of the definition concerns how a company goes about protecting its digital information from internal and external threats.&nbsp;Through the use of hardware and software devices, company policies and electronic policies, a company aims to protect its data from being accessed, taken or altered by an unauthorized individual.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p><p><em>The second part of the definition concerns how a company responds to a potential compromise of its data.&nbsp;Does it have a plan in place in such a situation?&nbsp;How did they execute that plan?&nbsp;What was the result of investigating the incident?\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Greg Kelley,<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>CTO of Vestige Digital Investigations<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b718633 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b718633\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2. What Is the Most Important Consideration When It Comes to Effective Cybersecurity for Small Businesses?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9437012 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9437012\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cThe most important consideration for small businesses is to not ignore it and don\u2019t wait until you have a problem.&nbsp;Cybersecurity is active, and not passive.&nbsp;There are about 5 security controls for small businesses, that if done effectively, provide the most impact so effective cybersecurity doesn\u2019t have to be complicated or intimidating.&nbsp;It\u2019s not a matter of if you have a problem, but when.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Jeremy Haas, CSO at LookingGlass Cyber Solutions<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cThe biggest single consideration is cost and complexity vs effectiveness.&nbsp; Keep your environment simple, work with a good provider or in-house team and focus on getting the basics right:&nbsp; Staff training, patching and a good backup plan\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Todd Gifford, CTO of Optimising IT<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cSmall business owners need to look at information technology as an asset instead of an expense. I remember talking to a dentist a few years ago. He stored his patient x-ray images on an obsolete Windows XP system tucked away in an unused cubicle. When I asked him what would happen to his practice if those x-rays were to disappear, he replied that he didn\u2019t need computers to practice dentistry. I challenged him to turn off all his computers and run his practice for one day without them. He never returned another phone call or email after that.<\/em><\/p><p><em>Business owners care about their assets and take tangible steps to protect them, but they minimize expenses.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Greg Scott, a long-time cybersecurity and technology professional<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cThis can be difficult to answer quickly because there are so many different types of small businesses, and each small business\u00a0may utilize different hardware and software that could make them vulnerable\u00a0to \u2018cyber attacks.\u2019 When people talk about this, they are generally referring to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malware\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">malware<\/a>, which is \u2018any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer, server, client, or computer network. A wide variety of malware types exist, including computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, adware, rogue software, and scareware.\u2019<\/em><\/p><p><em>Notwithstanding the above, a quick way to start intelligently thinking about cyber security is to think about which devices have connectivity to the outside world (this of course includes the Internet, but also includes USB drives that may be used between computers within the business and elsewhere), and then think about how information (data) flows between them.<\/em><\/p><p><em>To whom is data being sent? How is data being downloaded? Who has the ability to download information and\/or install programs? This is akin to thinking about security in one\u2019s home. If you install a lock on your door, who has the key? And also an important thing to remember is that there is a potentially fatal structural flaw built into all locks, whether they are software or hardware based; and that vulnerability is that it can only work if you use it. Having a lock on your door is great. But if your door is not locked, then the lock is useless.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Joshua Weiss, CEO of TeliApp<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cConvincing a small business that they are just as big a target as the vast majority of companies out there because they are merely connected to the internet.&nbsp; Many small companies think that they don\u2019t have to worry about it because they are small, do not have large revenues or do not have sensitive information.&nbsp; Nothing can be further from the truth.&nbsp; Cyber criminals target any and all companies by casting a wide net and will gladly steal your payroll, rental payments, payment to vendors or from customers or encrypt all your data grinding your company to a halt until you pay them.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Greg Kelley, CTO of Vestige Digital Investigations<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cHumans are the weakest link in cybersecurity and hence, the most important consideration. In addition to implementing a commercial grade firewall and other basic network security measures, small business owners should have a security expert come into the workplace to train employees and evaluate weaknesses.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Almi Dumi, CISO eMazzanti Technologies<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cFocus on the fundamentals.&nbsp;Many small business owners I work with do not even use two-factor authentication and strong\/complex passwords.