| | AUGUST - 2023ENTERPRISE SECURITY8IN MY OPINIONIN MY OPINIONBy Mark Alvarado, Director, Cyber Security & IT Compliance, Academy Sports + OutdoorsHOW TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF CYBER ATTACKS ON BUSINESSES?Alvarado is a digital risk specialist with 19 years of expertise in the IT industry. He is responsible for assisting enterprises in identifying digital risks and recommending solutions or controls to close the gaps. He is also a certified IT security specialist familiar with endpoint security, vulnerability management, identity management, data loss prevention, threat remediation, and best practices for securing IT infrastructure. Prior to cybersecurity, he spent 11 years working in high-speed manufacturing. As the director of IT security, Could you explain more about what you've seen in the security landscape in your line of work?Criminals have found cyberspace to be an increasingly appealing hunting ground over time. There are two reasons for this; first, people today are more connected to internet-based technologies. Our devices are connected to the internet, we conduct transactions over it, and we are trying to connect across it in various ways. While an increasingly connected world makes our lives easier, we also need to think about the security that comes along with it. Most companies are already leveraging technology, and the pandemic has now forced them to do so for those who didn't. Growing tech companies have opted to make remote work easy for their employees, which has enabled cybercriminals to access anything that connects to the internet remotely. We know that data is now the 'new black gold for hackers. They want your data to either sell or exploit and will use ransomware to extort money from you. That is why cybercrime activities are lucrative in the industry. Second, breaches occur because big businesses do not do enough to put the right controls in place, resulting in a shortage of cyber security and cyber professionals to do the job. If the technology exists to help criminals commit cybercrime, it also exists to keep them out. You make it much easy for them if you don't secure your organization. Many businesses are utilizing technology such as AI and ML that allows them to be more efficient and automated today, but some firms still do not--either because they are unaware of it or because they do not want to spend money on it.Mark Alvarado
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