[Webinar Recap] A Titanic Mistake: Incident Response Without Active Monitoring

Mike Thompson from FRSecure and Ostra Cybersecurity’s own Michael Kennedy recently teamed up to present a free, 30-minute webinar: “A Titanic Mistake: Incident Response Without Active Monitoring.”

If you missed the live webinar, keep reading to get the overview or watch the full webinar recording here.

Webinar Highlights: Lessons from the Titanic

Co-hosted by Ostra and  FRSecure, this online event offered participants the chance to learn from two of the region’s most well-respected leaders in cybersecurity, delivered in an accessible and engaging format.

Potential cyberattacks are often like icebergs: they’re floating all around you, and you can’t be sure exactly what lies beneath the surface. So how do you give your organization the precious resources it needs to outmaneuver an iceberg-sized cyber event and avoid a dangerous hit?

In their informative 30-minute session, Thompson and Kennedy covered:

• How to assess what’s underneath the surface in the “ice field” of threats to uncover the full impact of an event
• Real-world examples of cyber event “icebergs” and what we can learn from them
• Best practices for steering around the “Bergy Bits” with layered security and vigilant SOC monitoring
• Actions companies can do to minimize the danger of a “sinking ship” when incidents occur
• It’s not just about icebergs—facing the reality of internal threats, both intentional and accidental

Although no cybersecurity method is completely infallible, there are a number of measures that can aid in minimizing the likelihood of an attack and shortening the time it takes to detect one. For example, a key point that the co-presenters discussed in the webinar focused on the need to simply raise awareness about how outside organizations are interacting with your data, and the level of risk that might be involved.

“Organizations of all sizes are bigger than they seem,” Kennedy pointed out as he and Thompson shared more about how threats can lurk beneath the surface. As it turns out, most companies—even the smallest ones—are giving some sort of access to outsiders such as web developers, marketing firms, facility management vendors, printer support vendors, and more. Kennedy urged participants to consider a very important question: “Who has third-party access to your data?”

Thomspon agreed, pointing to Target and Okta as just some of the more publicized examples where domain addresses and credentials were compromised by third parties. But he cautioned, “For every one company that you hear about, there are probably 1000 that you don’t.”

In case you missed this latest educational collaboration between FRSecure and Ostra, be sure to check out the on-demand video recording here.

About the Presenters

As the Incident Case Manager/Team Lead at FRSecure, Mike Thompson is an information security veteran who has had a front-row seat to the damage done when companies neglect to actively monitor cyber threats.

Likewise, Ostra Cybersecurity Founder Michael Kennedy is recognized as a cybersecurity industry trailblazer. Prior to starting Ostra, he spent more than 20 years building, leading and scaling security platforms for Fortune 5 companies including the world’s largest healthcare provider.

Both Thompson and Kennedy share a passion for utilizing a proactive strategy to protect vulnerable businesses—especially small and medium-sized companies. Their extensive experience has convinced them that prevention is far easier and more cost-effective than trying to recover from a data breach or ransomware event that has already occurred. 

How Ostra and FRSecure Collaborate

Ostra enjoys partnering with companies like FRSecure who share our commitment to protecting businesses. Learn more about the proactive partnership that FRSecure and Ostra share when it comes to data security in our Cyber Allies blog.

Launched in 2012, FRSecure is an innovative, Minnesota-based consulting and testing company that is known for being Information Security Experts on a Mission to Fix a Broken Industry. Their award-winning technical team performs risk assessments, penetration testing, incident response forensics, technical research, and cybersecurity planning. FRSecure also advises clients who have questions about how to integrate cybersecurity into their existing environment, or who need help creating an overall cybersecurity strategy to fill gaps in their current systems.

Watch the free, on-demand replay of “A Titanic Mistake” here.

Make sure to visit FRSecure’s Resources Page as well as Ostra Cybersecurity’s Blog for relevant and timely content on a variety of cybersecurity topic.

If you have questions about cybersecurity or want to take advantage of a free cybersecurity assessment, contact Ostra or FRSecure today.