Cybersecurity for Executives: A Practical Guide

FOREWORD

I always have thought of myself as a savvy businessman. I worked for or served on the boards of some of the best known and most successful companies in the world. Additionally, I started several companies, beginning small and growing them into successful enterprises. I’ve been CEO of a New York Stock Exchange member firm and a board member of 20 publicly owned companies. I believed that I had a pretty good handle on how technology benefits the management of businesses of all sizes. In fact, I prided myself at being an early adopter of computers, incorporating them into my businesses where they quickly became indispensable to our operations. Computers enabled us to be more productive and efficient, improving the value proposition of our businesses.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not an expert on computers. Like other senior executives, I recognize their great value and look for opportunities to improve my businesses through automation. As computers became more integral to our businesses, I developed a healthy respect for those who understood the mysteries that lurked within that box. While I liked to fiddle with my computer from time to time, I never deluded myself into believing I was a “computer expert.” When I needed help, I went to the professionals.

I saw the explosion of innovative technology in the 1990s, and took the advances pretty much in stride, but then something alarming happened. At first it was an annoyance, but as time went on, a scary scenario. ...