Data Breaches Equal Job Loss

[Audrey McNeil <audrey () riskbasedsecurity com>]

http://www.bloggernews.net/134189

Is it coincidence that Beth Jacob CIO resigned from her job as chief
information officer of Target Corporation? Or could this possibly be
connected to the data breach that slammed Target in December of 2013,
affecting as many as 70 million customers? Being a CIO is no easy task,
especially when you have thousands of criminals trying to breach your
networks every minute of every day.

Target also announced that its information security procedures and
compliance division will be completely revamped. The retail giant will also
be seeking an interim CIO.

That’s not all. Gregg Steinhafel, Target’s former chief executive, recently
lost his job with the retailer due to the data breach. He had been with the
company for 35 years.

Should weaknesses in computer safety be blamed on Chief Executive Officers?
Yes, because ultimately, the CEO is responsible for protecting the
customer’s sensitive data. For instance, Steinhafel was at the helm when
thieves hacked customer data records such as credit card information and
home addresses, from the retailer’s computer system. Boards are also
latching onto this issue and will be very influential in the before and
after of a breach.

The company CEO isn’t just responsible for sales; this individual is
responsible for security. Target’s data breach is a rude awakening for CEOs
everywhere; data security breaches influence sales—very negatively—not to
mention customer loyalty.

And then there’s the enormous expense of recovering from the breach and
regaining customer trust. In Target’s case it rings in at $17 million thus
far. And it is growing. Ultimately, the costs for everything related to the
data breach is projected to soar into the billions.

The Secret Service, which is involved in the ongoing investigation, reports
that it may take years to nail the hackers.

Law Enforcements motto is “Serve and Protect” and people gripe “where’s a
cop when you need one” suggesting Law Enforcement is supposed to be there
to protect us at all times. This misconception has created an entire
culture of “its not my job/responsibility/problem”. YES. IT. IS. As a
company front line employee, an officer or a CEO, security is your
responsibility. Security is everyone’s responsibility.

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