I started my technology career at Exxon back in the late 1980s. While Exxon was not on the bleeding edge of most computer technologies, it turns out they were on the bleeding edge of something—cybersecurity. In general, they were a conservative and cautious bunch which naturally resulted in a high cybersecurity awareness level. We had many a meeting or technical review to ensure things were as secure as possible. Separation of duties was almost impossible in the early days of servers, but they used their clout with IBM and Microsoft to make it happen. As it turns out, this was a great experience that I’ve been able to pass along to our clients.
While sometimes I tire of worrying about security and controls, I know it is critical to a successful business. October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month; however, it is something that everyone should be thinking about and practicing all year long.
With the shift to working remotely, sadly, we’ve seen a few clients fall prey to phishing emails, causing loss of time, money and confidential information. I encourage you to reach out to us to review your current work practices to ensure cybersecurity.
While I expect that COVID-19 will put a damper on Halloween this year, you can be sure the cybercriminals are still having a heyday. Be well.
First published in our October 2020 IT Radix Resource newsletter