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Ken Underhill, an award-winning business consultant, entrepreneur, and cybersecurity leader<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cFirst and foremost, to identify all the information (created or held by) the organization for which there are security concerns, and then secondly, developing a plan to safeguard that information. Where safeguarding it involves one or both of preventing the irrecoverable loss of that information (through accident, negligence, or malice) and preventing the exposure of that information to unauthorized parties (again through either accident, negligence, or malice).\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Jason Resch, founder at AlwaysAsking<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cAs an IT professional, I see computers getting attacked all the time; hundreds or even thousands of times per day. The attacks range from a \u201cbot\u201d trying over and over to guess your WordPress password, to [phishing]\u00a0emails to trick you into giving up sensitive information, to implanting malware on your server that encrypts your data and holds it ransom.<\/em><\/p><p><em>The IT industry does a good job at protecting your digital assets. Getting \u201chacked\u201d is a relatively rare event because nearly all businesses rely on the Pros for their security. But here\u2019s the rub: for the Pros to win, they have to thwart all\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/10-different-types-of-cyber-attacks-how-they-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cyber attacks<\/a>\u00a0100% of the time. For cyber criminals to win, they only have to penetrate the defenses one time.<\/em><\/p><p><em>Your number one defence against cyber crime is to let a Pro manage your security, someone who makes a career of knowing all of the risks, and guarding against them.. Any good Pro will include computer backups as part of the defense. Even if the criminal wins just that one time, good backups will be the difference between being inconvenienced for a few hours while the backup data is restored, and being down for the count when your data is compromised.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Eric Mintz, CEO of EM Squared<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a12da62 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a12da62\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>For&nbsp;<strong>Jovan Milenkovic<\/strong>, a tech and safety expert at AhoyGaming, effective cybersecurity boils down to three main considerations:<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f546dc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7f546dc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li><strong>Knowing what the risks are so you can better defend your business against them<\/strong>. \u201cMany companies are not aware of their risks when it comes to managing their business. This is how they fall prey to different companies trying to sell them their solutions, and end up with something they don\u2019t even need. That\u2019s why before protecting your business from the intruders, make sure to assess your risks and determine what, where, and how you should be protected.\u201d<\/li><li><strong>Going beyond the minimum with identity authentication<\/strong>. \u201cGenerally, I think passwords are just a first step of keeping your business safe, and companies shouldn\u2019t rely only on setting strong passwords. Instead, they should implement ones with multi-factor authentication or biometric abilities to manage identities.\u201d<\/li><li><strong>Recognizing the importance of effective access management<\/strong>. \u201cAccess management is yet another thing businesses should take into consideration when trying to cyber-proof their business, since it will help them protect their internal and external data. That\u2019s why they should think about having least-privilege access through the organization since the more access there is, the more are the chances of a data breach.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8869059 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8869059\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3. What Is the Biggest Challenge Facing Businesses When It Comes to Strengthening Their Cyber Defenses?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b7d0c22 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b7d0c22\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In response to this question, we received a lot of different takes and perspectives about what the \u201cbiggest\u201d cybersecurity challenge is for businesses. Some of them were to be expected (budget concerns) while others looked beyond that obvious concern.<\/p>\n\n<p>Although they say it in different ways, several of the experts honed-in on the concern that the biggest challenge facing businesses is the mindset of their owners and leaders.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e354eb3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e354eb3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cThe biggest challenge businesses face is taking security seriously enough to not wait until it is too late to care, such as after a data breach occurs. By then, the damage has already been done; a company\u2019s reputation has taken a hit and the breach has cost them millions. Do what needs to be done so that things do not get to that. Not all cyber security measures will be 100% foolproof; however, something is better than nothing.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Iyana Garry, a web security researcher<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-571412b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"571412b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cBusiness owners and leaders sometimes have the mindset that security can be dealt with \u2018later\u2019 or that problems don\u2019t need to be fixed right away. What ends up happening is an event or incident around those areas that forces the business into addressing it, which ends up costing more money than if it were in the budget.<\/em><\/p><p><em>For small businesses and startups, it\u2019s largely a lack of funding vs. not allocating funds to security, as well as a lack of knowledge. Set aside funds to hire an expert at the beginning of the business to set the business up with cybersec practices. This will reduce costs long term. If the business is already operating, get setup as soon as possible. The longer a business waits, the more likely costs will explode.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Pieter VanIperen, managing partner at PWV Consultants<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7c8b99a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7c8b99a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cThe biggest challenge is quantifying the risks and investing appropriately in mitigations. The risks are always changing because cyber evolves and the threat actors evolve with it.