London Security operates out of North Texas, and because of the upcoming storm - we suspect that we (like many North Texas companies) expect to be impacted.  We use a service that makes sure, even while we might be huddling up and locking down, our security still has engineers in the US - our 365 days of the year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day we still maintain coverage.  Our MDR service means we are still able to operate in a secure manner regardless of storm issues.

If 2021 taught us anything, it is the importance of being prepared in the face of a crisis or a potential risk.  From everything to storms last year to the innumerable security risks facing businesses, we all had to learn how to create processes that will work in spite of ourselves - working when everything else fails.

As such, while I am hopefully still with power and warmth, I scheduled this post to go out and wish well to all of my fellow Americans who are weathering this storm and all of the weather we've seen of the past few years, and also - use it as a moment to say this is a life lesson in Cybersecurity.

There is always going to be something that messes up an otherwise perfect plan.  Whether security technology failing at a key moment, or an employee with access they shouldn't have installing a piece of malware - these situations will occur.  As such, it is important to remember the following thoughts when approaching both winter storms and Cybersecurity.

• Plan not only for success, but also failure.
  • I know a lot of what to expect from this winter storm (I weathered it last year), so I went out and purchased food, water, and verified I would likely have heat in a worst case scenario.
  • I also made plans for all of those things failing.  What if I do lose heat? What if my gas is turned off and I can't cook? What can I do in those scenarios?
  • This is almost the exact same approach that should be taken with Cybersecurity.
    • What is your endpoint security?
    • What do you have protecting your data?
    • What happens if you get infected?
    • What is the process if a user installs a known piece of malware?
    • What is the process if any of this happens while you're unreachable?
  • Having answers to the above questions (or security processes that handle them) are key to success.  Most attackers succeed from diligence over expertise.  It takes a lot to make sure you're secure 100% of the time, whereas an attacker just needs that .001% of the time when you aren't prepared to succeed.
• Who do you have in your corner? What can they do for you?
  
  • One of the first things I did when I knew we were going to likely be impacted by the storm, is reached out to my community to both let them know what I could do personally, as well as what they might need if something happens to me.
  • The same is true in Cybersecurity situations.  Who can you talk to if you have a major breach? Do you know who to call when that person isn't available? What is the flow chart of actions that occur in various Cybersecurity incidents?
  • Having this information planned in advance is going to be key to success.
• Use specialists for specific problems, generalists for general problems.
  
  • When I needed my Chimney and Fireplace checked, I made sure to pick someone who specialized in that - not a general handyman to solve that problem.  I knew I needed someone who knew whether or not my fireplace would be safe, and further, if I would be able to use it in the storm if things got bad.
  • Similarly, wouldn't you rather have a specialists in Cybersecurity versus a general IT Person (or Salesperson) answering questions about what to do in data risk scenarios?

I will leave with this idea, hopefully while I'm sitting sipping coffee and avoiding most of the storm's issues.  It is far better to find yourself with solutions to problems you planned for, rather than scrambling to find solutions when the problem is causing immediate issues.

London Security is a veteran owned business with decades of Cybersecurity experience across our team, and we are here to provide help first, and earn any dollar we are receive.  We look to solving your problems and helping you plan for success in spite of failure, but we can also help out in an emergent situation to give you a process and solution to what could be an ongoing problem.

Contact us (probably after this winter storm) and we can talk to you more about what problems you might be experiencing, and hopefully point you in the direct for solutions, or provide them ourselves.