The common maxim today is that when it comes to cyber breaches, it’s not a case of “if”, but of “when” and “how often”. 

In May 2017, Equifax, an American multinational consumer credit reporting agency, learned this lesson the hard way, when it was breached and hackers made off with the sensitive data of 145.5 million Americans. 

In December the previous year, a researcher had approached the company, warning it that its Web site was vulnerable to an attack, yet the company did nothing to patch the flaw.

This is a prime example of an all-too-common business failing – not being prepared for a cyber attack. And as breaches continue to grow in frequency and sophistication, targeting all businesses from the largest enterprises to the smallest SMEs, no one can afford to be ill-prepared.

The consequences of a breach can be catastrophic, and go way beyond financial losses alone, to include loss of sensitive data, massive regulatory fines and loss of customer confidence and brand reputation, which can greatly damage the company’s bottom line.

During the ITWeb Security Summit 2021, to be held as a virtual event from 1 to 3 June, Lisa Forte, partner at Red Goat Cyber Security, will be presenting an international keynote address: “Preparing for a cyber attack”.

Forte began her career in security, trying to stop pirates from attacking ships off the coast of Somalia, going on to work in UK Counter Terrorism Intelligence, and later joining one of the UK Police Cyber Crime Units. She founded her own company, Red Goat Cyber Security, in 2017 and has become one of the leading voices on cyber security issues. Forte is a professional speaker, trainer, entrepreneur, documentary personality and vlogger and was named one of the Top 100 Women in Tech.

During her presentation, Forte will discuss what are the main traps companies fall into when handling an incident, as well as why we need redundancy. In addition, she will highlight the companies that got it right, and will show the simple things we can put in place to ensure we are ready for anything.

ITWeb Security Summit 2021: 1-3 June

Book your seat now to get up to speed on cyber security trends, solutions and best practices – all without leaving your home or office. The event will feature more than 50 speakers, including seven international keynotes, who will share their knowledge and expert opinions with you. Early-bird registration closes on 30 April.