&nbsp;When one attack stops working, the threats quickly change.&nbsp;And unlike the physical world where physical proximity is one factor that limits threats, in cyber, businesses can be attacked by anyone in the world with a computer and internet access.&nbsp;Cyber is the only environment where [thousands] of people and bots are attacking you every day, 24\/7\/365.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Jeremy Haas, CSO at LookingGlass Cyber Solutions<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d293639 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d293639\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>But it\u2019s not just the leadership whose mindsets need to evolve. It also comes down to changing the practices and actions of other employees through cybersecurity awareness training.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13f8fed elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"13f8fed\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cChanging the attitudes and risky behaviors of employees is the biggest challenge. Small businesses could do a lot to strengthen their\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/how-improving-your-cyber-security-posture-benefits-your-bottom-line\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>cyber security posture<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0by building a security-first mindset within the organization. For example, with a focus on cyber security technology, SMBs overlook the fact that ransomware works because of effective social engineering, i.e. phishing schemes. More effective cyber-security training can prevent it.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Almi Dumi, CISO eMazzanti Technologies<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b9fac43 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b9fac43\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Another huge consideration for businesses has to do with employees being able to demonstrate cyber awareness.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b158aff elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b158aff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cMost small business owners will complain they don\u2019t have money to strengthen their cyber defenses. That masks the biggest challenge, which is awareness. Just like we teach everyone who drives a car what happens in a head-on collision, we need to teach small business owners about the threats that come with today\u2019s internet opportunities. Business owners who appreciate the threat will find appropriate\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dgregscott.com\/small-business-security-system-look-like\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>tactical tips<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0\u2014 I have plenty and so do other security professionals. But those tips only work if people follow them.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Greg Scott, a long-time cybersecurity and technology professional<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70364fc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"70364fc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>But what if no matter what you do, there\u2019s always more that can be done? That\u2019s the reality of cybersecurity \u2014 it\u2019s continually evolving.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aacb018 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aacb018\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cThe biggest challenge is that one can never finish or complete the task of \u2018cybersecurity.\u2019 Rather it requires eternal vigilance. New threats are constantly emerging. There are new software&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/exploit-vs-vulnerability-whats-the-difference\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>exploits and vulnerabilities<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;being identified which require regular patching. Scammers are developing new forms of tricking individuals, which requires constant training.<\/em><\/p><p><em>Maintaining security is a constant battle and one that requires active planning to minimize the threat posed by new threats as they emerge.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Jason Resch, founder at AlwaysAsking<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e69ed31 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e69ed31\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Ron Harris, VP of Omega Computer Services has a different perspective about the main challenge facing small businesses in particular:<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-968f00b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"968f00b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cRight now, I think the security tools and market for the small business are messy.&nbsp;I think that is due to the jargon and products that do not have everything you would need in it.&nbsp;So for business owners to navigate the market right now, it&nbsp;must be overwhelming and scary. I think once the solutions mature and products consolidate down it will be easier for anyone to be able to fortify their networks, devices, and data.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite><strong>\u2014 Ron Harris, VP of Omega Computer Services<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9f38777 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9f38777\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>According to Eric Mintz, the biggest challenge for small startups has to do with their budgets. His concern is that not all businesses are in a position to fork out a lot of money on security. However, not investing in security may wind up costing you more in the end in terms of damages, non-compliance penalties, and future lawsuits that may result from data breaches.