SANS 2013

Small Business: The New Target -- What Can They Do?

• Robert L Comella
• Sunday, March 10th, 8:45pm - 9:30pm

Small businesses account for more than half of the people employed in the private sector of the United States. According to Entrepreneur Magazine it may be as much as 80%. During the last 15 years, I had the opportunity to work with dozens of them. Traditionally, their information systems are less secure due to reduced awareness, staff, and capital. Unfortunately, no business is too small to experience incidents, and all it takes is one major one to put a small business out of business. What can these organizations do?

The simple answer is: A great deal. Sites who took a little time to harden their systems and review their policies saw reductions in costly downtime. Some reduced their downtime from one or two days per quarter to less than one day per year. The increase in productivity easily paid for the tools required to obtain it.

While it is possible to spend thousands of dollars on security, many solutions simply require some time to implement. Others require only small capital investments. This presentation is for those who wish to learn what they can do to protect their small business.

Bio:

Robert L. Comella is an IT consultant, project manager, trainer and speaker with expertise in open and closed sourced solutions. Robertâs primary focus is information security. A master of science candidate at SANS Technology Institute, Robert has attained the following certifications: GSE: GIAC Security Expert; GIAC GCIH, GCUX, GCFA, as well as other GIAC certifications; and CISSP. Robert is a contributing writer and researcher of âProtecting Your Business from On-line Fraudâ, currently posted on the SANS website. Robert is also a SANS Mentor, exam question author, and advisory board member. In his professional career, Robert is a Software Installation Specialist at Workwise Inc. Workwise produces RBERP, a top of the line ERP manufacturing software package. Robert has worked with RBERP for fifteen years -- first as a customer, now as an employee where he installs the product. In addition, Robert is an expert in the Configureator, SSRS reporting, Security and many other aspects of the product. Robert also is an independent consultant and principal of Gremlinsâ Computer Solutions (GCS), located near Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. GCS specializes in education, open source solutions and DIYguides. GCS has provided technical expertise to organizations small to large, admin to production. As a member of the Pittsburgh chapter of InfraGard, he maintains a relationship with local FBI cyber-crime experts.