On Wednesday, Aug. 18, the Gwinnett Chamber heard from Rocket IT’s VP of Technology, Eric Henderson, on the current state of cybersecurity. The health of our economy greatly depends on the way businesses and government address the rising threat that is ransomware. Ransomware is commonly defined as a virus that installs on a device, locks its files, and demands ransom to unlock, and it has been more of a threat to our economy in recent years. In 2020 alone, ransomware attacks have cost businesses in the United States over $900 billion in revenue. Cyberattacks have recently made headway in the news, the most familiar being the $4 million ransom on Colonial Pipeline that seized 100 GB of data and caused six days of down time. The average gas price rose $3.04 a gallon. Businesses and governments must remain vigilant and proactively implement measures to boost security and minimize threats.
Cybersecurity is also at the forefront of lawmakers in Congress. The bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed the Senate last week includes over $1.9 billion in funding for the nation’s cybersecurity, including a grant program for state and local governments to strengthen their cybersecurity and resources for vulnerable rural communities.
Looking ahead, Eric shared that ransomware will continue to evolve, requiring new technology to combat new challenges. In June, Gwinnett Technical College broke ground on the college’s new Computer Information Systems, Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies Building. The nearly $38 million project will expand Gwinnett Tech’s cybersecurity program to help meet its growing workforce demands.
Cybersecurity is not just a concern for government and large businesses. Eric noted that thousands of small businesses owners face an average loss of $50,000 from ransomware attacks.
While today’s presentation shed a spotlight on current cybersecurity events, it also provided attendees with some key pieces of foundational knowledge that are necessary to build a culture of security. In turn, guests to this event were afforded with a limited-time offer to expand upon those cornerstones with a free cybersecurity training session from Rocket IT. Using the promo code CYBER21, Rocket IT is extending a similar offer to readers of this article until August 31. Understanding that the limited openings will fill quickly, and trainings are provided on a first come, first serve basis, those interested can call Rocket IT at 770-441-2520 to book a slot for their team.