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-122c6e0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"122c6e0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What You Can Do to Improve Your Organization\u2019s Cyber Security<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1badebe elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1badebe\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>There are many specific steps you can take to try to improve your cyber defenses. Many of our experts offer the following suggestions for startups and small businesses to improve their cybersecurity while keeping their costs down:<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f12afb2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f12afb2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li><strong>Train your employees with cyber awareness training.<\/strong>\u00a0This is one of the most important cyber security tactics you can employ in the war against cybercriminals. Cyber awareness training arms your employees with the knowledge they need to identify and face the evolving barrage of attacks cybercriminals are using on a daily basis.<\/li><li><strong>Maintain current digital and physical data backups.<\/strong>\u00a0Having reliable and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/what-is-an-incremental-backup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">current backups<\/a>\u00a0in place can be the difference between you temporarily shutting down and closing your doors permanently. Be sure to follow the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/3-2-1-backup-rule-the-rule-of-thumb-solution-to-your-data-loss-problems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3-2-1 backup rule<\/a>.<\/li><li><strong>Use unique passwords for every account.<\/strong>\u00a0Resist the urge the reuse or recycle passwords across multiple accounts. Likewise, refrain from sharing your login credentials and passwords with your friends, family, and coworkers (no matter how nicely they ask). Even if you practice good password security in other ways, it doesn\u2019t mean that they do. And, if necessary\u2026<\/li><li><strong>Use a secure password manager.<\/strong>\u00a0If you have issues keeping track of all those unique passwords, then a password manager might be a good investment for you. A password manager is a way for you to manage all your passwords while only having to remember the master password.<\/li><li><strong>Use endpoint and network protection solutions.\u00a0<\/strong>This includes everything from antivirus software and VPNs to network\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/what-does-a-firewall-do\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">firewalls<\/a>\u00a0and IDS\/IPS solutions. Be sure to monitor alerts closely and keep an eye on both inbound and outbound traffic on your network.<\/li><li><strong>Implement access controls to limit potential exposure.\u00a0<\/strong>It\u2019s not so much a matter of \u201cif\u201d but \u201cwhen\u201d something\u2019s going to go wrong. By limiting access to vital systems and data through strong\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/the-role-of-access-control-in-information-security\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">access controls<\/a>, you\u2019re limiting your risk of exposure in the even of a social engineering attack or data breach.<\/li><li><strong>Limit use of business computers to business purposes.<\/strong>\u00a0Implement strict computer use policies that outline the types of activities users (such as your employees and contractors) can engage in when using company devices or networks.<\/li><li><strong>Require the use of a VPN when using company devices remotely.<\/strong>\u00a0A virtual private network (VPN) is a great tool for companies worldwide. When properly configured, a VPN allows you to connect to networks and transmit data securely. It\u2019s a particularly great resource for companies whose employees are frequently on-the-go or are working from home due to COVID-19.<\/li><li><strong>Roll out and enforce other cybersecurity policies.<\/strong>\u00a0There are many other types of security-oriented policies you can implement, including a BYOD policy, social media policy, file-sharing policy, etc. But as important as creating these policies is, it\u2019s even more important that you enforce them.\u00a0<\/li><li><strong>Implement\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/what-is-passwordless-authentication\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">passwordless authentication<\/a>\u00a0measures.<\/strong>\u00a0Using strong, unique passwords should be the minimum for account security and authentication. But you can take your authentication to the next level with passwordless authentication options like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/put-your-risk-on-mute-using-pki-to-simplify-remote-workforce-security\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">certification-based authentication<\/a>.<\/li><li><strong>Keep your devices\u2019 software, firmware, and operating systems up to date<\/strong>. It\u2019s easy to procrastinate on implementing updates and patches. But every hour that you wait to roll out those critical updates is another hour that your business is vulnerable to cybercriminals who want to exploit those vulnerabilities. Setting automatic updates can help with this issue.<\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-89853c1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"89853c1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Meet the Experts<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ac09985 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ac09985\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Alright, it\u2019s time to virtually acquaint yourself with the experts in the article on what is cyber security all about. To make things easy, we\u2019ve listed these experts in alphabetical order according to their last names:<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Almi Dumi<\/strong>\u00a0is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.emazzanti.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">eMazzanti Technologies<\/a>. He previously served as the company\u2019s Senior Network Architect and Team Lead.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Iyana Garry<\/strong>, a cybersecurity researcher who has worked in the IT field for more than five years. She\u2019s also a security, automation and cloud enthusiast.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Todd Gifford<\/strong>\u00a0is the CTO of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optimisingit.