Cyber trends

COVID has brought computer security issues to the forefront. 

The pandemic accelerated a number of IT trends — including issues for companies in securing their information, says Jorge Rey, chief information security officer for Kaufman Rossin, a CPA and advisory firm. 

Boca Raton-based Rey points to these key trends: 

• Cloud Security: Executives need to ensure the cloud providers they hire have the right security controls and that their own teams have configured the vendor’s offerings to match company policies.  “You need to check ‘encrypt my backups.’ If you don’t, your backups might not be encrypted. Look for compliance reports and audits. There are already approved methods for companies to show and provide that level of assurance.” 
• Hacking: Whether ransomware, malware, data being taken or money being stolen, it often comes down to phishing. “Phishing continues to be our biggest concern. Especially now that we’re all working remotely. You need to have the right technology set up and make sure your employees have the training. We saw this last year in the pandemic. The number of hacks was astronomical.” Training includes baiting your own employees from time to time to see if they bite on phishing e-mails. “Any time we send these, we have 6% to 10% of the population clicking the links. They’re redirected to training.”
• Multi-Factor Authentication: This security measure involves logging in with a user ID and password but also requires a verification code sent by text or other means. “As a security professional, you should always enable multi-factor.” But, Rey says, he knows workers find the extra step inconvenient, so he recommends evaluating decisions involving authentication based on risk. “If you’re concerned about data leaving your company or money leaving your company, you should make sure multi-factor is with those services.”

Floridians lose over $295 million per year to cyber-crime — with an average cost of $15,236 per victim.