Sharing Cybersecurity Basics for Organizations
Wichita, Kan.—(May 2, 2024)—Recently, our Director of Information Security, Jason Fenoglio, was invited to deliver an insightful presentation at the Kansas Government Finance Officers Association’s (KSGFOA) 2024 Spring Symposium.
The Spring Symposium is a premier event for the KSGFOA, attracting public finance professionals from across the region to learn about the latest relevant topics and trends. Jason’s presentation, “Cybersecurity Basics for Your Business,” served as the event’s general session closing keynote.
About the KSGFOA
The Kansas Government Finance Officers Association (KSGFOA) is Kansas’s state chapter of the National Government Finance Officers Association.
According to their website, KSGFOA “serves more than 200 professionals across the state of Kansas from government offices, school districts, colleges, universities, special districts, and private firms.” As a nonprofit organization, KSGFOA promotes excellence in governmental financial management through educational programs, technical referral networks, and information concerning policies that may affect finance professionals.
KSGFOA partners with the Wichita State University Public Policy and Management Center to enhance its services, expand membership, and increase professional development opportunities.
“Cybersecurity Basics for Your Business”
Jason’s presentation focused on the idea of building a comprehensive, multilayered cybersecurity strategy for organizations—after all, adequate cyberthreat protection comes from having multiple layers of defense, including front-line, middle-line, and last-line defense.
- Front-line defense includes basic measures such as firewalls, email security, patching, and multifactor authentication (MFA). These tools help to prevent unauthorized access and identify potential threats before they can cause harm.
- Mid-line defense involves more sophisticated techniques, such as security awareness training (SAT), VPNs, single sign-on (SSO), and password managers, which are key to protecting people and processes.
- Last-line defense encompasses solutions like anti-virus, endpoint detection and response (EDR), security information and event management (SIEM), data backup, and disaster recovery that either go head-to-head with the cyberthreat or help organizations recover from a cyberattack.
Additionally, Jason’s presentation emphasized the importance of password security. Creating strong passwords, using password managers, and enabling multifactor authentication (MFA) where possible are key practices.
- Strong passwords should be complex and unique to each account, making it harder for attackers to guess or crack them.
- Password managers help to generate and store these passwords securely, reducing the risk of password reuse or weak password choices.
- MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide additional verification, such as a code sent to their phone, alongside their password.
User education is another critical aspect of cybersecurity highlighted in the presentation. Educating users on how best to use technology to prevent cyberattacks is vital, as people are typically an organization’s weakest security link. This strategy includes training on recognizing phishing emails, understanding the importance of software updates, and following best practices for data handling.
We Help Keep Your Business Safe.
We’re incredibly proud of Jason’s contribution to the KSGFOA 2024 Spring Symposium. We’re also grateful for the invitation and the opportunity to share cybersecurity best practices with the community.
At High Touch Technologies, we are committed to helping businesses like yours stay safe in the digital world. For more information on our cybersecurity capabilities, or to learn more about a cybersecurity risk assessment for your business, get in touch with us. We’re excited to show you how we can help keep your business safe.