By Brian Jones, Alexandria Chamber of Commerce CovCon Chair and Managing Director, The RAIL Group
In January, the Government Contracting Council hosted Members of the U.S. Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) to discuss their 2016 priorities and trends that are dictating the future of cyber security. Topics covered included the threats from nation-states such as Russia, China, and North Korea; the changing environment of who and what hackers are targeting; and the steps ARCYBER are taking to protect the Army’s information networks.
During the presentation, the Command provided some key tips on how Alexandria businesses can be more cyber conscious:
Brian Jones is the Managing Partner of The RAIL Group, focusing on accelerating economic and social impact through programming designed to educate, mentor, and grow businesses. Our clients include government contractors, commercial small and large businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions. For more information or to learn more about how The RAIL Group can make a lasting impact on your organization, please visit www.therailgroupllc.com or contact me directly at brian.jones@therailgroupllc.com.
In January, the Government Contracting Council hosted Members of the U.S. Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) to discuss their 2016 priorities and trends that are dictating the future of cyber security. Topics covered included the threats from nation-states such as Russia, China, and North Korea; the changing environment of who and what hackers are targeting; and the steps ARCYBER are taking to protect the Army’s information networks.
During the presentation, the Command provided some key tips on how Alexandria businesses can be more cyber conscious:
- Be Aware: Know what is connected to and running on your network. This includes all of your hardware devices including computers, tablets, and mobile devices.
- Avoid Defaults: Implement key security settings to help protect your system. This includes changing your router passwords regularly (every 6-months), establishing protocols for password resets on devices, and varying your passwords for different accounts.
- Control Access: limit and manage administrative privileges and security protocols; limit and manage those who have admin privileges to change, bypass or override your security settings.
- Patch and Update: When your operating system, mobile device, or apps tell you it’s time to update, it is for a reason. In many cases these patches are designed to remove or alleviate a vulnerability that has been found in their system. If you do not update, your systems become more vulnerable.
- Routine: Establish a schedule and maintain a routine as your top priority to build a solid foundation of cyber-security practices.
Brian Jones is the Managing Partner of The RAIL Group, focusing on accelerating economic and social impact through programming designed to educate, mentor, and grow businesses. Our clients include government contractors, commercial small and large businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions. For more information or to learn more about how The RAIL Group can make a lasting impact on your organization, please visit www.therailgroupllc.com or contact me directly at brian.jones@therailgroupllc.com.