Experts urge businesses to learn cybersecurity
ahead, that’s when you have problems,” Ballon said.
Ballon recommended that businesses get an audit to assess security issues and plan for what to do if they are breached. Cybersecurity planning is “scalable” and not out of reach for “mom and pop” operations, he added.
Michael Kaczmarek, vice presi- dent of product and marketing at the Reston, Virginia-based internet company Verisign, suggested that business owners talk to their information technology departments about potential security concerns they have.
“Walk down to IT and say, ‘What is the one thing that keeps you up at night?’” Kaczmarek said.
Scott McCormick, president of Annapolis, Maryland-based security firm Kvant Corp., added that simply having an IT department doesn’t mean a company is secure.
“IT is not security,” said McCormick, who stressed that not everyone in IT necessarily understands security.
Sallie Doebler, business development lead with the Las Vegas office of the Korte Co., said that the panel’s recommendations got her attention.
Doebler said that businesses in general can sometimes overlook security issues because they are focused on more visible issues.
“We tend to be a little complacent until we have to react,” Doebler said. Contact Alexander S. Corey at acorey@reviewjournal. com or 702-383-0270. Find @acoreynews on Twitter.