Collin County Business Alliance Conducts Cybersecurity Leadership Forum

According to the business professionals recently surveyed at the Cybersecurity Leadership Forum in Plano, the threat of cyberattack is a top concern. The forum was organized by the Collin County Business Alliance (CCBA).

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Majority (60 percent) of those surveyed are very concerned about the consequences of a cyberattack and also discuss cybersecurity in their leadership meetings, and an additional 25% are somewhat concerned. Only about 8% do not view a cyberattack as a concern for their business.

Majority (69 percent) of survey respondents said they plan to increase spending on cybersecurity over the next three years. 36 percent of all respondents plan a significant increase. And 38% report that they focus on prevention, while 11 percent are focused on responding. About 30% percent attach equal importanc to prevention and response.

Cyberattacks can be of different forms and respondents selected what concerned them most:

43% chose phishing/smishing
23% cited vulnerabilities within applications
13% are most concerned about threats from inside, whether employees or contractors
11% see point-of-sale intrusion as their top cybercrime concern.

About a quarter of those surveyed cited employee compliance with information security policies as the weakest link in security protocols for their business. 15% identified weak or outdated company software as a concern, and 13% pointed to devices such as laptops and smartphones as the weakest links.

The percentages are based on 51 responses.

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and CCBA marked it by contributing to this important conversation. They enabled the North Texas business community to engage in exchange of ideas with other businesses, governments and third-party organizations.

Some of their findings can be reviewed below: