6 Things to Know about Cybersecurity: WCI Track Seeks to Create 'Evangelists'

Orlando, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) -- Cybersecurity has grabbed headlines in recent years, including within the workers’ compensation industry. But has it been enough to turn people into “evangelists” for cybersecurity?

Ron Frechette thinks so, and has organized the track Workplace Safety – Cyber Security: Why For Workers’ Compensation And Why Now? for this year’s WCI Conference. Frechette, founder and CEO of GoldSky Cyber Security recently told WorkersCompensation.com that cybersecurity is an under looked priority at most small- and medium-sized businesses. However, Frechette feels that the WCI track, in its inaugural run, could change that.

Here's what Frechette had to say about the topic and the track.

1. Why should the workers' compensation industry pay attention to cybersecurity?

Because the majority of the data being transmitted, processed, and stored within the workers’ comp industry is protected health information, or PHI. PHI is like “cyber gold” to cyber criminals due primarily to the versatility of how it can be monetized on the dark web through insurance fraud, Identity theft, prescription narcotics, etc. PHI also tends to have a longer shelf life than stolen credit card or bank data How often do we check our bank account and credit card balances versus how often do we check our claims history?

2. On a related note, what makes cybersecurity a workplace safety issue?

Leaving our PCs unlocked while unattended, usernames and passwords found under keyboards, plugging in a USB that may contain malware, constant barrage of phishing emails, insider threats, rogue employees.

3. What can attendees of WCI sessions expect to gain from attending that they wouldn't get anywhere else?

Being educated on basic cybersecurity hygiene practices that will dramatically reduce their risk of a data breach or malware attack. Cybersecurity is viewed by many as complicated, difficult to implement, and expensive to put in place. Our speakers will break this information down into easy to understand and implement practices, [plus] CEU/CLE credits.

4. What is the single most pressing topic in cybersecurity today?

The threat landscape is always changing based on new technologies. AI and machine learning have both positive and negative consequences depending on how it is used. Ransomware, wire fraud, man in the Middle attacks are big. Three things small and midsized, or SMBs, should strive to achieve: 1) reduce the risk of data breaches; 2) become compliant with industry and government regulations; and 3) mature their cybersecurity posture over time as cost effectively and efficiently as possible.

5. How prepared is the typical small- or medium-sized business in terms of cybersecurity?

They are just coming out of the early adopter phase. The next three to five years will be extremely active for SMBs in the adoption cycle.  

6. What else would be helpful for attendees to know about the sessions or cybersecurity?

It’s a journey not a destination. The threat landscape will always be changing. They need to take what they learn and help us evangelize the need to transform our behaviors from the brick and mortar age way of conducting business to the digital age way. We are smack dab in the middle of a digital industrial revolution. When industrial revolutions occur, many people lose fortunes and many people become generationally wealthy due to having the knowledge and acting earlier than the global population. When the light bulb was first invented, how did that affect the candle and oil lantern industries? 

As a part of my presentation, I make it a standard practice to deputize my audiences as Fellow Cybersecurity Evangelists. We actually provide everyone in the session Cybersecurity Evangelist Badges as a keepsake and reminder to promote these new behavioral changes necessary to protect them in the world wide web, or what we call the wild wild west.

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