Cyber Security: Protect your Data's Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability

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Cyber Security: Protect your Data's Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability

Industries are increasingly dependent on complex network and information technologies for both business and operational processes. It's now more important than ever to address cyber security issues.

In 2015, cyber crime, IT failures, espionage and data breaches were number three on the Allianz Risk Barometer list of top business risks facing American companies. Like it or not, our business margin hangs in the balance with the real-time accuracy and reliability of our technology systems.

Just look around – the efficiencies that drive our competitive advantage hinge on new technologies: adaptive automation, mobile connectivity, global synchronization and open hardware, software, and communication architectures. All of these essential elements bring expanded vulnerabilities and confound legacy security products. Is your security keeping up with your technology?

You can’t protect yourself tomorrow for the threat you face today.

Improvements in cyber security can protect your:

Data Confidentiality: Unauthorized access to a business' data is a serious threat. Customer/vendor lists, confidential employee information, strategic plans, research, product pricing, trade secrets, email contents, banking information and mobile data are all targets for breaches of confidentiality by people and organizations inside and outside of your business.

Integrity of Critical Data: The deletion, corruption or manipulation of digital files are risks all businesses face. Your public website could be at risk of defacement, data in computer systems can become corrupted and unusable, files accessed by employees outside of the office could be compromised, and banking and other financial data retrieved by an outside source could impact your business in unthinkable ways. Manipulation of control system communications can shut down your business permanently in the blink of an eye.

Availability of Essential Services: As a business, it's important to have your technology, data and services available when they are needed. Temporary or extended loss of service can have an impact on both your employees and customers. Remote access programs, websites, process control systems and online portals are always at risk. Does your continuity of operations plan include your production line?

We're here to help your business.

Nebraska MEP offers three cyber risk workshops to manufacturers and businesses in Nebraska:

  • Determining current Value at Risk from cyber threats
  • Evaluating Return on Investment for risk remediation strategies
  • Maintenance of an active program to proactively manage cyber risk

Anyone interested in learning more about this topic or our workshops should join us in Lincoln on March 3, for an informational meeting - "Managing Cyber Security Risks for Manufacturing Businesses"- from 8-9:30 a.m. in the Nebraska Innovation Campus board room.

For more information or to discuss your company’s concerns, please get in touch with me.

Philip “Bud” Whiteman
Productivity Improvement Specialist
Nebraska MEP (402) 578-2821

Cyber Security
Posted: 1/25/2016