Companies can no longer take a laissez faire approach to cybersecurity. News reports of breaches and ransomware attacks at companies and government entities have moved the needle on cybersecurity, and businesses are seeking solutions.
The Cyber Readiness Center was established to help the public and private sector assess their vulnerabilities and to prepare and train employees to make their organizations more resilient to cyber incidents.
“Cyber attacks are constantly occurring, and they are indiscriminate,” says Scott Terry, director of the Cyber Readiness Center. “Even small companies, who believe they are not a target, can get caught in the net. We can provide cybersecurity assessments for businesses of any size, including physical security, technical vulnerabilities, controls and policies.”
As a part of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), the Cyber Readiness Center can draw on the experts and expertise of a premier training organization and a top tier university system, Terry says. The center offers the full complement of cyber preparedness activities, from assessments and cyber plans and policy development to training employees and validating your team and cybersecurity plan through exercises.
“Once we understand a company’s unique challenges, we can help them develop comprehensive policies, plans and procedures to build cyber resilience. We have experts and curriculum developers who can customize training for employees based on a company’s specific needs, and we can conduct workshops or exercises to meet a company’s cybersecurity goals and objectives,” Terry added.
The Cyber Readiness Center offers a suite of online and face-to-face courses, some of which are offered at no cost through funding from the DHS/FEMA Homeland Security National Training Program.
Courses designed specifically for business leaders include a four-hour seminar, Cybersecurity for Business Executives. Other courses geared to business executives include online training in information risk management, cyber incident analysis and disaster recovery.
“We have something for everyone,” Terry says. “Our courses range from the basic ‘Information Security for Everyone’ to ‘Network Assurance’ for IT professionals. And many of our courses are approved for college credit through the American Council on Education.”
Newly developed courses include “Understanding a Targeted Cyber Attack” and “Recovering from a Cybersecurity Incident.” Continuity of Operations is vital to businesses, he added.
“Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, cyber incidents can happen to your organization – no matter how large or small – and your training and preparation will determine how quickly you can mitigate negative impacts and recover,” Terry said. “In today’s environment, we have realized that learning how to recover from incidents is just as important as taking cybersecurity measures designed to prevent hacks and intrusions.”
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