MSA introduced this blog series to further discussion around Information Security both to add awareness to this important topic as well as demonstrate the expectation that we have on securing MSA and our partners. We know that greater Information Security scrutiny is coming to all industries. The SEC disclosure rule is here now. More states are adopting laws regarding data privacy. The goal is to better secure the data and systems your company relies on to ensure business continuity in a complex world.  

A great place to start in securing your environment is to review the last year considering what went right, what went wrong and where you need to be.

Some items to consider as you plan out goals for this year:

1. Where there any business disruptions, incidents, or breaches in your organization or with a vendor/partner that you rely on? How can these be addressed so that they do not happen again? Were there any close calls that helped you realize a threat that could be addressed now?
2. Review priorities, infrastructure concerns and any policy or procedure’s that may not have had a fresh set of eyes on them in some time.
3. Not sure where to start? Start with the easy items first. Make sure backups are being done, especially on the systems you rely on. Ensure routine patching of systems is happening. Plan to improve wherever is possible and reasonable.

According to the Allianz Risk Barometer, a cyber event is still the top business risk for 2024. In the next article, we will discuss some best practices to communicate cybersecurity goals for your organization to better frame shared objectives and show how everyone can assist in securing the organization.