Cybercrime , Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks , Fraud Management & Cybercrime
Israeli SMBs Warned to Cut External Comms to Reduce Risks
Founder of ISC2 Israel Chapter on How Small Firms Can Shore Up Defenses
Israel is known for its cyber resilience, but small and medium businesses in the country need to reduce external communication during wartime to reduce their attack surface, said May Brooks-Kempler, director of Cyber Range Solutions and founder and former president of ISC2 Israel Chapter.
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While cyber defense efforts typically focus on large companies, SMBs actually form a larger share in an economy. "Hackers will always find a path of less resistance," Brooks-Kempler said. Therefore, "if it is a company that is focused on doing business only in Israel," she said, "right now, though there are loads of solutions that can protect external data coming in, I would just block it."
Unfortunately, many Israelis were stuck somewhere else when the Israel-Hamas war erupted with terrorist attacks on Oct 7. "I had a conversation yesterday with a friend of mine. She was on vacation outside of Israel when it all started and she's still there. She's working remotely, so it's a matter of balancing it out. Maybe you will approve one location or two locations, but on a general perspective, if it's a local company, and there's no real need to work globally, I would reduce that risk."
In this video interview with Information Security Media Group, Brooks-Kempler discussed:
- Where Israeli SMBs can find cybersecurity aid;
- How to strengthen the cyber posture of SMBs;
- The importance of continual education.
Brooks-Kempler directs product and content for Cyber Range Solutions. She started her career as an IDF intelligence officer in 2003 and has since worn many hats - security architect, GRC consultant and CISO.
