In-house counsel 'woefully unprepared' to deal with cybersecurity issues
More than a quarter of the respondents to a 2012 general counsel survey say their companies experienced a cybersecurity breach during the last year or so.
And that number may well be too low; given the expense and embarrassment associated with hacking and data security breaches, some individuals who discover that their companies have been victimized probably opt to sweep the incident under the rug, according to Corporate Counsel.
Meanwhile, as many general counsels responding to the Consero Group survey, produced in partnership with Applied Discovery Inc., also recognized, their companies are ill-equipped to deal with cyber breach issues.
“We find the companies we go into are woefully unprepared,” says consultant Stan Stahl, the cofounder and president of Citidel Information Group. Many, he says, have “the misconception that firewalls and anti-viral programs protect everything, and that’s a myth.”
Developing an effective approach, he tells Corporate Counsel, requires an ongoing system of cybersecurity best practices, an approach that, in its own arena, is akin to pursuing a commitment to good physical health through a daily focus on diet and exercise.
Related coverage:
CNET News: “Obama signs long-awaited cybersecurity executive order”
Washington Post (reg. req.): “U.S. said to be target of massive cyber-espionage campaign”
