Co-authored by IMEC Technical Specialists John Remsey, Ken Wunderlich, and Hanoz Umrigar.

Risk, as viewed as an exposure to a negative event, is a very broad and commonly used terminology.  From the insurance industry, to medical services, to business operations, “Risk” is deeply ingrained in common vocabulary.  With the recent global events, the question being asked frequently is how to effectively evaluate and manage risk when it seems that nearly everything is at risk?

Co-authored by Ben Krupowicz, Executive Director of the IMEC Recognition Program and Holly Bender, IMEC Recognition Program Specialist.

It all happened in March.  The impact of the Coronavirus became real with social distancing and the stay-at-home order in Illinois.  We listen for updates, statistics and clarity on a daily, even hourly basis.   This is a period of great uncertainty.  We look for answers. How serious is this pandemic, and how long will it last?

IT / OT Infrastructure, Digital Information and IoT devices

With the spread of COVID-19, new challenges and opportunities will arise for keeping your business safe from cybersecurity threats. As the government and businesses work on mitigating the impact of the ongoing outbreak, social distancing measures are leading to an increase in remote working across all sectors. The immediate challenge is “how can I protect my digital assets from a cyber-attack?” Some key vulnerabilities to a cyberattack are Information Technology / Operational Technology (IT / OT) infrastructure, digital information and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

As the world weathers the COVID-19 virus pandemic, we are faced with posturing for such and protecting / helping ourselves, family, friends, co-workers and members of our greater communities; but a procrastination of sorts -- coupled with a distrust / disbelief that this will impact me (downplaying the magnitude of such) and not knowing what we don’t know, exponentially raises the risk of infection and serious health consequences coming to bear.

The Coronavirus continues to make its way across the globe.  As many of us are trying to keep an eye on the impact,  it is a good time to think through potential risks for you and your organization. We owe it to our customers, employees, and communities to ensure health and safety in our business practices.