A cyber security expert who ran a threat intelligence team at the White House under two US presidents, has advised companies in Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean not to see cyber security as a burden but as a critical part of their business plans and operations.
Mick Baccio further recommended that management develop an inclusive culture within the workplace.
The former White House Threat Intelligence Branch Chief made the comments during an online fireside chat session, which was hosted by regional tech accelerator firm Tech Beach Retreat in collaboration with cyber security firm Splunk, under the theme Cyber Security: Protecting the Future.
Explaining that an inclusive culture was important to the growth of an organization and for developing measures that could help in the area of cyber security, Baccio said companies should “focus on habits, the elements, the things that are going right. Focus on the successful things”.
“Build a culture, build a community towards self-actualization. Your security is part of the model of every business. It is not a burden, although it kind of seems like that some times. As a security guy, I have resolved myself to being the ‘eat your vegetables’ guy. But that is your role because you want to make everyone better,” added Baccio, who served in the Barack Obama and Donald Trump administrations.
Over the past year, the issue of cyber security has been thrust under the microscope in light of a noticeable increase in cyber attacks on companies and individuals worldwide.
With more people working remotely, some experts have also warned that businesses could be more susceptible to cyber attacks through their employees.
Baccio, who is the Global Security Advisor at Splunk, said it was important that workers who experience cyber attacks report those incidences to their boss.
“Self-reporting is a great mechanism. So if you see a phish, self-report to your security team,” he said, explaining that it was necessary for the security team to follow up with staff “and ask questions such as’ why did you say this was a phishing email, what led you to this conclusion?’”.
The seasoned cyber security practitioner also encourage companies to “run rewards programmes to get people involved because there will be weakest links and strongest links in organizations”.
Baccio further urged business leaders to make contacts and share experiences with their peers, explaining that this was necessary in order to learn from each other.
“We have to do a lot more than just talk about it . . . . I encourage you to make these contacts when you are out and about and doing business. These are security contacts that you are going to need. Reach out and share information. Eliminate biases. Not everybody looks like you and thinks like you. Explain security controls and why they are in place. You are going to need to do that for all kinds of different reasons. Their understanding of that is going to be like ‘hey, we are all in this together’,” he explained.
During the seminar, individuals were also advised to see artificial intelligence and machine learning as tools to augment staff and not replace them.
(marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)
