InformationWeek: Richard Sheinis on Protection Against Cyberattacks as Part of the Cost of Doing Business

Increasing cyberattacks targeting cultural institutions – including a December 7 attack affecting The Metropolitan Opera’s network systems, website, box office, and call center – have led many to question the purpose of such attacks while some such as Richard Sheinis, partner and head of Hall Booth Smith’s Data Privacy & Cyber Security practice group, simply see them as a cost of doing business.

While the goal may be to access revenues from ticket sales or personal and financial information, in some cases the non-profit or cultural institution may not be the primary target for the attack but provide a valuable pathway for obtaining network and website credentials.

In response to the incident at The Metropolitan Opera, Sheinis told InformationWeek anyone can be a target.

I am always cautioning clients that everyone is a target, regardless of their size and industry, he said. It should not take an incident such as this to make other cultural institutions realize they are at high risk.

When asked how organizations can and should respond, Sheinis said preparation is key.

It is almost always cheaper to spend now than spend later after a cyberattack, he said. Every business must realize that protecting against a cyberattack is simply part of the cost of doing business.

Read the full article on the InformationWeek site.