{"id":151494,"date":"2020-04-01T06:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T11:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=151494"},"modified":"2020-04-01T06:03:16","modified_gmt":"2020-04-01T11:03:16","slug":"ictp-099-updated-expert-insights-cyber-threats-security-niel-harper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2020\/04\/ictp-099-updated-expert-insights-cyber-threats-security-niel-harper\/","title":{"rendered":"ICTP 099:  Updated expert insights on cyber threats and security, with Niel Harper"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>It is only a matter of time before an organisation experiences some kind of cyber incident. In this conversation with IT and cyber security expert, Niel Harper, we discuss, among other things, how the threat landscape is changing, <\/em><em>what should be included in a good Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan, whether cyber insurance is a good idea, and what is the top cybersecurity concern businesses face today.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/788142985&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>This episode is also available in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/ict-pulse-podcast\/id1373550291\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple iTunes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/playmusic.app.goo.gl\/?ibi=com.google.PlayMusic&amp;isi=691797987&amp;ius=googleplaymusic&amp;apn=com.google.android.music&amp;link=https:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/m\/Icau5acn2xiyl5yjuh7orl2mt54?t%3DICT_Pulse_Podcast%26pcampaignid%3DMKT-na-all-co-pr-mu-pod-16\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google Play Music<\/a> and on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/ict-pulse-podcast?refid=stpr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stitcher<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Over the past few week, vigilance with respect to cyberthreats and cybersecurity has become even crucial as countries tries to manage the rate of infections of the COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus. Increasingly, organisations have been relying on ICT in order to implement work at home and telework arrangements for their staff, which essentially, may open up their networks up to broad vulnerabilities, to which they have not been previously subject.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the challenges of securing a network that might not have been initially configured to be accessed remotely, and\/or the threats posed by employees accessing an organisation\u2019s resources on unsecured devices, such as their home computer, one begins to get an idea of the nightmare that could be occurring, thanks to the current dispensation. Further, the network monitoring capability, which would usually be the remit of the organisation\u2019s IT department, may need to be revisited \u2013 both in terms of function and resources.<\/p>\n<p>Hence, although we might not be able to speak to the specific threats that could be experienced or recommendations that could be implemented, we still thought it opportune for us to continue our longstanding conversation on cybercrime and cybersecurity, and to secure additional views and insights from an expert.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Our podcast guest<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_81625\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-81625\" data-attachment-id=\"81625\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2016\/04\/expert-insights-1-cyber-threats-security-caribbean-2016-update\/nielharper_2016\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/NielHarper_2016.jpg?fit=403%2C367&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"403,367\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"NielHarper_2016\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Source:  Niel Harper&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/NielHarper_2016.jpg?fit=300%2C273&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/NielHarper_2016.jpg?fit=403%2C367&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-81625\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fgd.dfv.mybluehost.me\/.website_c81a1e61\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/NielHarper_2016.jpg?resize=300%2C273&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/NielHarper_2016.jpg?w=403&amp;ssl=1 403w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/NielHarper_2016.jpg?resize=300%2C273&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-81625\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Niel Harper<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Our guest is no stranger to our Expert Insight series, but this is first time being interviewed via our podcast format. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nielharper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Niel Harper<\/strong><\/a>, who hails from Barbados, is an internationally-recognised subject matter expert in cybersecurity, information assurance, IT risk management, cyber law and policy.\u00a0 He is also the Founder and Chairman of the Octave Consulting Group, which works in the areas of\u00a0 ICT policy, telecoms regulation, cybersecurity risks and IT-enabled business issues.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to all of this, currently, Niel is the Chief Information Security Officer of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). UNOPS is one of the operational arm of the United Nations, which through the programmes and projects its supports, aim to foster peace and security, along with humanitarian and development solutions.<\/p>\n<p>As has been past experience, Niel does not disappoint in the insights and advice he shared, and we covered topics for which practical recommendations could be considered. Moreover, it is important for organisations to disabuse themselves of the notion that all cyberattacks can be prevented, or that all cyber incidents can be avoided. It is only a matter of time before an attack is successful; and so it perhaps even more important for organisations to be proactive in not only detailing their recovery plans, but also ensuring that they are adequately resourced to implement them. Hence key questions that were posed to Niel during the course of our conversation included the following:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What have been the most prevalent types of threats and incidents you have been observing and\/or experiencing?<\/li>\n<li>For a few years now, mobile devices have been seen as a major security risk. What steps could users take to better manage that risk?<\/li>\n<li>What might be some of the best anti-virus\/malware removal software products on the market today?<\/li>\n<li>What is the top cybersecurity concern businesses face today?<\/li>\n<li>In broad terms, what do Cybersecurity Incident Response Plans should they entail?<\/li>\n<li>Is cyber insurance a good idea, and what should an organisation look out for if they need to buy cyber insurance?<\/li>\n<li>Reportedly, there is a growing demand for cyber security professionals. What have been your observations? Do you agree? And how might that gap be closed?<\/li>\n<li>Finally, what might be some key things organisations should be doing in 2020 to improve their network\/IT security?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We would love to hear from you!<\/p>\n<p>Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ICTPulse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook<\/a><\/strong> or <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ict-pulse-consulting-limited\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/strong> pages, or via Twitter, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ICTPulse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@ICTPulse<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Select links<\/h3>\n<p>Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nielharper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Niel Harper<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unops.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/octavegroupbb.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Octave Consulting Group<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Organisation of American States (OAS), <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.oas.org\/es\/sms\/cicte\/sectorbancarioeng.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">State of Cybersecurity in the Banking Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li>New York Times article, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/03\/27\/us\/cyberattack-atlanta-ransomware.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A Cyberattack Hobbles Atlanta, and Security Experts Shudder<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Image credits:\u00a0 Pete Linforth (<a href=\"http:\/\/pixa bay.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pixabay<\/a>) ;\u00a0 N Harper<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Music credit: Ray Holman<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is only a matter of time before an organisation experiences some kind of cyber incident. In this conversation with IT and cyber security expert, Niel Harper, we discuss, among [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":151496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[355],"tags":[71,105,207,357],"class_list":["post-151494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast","tag-businesses","tag-cybercrimecybersecurity","tag-expert-insights-series","tag-interviews","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Cyber-Network-IT-ICT-Security-Protection-Technology-NetworkPete-Linforth-Pixabay-.jpg?fit=1024%2C614&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2iE1G-Dps","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151494"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":151509,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151494\/revisions\/151509"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}