IT managed services provider, Issue53 founder Daaniël van Siereveld says having proper cybersecurity protocols is a fundamental requirement for working with clients amid rampant cyberattacks today.
Lake Oswego, Oregon, Feb. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In today’s increasingly interconnected digital age, many organizations have become so distracted by technology’s incredible capabilities that they end up neglecting their cybersecurity. They fail to take into account the presence of various threat actors lurking everywhere, looking to pounce on any vulnerabilities in network security that they can find. Being targeted by a cyberattack is no longer a matter of if, but a matter of when.
Oregon-based IT managed services provider, Issue53 believes that cybersecurity and compliance are not just potential add-on services that can be offered to clients. Rather, it’s the prerequisite for doing business, as it is the central component that should underpin an organization’s IT infrastructure.
Issue53 was founded by Daaniël van Siereveld, an IT and cybersecurity expert with more than 20 years of experience. Daaniël is no stranger to environments that require a high degree of cybersecurity, including being the VP of IT operations at an institutional banking company dealing with cryptocurrencies and other digital assets for some of the largest financial institutions in the world. His inclination for technology was evident from a young age when he was taking courses at Cisco Academy even before finishing high school.
According to Daaniël, Issue53’s focus on security is part of its duty to its clients, as it also shares liability in case of an incident. In recent years, chief information security officers (CISOs) and IT companies have been held liable for cyber breaches, similar to how doctors are being sued for negligence in a medical malpractice claim.
Issue53 works closely with its clients to ensure robust cybersecurity protocols, and Daaniël believes that refusing to implement these is a dealbreaker because no organization is too big or too small to be exempt from cyberattacks.
For example, one of the world’s largest casino operators recently suffered a $100 million loss due to a cyberattack, where the attackers used social engineering to gain entry into the network. According to Daaniël, while everyone is vulnerable to social engineering, the fact that the company did not have its different digital environments segregated and secured allowed the attacker to do more damage.
On the other end of the spectrum, many small startups and mom-and-pop businesses have also fallen victim to ransomware, which encrypts the victim’s files and demands payment for the files to be released. Daaniël shares a sobering statistic: 60% of small businesses go under within six months of a cyber breach.
“Many small business owners believe that they're too small for the hackers to care,” Daaniël says. “But the truth is, like everyone else, hackers are after low-hanging fruit, and, quite honestly, small businesses are the lowest-hanging fruit there is.”
As part of its managed IT services package, Issue53 has partnered with a cyber insurance carrier that is one of the world's first proactive rather than reactive providers. Clients who implement proper cybersecurity are charged lower premiums. In case an attack still happens, a claim’s payout is more guaranteed, as there is concrete evidence that the client has done its due diligence.
When dealing with clients, Issue53 implements a “no Geek-Speak” rule. It answers questions in plain English, not in confusing technical terms. Daaniël and his team ensure that the language they use is understandable even by people who do not have a tech background.
Issue53 works with clients in a wide variety of industries, but is especially adept with the financial sector, thanks to Daaniël’s background. He says that many IT professionals are not used to compliance checks, which are common practice in the financial industry.
“A one-man CPA practice still has to follow the same rules as a thousand-person accounting firm. Just like financial compliance, there also needs to be compliance for cybersecurity processes and procedures,” Daaniël says. “This is why I only work with businesses that focus on regulatory compliance. Because, if they’re used to following a compliance framework, then I'm not the bad guy when I say that the firewall needs to be updated. It's not me who requires the company to incur an additional expense. Rather, it is the compliance regulation, whether by the Federal government, State government, or their industry.
Media Contact:
Name: Daaniël van Siereveld
Email: info@issue53.com
