Press Release
Date: October 27, 2017
Contact: Andrea Short, Director of Marketing & Communications
Prince William Chamber of Commerce
ashort@pwchamber.org; 571-765-1876
Secret Service to Educate Local Business Leaders
on Relevant Cyber Threats
Manassas, VA- On Monday, October 30, the Prince William Chamber of Commerce will host a breakfast featuring Kyo Dolan, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Cyber Policy, Strategy & Outreach for the U.S. Secret Service Office of Investigations. The breakfast and talk, titled Access Denied: Cyber Security Awareness & Preparedness, will be held from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Chamber’s Headquarters (9720 Capital Court, Suite 203; Manassas, VA 20110).
Dolan’s presentation will focus on awareness of significant cybercrime trends as witnessed by the Secret Service, with a special focus on what to do when a business finds out it has been compromised. She will also cover emerging threats targeting mobile devices, personal and business networks; and suggestions for good cyber-hygiene.
While small businesses and not-for-profit organizations often believe they are safe from cybercrimes, recent statistics show their increasing vulnerability. According the Better Business Bureau’s 2017 State of Cybersecurity Among Small Businesses in North America (9/2017): “In fact, small businesses – which make up more than 97% of total businesses in North America – have a unique role in the cybersecurity ecosystem and overall national security strategies: they can be targeted by cybercriminals as gateways through the supply chain to larger corporations, many of which are in critical infrastructure sectors.”
Aaron Tolson, Chief Operating Officer for R&K Cyber Solutions followed on. ”As a result of this risk, the government has mandated that all DoD subcontractors are responsible to comply by December 31, 2017 with certain cyber security requirements to help ensure that their data is being protected, specifically the DFAR 252.204-7012 and/or NIST 800-171. R&K is able to perform a complete assessment of your company and provide a gap analysis, SSP, and POAM to ensure you can be compliant by the end of the year.
No matter what size company you are, no matter what industry you represent, you are a target for hacking. Protect your revenue. Protect your data. Protect your customers.”
The BBB found that only 35% of businesses could remain profitable for more than three months if they permanently lost access to essential data. More than half would be unprofitable in under a month.Believing that mitigating the risk of exposure begins with education and training, the Chamber has opened their Access Denied breakfast to anyone doing business in or around Prince William County. Members of the Prince William Chamber pay $25 per person and non-members will be charged $30. Registration is available online at pwchamber.org or by calling 703-368-6600. R&K Cyber Solutions is the event sponsor.
For even more information and statistics, read the Chamber’s most recent blog post: https://pwchamber.tumblr.com/post/166819142439/secret-service-to-educate-local-business-leaders
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About the Prince William Chamber of Commerce:
The Prince William Chamber of Commerce is the strongest voice for the business community in the Washington, DC Metropolitan region. Together with our diverse membership, representing over 70,000 employees we work to create an environment where business and people thrive. To accomplish this, we focus our efforts in the key areas of business growth, economic development, advocacy, education and community outreach. In this way, we are building a solid foundation for the success of our business members and our community. For more information, visit our website at www.pwchamber.org or call the Prince William Chamber at 703-368-6600.
