Letter on the Third — February 2020
Dear Datamax Family,
I’ve always said, there are three types of people in this world.
There’s Booers (That will never work…)
There’s Stewers (Hey, we’re going to do that someday…)
And then there’s Doers.
At Datamax, we try to be doers. It’s in our culture to do whatever is necessary, sharing resources across all our divisions, to accomplish whatever needs to be done (one example being the teamwork between our DFW and East Texas offices for the ongoing UT Health hospital installations). It happens all the time at Datamax.
But when it comes to the ever-evolving nature of cybersecurity threats, we’ve got to be doers as well – for our customers’ sake, and for our own.
In my 39+ years in this industry, the conversation about security in this industry has evolved tremendously. According to most reports, the first cyberattack didn’t occur until 1989, when Robert Morris created a computer worm (not intending to cause damage), that slowed the Internet down significantly and infected around 6,000 machines. It was, frankly, an accident. Today, of course, we have to be mindful of any connected device: computers, phone systems, cellphones, servers – I even heard recently of a coffee maker being infected because it had Bluetooth. We also have to be aware and proactive about our own online behavior, which you can read more about here.
The point is that it’s a treacherous climate for businesses (including us) today. Are we doers in the steps we take to protect ourselves? Our customers?
It’s crucial that our customers think of us as that entity that will guide them through the process of securing their business. That’s why we have events like Lunch & Learns – we want to be a resource for the latest information. We need to be asking them questions. Sharing information. Reminding them that it’s not just a one-step process: Technology security requires a multi-layered approach to be successful.
When you’re going through your workday, use common sense. Take note of the emails that Stew Campbell periodically sends out. Even more importantly, if something seems suspicious (an email asking for personal information, a link you’re uncertain of) call someone or delete it. If the person asking for that information needs it that bad, they’ll call you back.
Businesses today need to implement the latest technology to keep systems healthy. But their employees must also be mindful, aware, and well educated. Our customers and our coworkers are counting on us.
When it comes to cybersecurity best practices, let’s be doers. The Best is Yet to Be.
Your Raving Fan,
