84. Everyone’s a Data Company
What’s Inside
8 Strategies to Stay Secure
Schedule Your Fall Retreat
1. 8 Strategies to Stay Secure
Cybersecurity, sigh.
Yet another thing to add to our plates as entrepreneurs & business owners.
As if HR, operations, technology, marketing, sales, and finance weren’t enough.
But, as the regional AWS outage last week made painfully obvious, we are all data companies.
From email to payment systems, CRMs, websites, and more...
So as we celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October, here are 8 strategies to help your company stay secure –
Bank Alerts – This one was a life saver for me to identify fraudulent business card activity. It only takes is a few minutes to set up the alerts.
Training – The first line of defense is a cyber aware workforce. Spot phishing emails, practice good internet hygiene, avoid suspicious downloads, &protect data.
Secure Networks – Ensure your Wi-Fi connection is secure and hide the network name. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to connect remotely. Before you connect to free Wi-Fi at Starbucks, consider, it might be convenient but is it secure?
Anti-virus (AV) Software – Ensure your endpoints, and your overarching infrastructure, have AV software, and it’s updated regularly.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Enable it to verify identity. Think of it as something you know (password), have (code delivered to smartphone), and are (fingerprint or other biometrics).
Cloud Service Providers – Utilize CSPs where feasible. SaaS providers can secure data and collaborate in a dispersed work environment. (And yes, sometimes they have outages!)
Data Protection – Control physical access to your data, secure payment processing, provide need to know access, and regularly back up data.
Community – Is there an Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC), or similar community, you can join to share cybersecurity information and tips to stay secure?
The last strategy is, perhaps, one of my favorites.
I spent much of my corporate career building cybersecurity organizations with Fortune 500 companies across automotive, retail, oil and gas, & cyber vendors.
And I’ve seen the value first-hand.
Position your company to stay secure & fuel growth.
2. Your Fall Retreat
End 2025 strong and position for 2026 and beyond.
Schedule a call to discuss your team's fall leadership retreat now.
Here's a sampling of topics we can cover:
Define/refine Vision, Mission, & Values
Develop 3-year strategy
Create clear 1-year & 90-day plan
Clarify roles & responsibilities
Improve cross-team communication
Streamline processes to save time & money
Make time to work ON, not just IN, your business.
It's key to driving revenue, engagement, & impact.
Schedule a call for help with your company's growth.
3. Ways to Work Together in 2025
Here are some ways we can partner in these rapidly changing times.
Leadership Offsite: Define your growth strategy & priorities, clarify your go-to market plan, & improve your team's communication. (Learn More)
Fractional Executive: Embed strategic advisory services within your C-Suite as part of your leadership team. (Learn More)
Strategy with Susan: 45 mins to "pick my brain,” brainstorm go-to-market strategy, & chat about business-related questions. (Schedule)
Big Business to Small Business: Explore 10 Strategies to grow your company and find work you love. (Order Here)
As always, thanks for reading.
To your strategic success,
Susan
