There is a saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” While this might hold true in many scenarios, IT is a notable exception. In the ever-evolving world of technology, there’s always something newer, better, or more expensive awaiting implementation. But when you wear the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) hat, the perspective shifts to focus on proactive defensive tactics. I often liken the role of a CISO to that of a house inspector. After an initial quick survey, a house may seem intact, but hidden issues like a leaky roof or a cracked window may lurk, waiting to escalate into significant problems. Similarly, if seemingly minor or easily missed vulnerabilities in an environment are left unaddressed, they can prove to be catastrophic to a business. As a CISO, I see my role not just in identifying these vulnerabilities, but in offering immediate solutions, just like how an inspector may hand the homeowner a tarp for their roof while also guiding them to the best roofers in town . In essence, a CISO’s job is all about proactive risk mitigation in IT landscapes.
When I began my career as a network engineer and eventually moved into a Director of Managed Services role, diving into the depths of cybersecurity was a bit intimidating and overwhelming initially, akin to stepping onto the ice to learn to skate for the first time. As I worked on honing my skills and becoming an expert within security and compliance, I quickly learned that discipline and meticulous attention to detail was key. With years and several roles under my belt at a Managed Services Provider (MSP), I was accustomed to creating programs, systems, and processes that not only streamlined support and management of clients, but also indirectly bolstered their security and compliance. When I led a cybersecurity team and became a CISO, it became clear that I could take this same approach with hardened security configurations and best practices to achieve optimal outcomes for the customers I was responsible for managing. Soon, our team was expertly equipped to handle major cybersecurity incidents and recovery projects. During those projects, our team got insight into the root cause of those breaches, as well as understanding how the adversaries operate.
Out of this experience, came the latest version of Forecheck. At Forecheck, we understand the current challenge of cybersecurity for both internal IT teams and MSPs. Our goal is to help IT teams navigate their cybersecurity journey and educate them so what first appears to be daunting and intimidating can be tackled, with the end goal of creating seasoned experts ready to defend their business against every adversary. While a popular belief of businesses is that they need to hire cybersecurity experts, the reality is this is often an expensive endeavor and there simply isn’t enough cybersecurity professionals in the workforce.
A study from ICS2 highlighted, “to adequately protect cross-industrial enterprises from increasingly complex modern threats, organizations are trying to fill the worldwide gap of 3.4 million cybersecurity workers…Despite adding more than 464,000 workers in the past year, the cybersecurity workforce gap has grown more than twice as much as the workforce.”
This is both a challenge and a problem not just for the IT teams themselves, but for the businesses they serve and work with, the economy, community members, and ultimately, national security. We’re truly in this together. Addressing cybersecurity and resilience is a team effort.
A report from ESG and ISSA outlined that, “no single action (funding, college programs, retraining, etc.) is working to bridge the cybersecurity skills gap. What’s needed is a holistic approach of continuous cybersecurity education (starting with public education), comprehensive career development, and career mapping/planning—all with support from and integration with the business.”
Forecheck intends to help address this problem by not only elevating and equipping existing IT teams with cybersecurity knowledge and tools but augmenting teams with cybersecurity experts, akin to immediately adding a Chief Information Security Officer and Senior Cybersecurity Engineers to their staff.
It’s time to turn your IT team into a security-first IT team or your MSP into a MSSP (Managed Security Services Provider) or XSP (eXtended Services Provider). Your business needs the peace of mind that those responsible for your IT Infrastructure have the skillset, tools, and full team to address cybersecurity concerns.
Your organization needs a cybersecurity team, and a competent one at that. Forecheck is the catalyst to propel your business to better cybersecurity hygiene. We don’t think of ourselves as just another tool—we are your teammate for cybersecurity success.
About Forecheck
Forecheck’s mission is to enable organizations of all sizes, even those who are unable to hire a CISO, to supercharge their existing IT team and equip them with industry-leading cybersecurity expertise. Our collective body of learning, combined with seasoned cybersecurity experts, augments your team by providing real-time knowledge and assistance to address threats as they emerge. Forecheck’s incident management platform and resilience library enable your team to effectively harden and add resilience to your environment. With Forecheck, your organization will mitigate the risk of repeat issues, holding your IT team accountable in the process. We are not just another tool—we are your teammate helping you achieve cybersecurity success.
We encourage you to apply to our beta program and work with us to improve your organization’s cyber resilience.
