Cyber Health Discussion Series
| This series discusses cybersecurity issues of interest to c-level executives at print-based enterprises. Printers lacking cyber protections are risking financial losses for their and their clients' businesses. In addition, with business insurance renewals now asking about the company's cyber protocols, it is time to make cybersecurity a top priority. |
Reviewing OutputLinks Communications Group Services
By Andy & Julie Plata
Co-CEOs
I love parables because they use understandable scenarios to convey complex ideas. Parables are enjoyable to listen to because of their brilliant simplicity. To instruct a child not to lie is one thing, but telling them the story of the boy who cried wolf is far more impactful.
Cybersecurity is ripe for a good parable since a simple story to convey the invisible truth of the cyber world. So, let's try creating a parable to teach a corporate vulnerability lesson. OK?
Our Cybersecurity Parable
Let's make a parable about our town's beloved 100-year-old tree. The tall, broad tree sits on the city hall grounds and is the town's scenic centerpiece. But one day, the mayor noticed that the tree was losing too many leaves. It seemed to be dying!
The mayor asked the town's landscape manager to check out the problem. After completing his primary duties, the manager determined the real problem. It was that dead leaves were littering his beautifully landscaped grounds.
The landscape manager submitted his report and solution. The mayor ordered the removal of all dead leaves to preserve the beauty of City Hall's grounds. But each day, more and more dead leaves fell, and staff worked to remove them. Until one day, there were no more leaves. The tree had died.
| The OutputLinks Communications Group's C-Level advisors provide cybersecurity assessments. |
The Postmortem
After the tree was cut down, the mayor discovered that a simple root disease was the problem. If only the mayor had sought a tree specialist's diagnosis, the town's beloved tree might have survived.
Saving the town's century-old icon was a C-Level responsibility. Unfortunately, the mayor was misled by well-meaning advice from an employee lacking problem-specific credentials. The daily leaf removal costs should have been used for deep analysis by a tree specialist with certified credentials.
| Prescription Without A Thorough Diagnosis is Malpractice. |
Management's Cyber Challenge
The mayor's reliance on busy internal staff for a solution beyond their specialization mirrors how company executives often approach cybersecurity initiatives. Unfortunately, a less than thorough diagnosis can mask the root causes of vulnerabilities and prevent the company from establishing proper protocols for securing the business from cyber attacks.
As our parable illustrates, failure to invest in a professional, certifiable diagnosis invites a potential disaster.
A Proper Cyber Diagnosis
Stay tuned for the next Cyber Health Series installment. We will discuss how a cybersecurity professional performs a complete vulnerabilities diagnosis using the Nist 800-53 r5 diagnostic framework.
In closing
Thanks for reading.
Our goal is to discuss cybersecurity issues from a business protection perspective and stimulate ideas for launching or accelerating your cyber initiatives. Future segments will deal with best practices for planning and executing cybersecurity business transformations. We welcome your thoughts and feedback in the Comments tab below.
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Promoting print tech for the digital age,
Andy & Julie Plata
Co-CEOs, American Printer, and the OutputLinks Communications Group
Stay tuned for our continuing Commentary on the changing print-tec industry environment and its effect on clients, employees, dealers, partners, and stockholders in the global print industry.
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