QUEENS CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS Secure Your Assets, Optimize Your Process and Protect Your Business

By: Taslim Khan Communications,

IT & Cyber Security industries have seen significant advancements through Cloud transformation. Even though the Cloud really started back in the early 2000s, the market adoption took off around 2015.

Firstlight Cloud Xchange (FCX) is a premier Cloud IT & Telecom consulting firm located in Chelsea, Manhattan. FCX has been in the forefront driving the Cloud transformation for businesses of all sizes in the Metro NYC area. With a portfolio of more than 400 partner providers, FCX can deliver the right Cloud solution to meet an organization’s needs and business initiative – on time and within budget.

Ransomware is one of the biggest challenges for all businesses today.

From Verizon’s Data Breach Investigation Report:

• 50% of the cyber-attacks target SMBs

• Average cost of Data Breach/ Ransomware - $120K to $1.25M

Ransomware is not a question of “if” but “when”. As a result of this and other data, in February 2023 FCX, published our cyber security resources page on our website to inform businesses in Queens and NYC so business owners and IT professionals are updated on resources as well as various government mandates in one place. Furthermore, FCX has forged partnerships with premier US based providers who can improve the cyber security posture in under 2 weeks. Through our discovery process along with “Cyber Security Readiness Assessment” and “Penetration Testing” guided by Security Specialists & Engineers, we uncover the security gaps and potentials for breaches. Then we can initiate the implementation of the right solution to secure your business and ensure cyber-insurance eligibility.

Most companies still maintain their IT and security infrastructure in house – as per CloudZero, only 44% of the traditional small businesses use Cloud infrastructure in 2023. Simply having a firewall (no matter how sophisticated or expensive) and an IT Manager is not enough. First, it’s important to understand that Information Technology or IT and Cyber Security are NOT one and the same. Two very different subject matters that require COMPLETELY different infrastructure and skill sets. Add government mandated compliances to that and very quickly you will find yourself in deep waters. For a SMB, trying to get a grip on all this in-house is a very tough challenge, if not nearly impossible.

Before we discuss the solutions, let’s look at the typical business practices and the potential security gaps they have today. All financial, legal, health care, manufacturing, nonprofit and government organizations gather personal and con- fidential information that can range broadly from a credit card number to health report.

As per Private Affairs, following are what these are worth on the dark web:

• Credit Card Number - $25 - $120

• HealthCare Data - $250

Since 2019 when the SHIELD ACT got into effect, all NYS businesses are required to comply by this law –safeguarding the “private information” of NY residents and broadening NY’s security breach notification requirements. Whether you are a small pizza restaurant or a large medical facility – you must protect all information.

Again, simply having a firewall & an IT Manager will not protect your business.

Research by FireEye shows:

• Ransomware attacks occur during weekday afterhours –49% & weekends – 27%

• Ransomware gets through via email – 90% of the time.

Please keep that last number in mind. Ransomware typically gets through emails – which a firewall CANNOT catch. You will need a Managed Service Provider (MSP) and/or a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) that has multiple

SOC (Security Operations Center) around the country and the globe that offers managed services with active monitoring 24/7/365 by network engineers. This also includes every end point you have such as desktop, laptop and smart device. So, in the event of a breach due to human error – they can isolate that particular end device in real time and stop the spread of the malware that can cause a hostile takeover and demand for a large ransom. ONLY an MSP can do this – an inhouse IT Manager or a small mom and pop IT shop CANNOT perform this task. The mom-and-pop IT shops do not have the capacity to provide this service and moreover, to qualify for cyber insurance, one of the requirements that must be met is that your network must be third party managed that is a national MSP with a 24/7/365 multiple geo-diversely located SOCs. These MSPs will also meet all the latest government mandates such as HIPAA, PCI, NIST and many more.

A fully MSP/MSSP managed platform will ensure:

• A secured infrastructure and protected assets

• Maximum protection against Ransomware

• Cyber Security Insurance Compliance & Eligibility

• Meeting all Government Mandated Requirements

• Minimum Legal & Financial Exposure & Liabilities

BY ROB MACKAY

With cold, hot, rainy, and windy days, May is the bridge between Winter and Summer. The month is also famous for Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Cinco de Mayo, and the Kentucky Derby. Named after Maia, the Roman goddess of fertility, it’s also Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In Queens, it’s a time for bird-watching, sheep-shearing, various forms of dance, visual art, concerts, and magic. Please read on for the details.

Sheep Shearing Festival

May 13, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Resident sheep get much-needed haircuts as part of a festival that includes spinning, weaving, and knitting presentations, farmer-led tours, live music, and historic cooking demos.

Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Glen Oaks. (www.queensfarm.org)

The Jim Henson Legacy: A 30th Anniversary Celebration

May 13, 1 p.m.

Panel discussion and clips from historic footage located and preserved by The Jim Henson Legacy. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District. (www.movingimage. us)

Brahms’ Requiem

May 13, 8 p.m.

More than 200 musicians from Queens College’s Choral Society, Treble Choir, Vocal Ensemble, and Orchestra perform “Ein deutsches Requiem” Queens College, Colden Auditorium, 153-49 Reeves Ave., Flushing. (www.kupferbergcenter. org)

The Magic of Bill Blagg LIVE!

May 13 - May 14

This show combines interactive magic by a man with an offthe-cuff personality. Objects float