InfoSec | Buckle Your Cyber Seatbelt | LMG Security

Don’t be a dummy

A friend with a small business recently asked me why he should spend money on InfoSec, since his small business had never been breached or hacked. I thought about it a few minutes and replied “for the same reason you buckle your seat belt every time you drive your car”.  I went on to explain that buckling your seat belt didn’t guarantee that you wouldn’t be involved in a car accident – there are far too many variables.  However, we can all agree that statistics show that drivers and passengers that buckle up are far more likely to survive a serious auto accident.  Furthermore, stats also show that most accidents happen within 2 miles of home – where you least expect it and where you feel the safest.

Cybersecurity is a lot like an auto accident.  Just when you least expect it  – a hack or breach happens.  Sometimes it’s just a ‘fender bender’, perhaps caused by a disgruntled employee with an axe to grind.  Your productivity suffers a bit but it’s really nothing your business can’t deal with.  Other times, it’s a professional cyber criminal looking to rape, pillage and plunder and the results can be catastrophic.  Recent studies suggest an average data breach costs $188 per record, so a data breach of 5500 PII records quickly reaches into the 6-figure column of losses.  Most small businesses couldn’t survive that kind of a wreck.

You never have to tell anyone who’s ever been involved in a serious auto accident to buckle his or her seat belt.  They know why they’re doing it and why it’s important.  Chances are the seat belt saved their life.  Investing in cybersecurity does not automatically guarantee you or your business won’t be hacked, but it greatly improves the odds of surviving it if it does happen.  Cyber crime is the fastest growing crime in the world.  Better buckle your cyber seatbelt!