Readiness For the Year Ahead

January 2023

Message from Mike

There are plenty of predictions about how 2023 will go from an economic standpoint. But we’re not about doom and gloom – just preparedness. That said, it’s almost certain to be a year where cyber threats will continue to rise.

The strategies many of your peers are taking could surprise you. For instance, researchers at Fortinet note that 72% of businesses have ransomware protocols and procedures in place. But for almost half of those companies, the “procedure” is simply to pay the ransom.

The question isn’t whether a threat will hit you. Instead, it's what plans you have laid out in advance. And I’m very much looking forward to the discussions we’re going to have this year to get businesses like yours in a good, confident place.

Mike Skinner, CPA, CITP

Principal Consultant

Schedule time with Mike

P.S. I recently had the honor of co-authoring a new book entitled, "The Small Business Owner's Guide to Protecting Your Business From Hackers.” I'm excited to share more soon, but in the meantime, you can find it on Amazon.

Personal data and you: Data Privacy Week

The last full week of January kicks off Data Privacy Week, the National Cybersecurity Alliance’s updated awareness campaign for managing and protecting personal data, and educating both individuals and families about why it’s so important. If you have an hour, the Alliance’s webinar, "The Story of You," is a great place to start – even touching on whether it’s a good idea to accept cookies when visiting sites.

Manufacturing giants vulnerable to breaches

A recent study by SecurityScorecard concluded that most large manufacturing companies on the Forbes 2000 list have unaddressed vulnerabilities. Many of them are even due to lapses outside of their organizations. In fact, 54% of breaches happen because of another company’s cybersecurity gaps.

Read the full report here.

Insight: Why cybersecurity should be at the center of risk management

Cybersecurity breaches and cybercrimes cost the global economy trillions of dollars each year, studies estimate. They often happen even when a business thinks it’s too small to be a target or that it’s done all it can to protect itself. And according to research from IBM, more than 80% of businesses will be impacted by a cyber breach at least once, but probably more than that.

Read the blog

About Skinner Technology Group

We focus on enabling clients to fully leverage technology investments by providing the support and insights critical to safeguarding their business, critical data, and brand reputation while gaining return on investment from IT.

We partner with clients to navigate the challenges of IT operations, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and business solution implementation.

Getting an assessment is a free way to check on your business’ cyber health.