3rd Party Risk Management , Fraud Management & Cybercrime , Governance & Risk Management

Cybersecurity for SMBs: Joe Levy's Take on Risk Mitigation

Cybersecurity challenges at small and mid-sized businesses are increasing as these businesses often lack the resources to combat cyberthreats, said Sophos CEO Joe Levy.

See Also: The State of Asset Security: Uncovering Alarming Gaps & Unexpected Exposures

The exploitation of vulnerabilities within SMBs leads to greater risk across interconnected networks and the global supply chain, and Levy said existing security capabilities must become more accessible to resource-constrained businesses. Many SMBs want access to advanced technologies but lack the means to apply them effectively, and he said bringing products and services together is key to better outcomes (see: Sophos' Kris Hagerman Steps Down as CEO; Joe Levy Takes Helm).

"It's not because of an underinvestment in cybersecurity products," Levy said. "I don't think that that really has ever been the problem in general. What we find is that there's an underinvestment in the effective application of these products. We don't improve the state of cybersecurity by selling more products to the same set of customers and then expecting a different set of results."

In this video interview with Information Security Media Group, Levy also discussed:

• The importance of prioritizing cybersecurity for SMBs within global supply chains;
• How multifactor authentication and risk management services help protect SMEs;
• Strategies for improving cybersecurity practices and reducing vulnerabilities.

Prior to joining Sophos in 2015, Levy served as CTO for Blue Coat Systems following the company's May 2013 acquisition of security analytics pioneer Solera Networks, where he had served as CTO since 2008. Prior to Solera, he was CTO of SonicWall, where he led research and development teams with concentrations in next-generation firewalls, deep packet inspection, cryptography and secure remote access.