If your business depends on technology such as computers, the Internet, WiFi, smart phones or point-of-sales (POS) systems, then your business is at risk of a cyber attack. Many small to medium businesses assume that they aren’t of interest to hackers. However, almost three quarters of Canadian businesses that depend on such technology are likely to be hit by some type of “hack” and most of the businesses that are hit are small to medium businesses. The 21st century hacker is often a business-minded person themselves – just one who happens to be looking for data that can be copied and sold, identities that can be auctioned to others, or computers that can be held for ransom. The targets for these hackers include local companies and franchises. There are basic, and mostly easy, steps that any business owner can take to improve the cybersecurity of their business.
The goal of this information session is to:
– Educate small business owners on today’s cyber threat and how that threat can affect their business.
– Equip small business owners with a few tools and resources that they can use to make their business safer.
– Explain the Canary pilot program, which may be an additional way for Ottawa business owners to secure their business from cyberattack.
This session is intended for a non-technical audience and serves as an introduction to cybersecurity best practices for business that might not have a full-time IT staff
Presenter:
Ahmed Shah (PMP, M. Eng.) Cybersecurity Analyst & Developer. Ahmed is a member of GCR’s Cybersecurity Operations team. Ahmed has his Masters of Engineering from Carleton University and has previously worked at IBM.