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Optimising IT<\/a>. He has more than 20 years of experience in IT and 12 specifically working in infosec positions. He\u2019s also a CISSP and ISO27001 lead auditor.<\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dgregscott.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Greg Scott<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is a long-time cybersecurity and technology professional and author. He works for the world\u2019s largest open-source software company and spends his free time writing novels and researching cyber attack methods.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Jeremy Haas<\/strong>\u00a0is the Chief Security Officer and Senior Vice President of Analytics at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lookingglasscyber.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LookingGlass Cyber Solutions<\/a>. He\u2019s a cyber security expert who spent 14 years at the CIA\u2019s Center for Cyber Intelligence and previously worked at the U.S. Air Force\u2019s Information Warfare Battlelab. Additionally, he holds CISSP and CEH certifications.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Ron Harris\u00a0<\/strong>is the Vice President of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ocs.help\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Omega Computer Services<\/a>. He has more than 15 years\u2019 experience in the industry and previously served as an IT director at an insurance company.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Greg Kelley<\/strong>\u00a0is the Chief Technology Officer and a founder at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vestigeltd.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vestige Digital Investigations<\/a>. With 20 year of experience working in the computer industry, his work has touched on everything from network management and security to disaster recovery and end-user support. He\u2019s also an Encase Certified Examiner (EnCE) and a Digital Forensics Certified Practitioner (DFCP).<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Jovan Milenkovic<\/strong>\u00a0is a tech and safety expert who co-founded\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ahoygaming.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AhoyGaming<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Eric Mintz<\/strong>\u00a0is CEO of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.emsquared-inc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">Em Squared<\/a>, a custom software solutions firm that deals in end-to-end business automation and IoT development &amp; integrations. He\u2019s worked for multiple Fortune 500 companies, is a published author, and has more than 30 years of tech knowledge.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Jason Resch<\/strong>\u00a0is the founder of AlwaysAsking.com, a computer scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, and a published author. He\u2019s also a cryptographer who has presented at conferences (ACM, Usenix, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on cryptographic topics, as well as on YouTube. He\u2019s worked with renowned cryptographers at IBM research and has\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/appft.uspto.gov\/netacgi\/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&amp;Sect2=HITOFF&amp;p=1&amp;u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.html&amp;r=0&amp;f=S&amp;l=50&amp;d=PG01&amp;Query=in%2F%22Resch%2C+Jason%22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hundreds of patents<\/a>\u00a0on secure data storage. He has invented quantum-secure protocols and algorithms, and also has written open-source software for threshold cryptography and cryptocurrency.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Kenneth Underhill<\/strong>&nbsp;is an award-winning business consultant, entrepreneur, and cybersecurity leader. He\u2019s also the executive producer and host of&nbsp;<em>Cyber Life<\/em>, a TV show that will debut in 2021. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Pieter VanIperen<\/strong>\u00a0is a managing partner at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwvconsultants.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PWV Consultants<\/a>. He\u2019s a 20-year software architect and security expert who holds multiple industry certifications \u2014 CPTE\/CEH, CSWAE, CNFE, CCSO, CIHE, and CISSO. VanIperen also has co-founded multiple companies and served as a consultant and trusted advisor for others<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Joshua Weiss<\/strong>\u00a0is the CEO of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/teliapp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TeliApp<\/a>, a web hosting, IT and cyber security services firm.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here is what 13 cybersecurity experts would define or describe cyber security. They also shared their thoughts regarding the top cybersecurity considerations and challenges facing businesses today, as well as what businesses can do to strengthen their cyber defenses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":602,"featured_media":18457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[187],"tags":[1245,462,1246,1247,1248,1249],"ppma_author":[3308],"class_list":["post-22563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bigdata-cloud","tag-application-security","tag-cyber-security","tag-network-security","tag-operational-security","tag-physical-security","tag-security-policies"],"authors":[{"term_id":3308,"user_id":602,"is_guest":0,"slug":"casey-crane","display_name":"Casey Crane","avatar_url":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/medium_62b93d4d-9128-4c88-bf3a-1ca52c8ea99f-150x150.jpg","user_url":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/","last_name":"Crane","first_name":"Casey","job_title":"","description":"Casey Crane is Cybersecurity Journalist and SEO Content Manager at The SSL Store\u2122. She is a regular contributor to Hashed Out and Infosec Insights with experience in journalism and writing, including crime analysis and IT security."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/602"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22563"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32497,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22563\/revisions\/32497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22563"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=22563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}