“If you take steps to protect the business by filing a copyright or trademark over a brand in the brick-and-mortar world, then you should also take those steps if you are in the online world,” Horbus says.
The Web offers additional tools for watching over your brand. You can’t have ears in every conversation to hear what everyone says about your company, but it’s easy to listen online. Monitoring tools, such as Google Alerts, let you know when your company name is mentioned — for better or worse.
“By going online, businesses open their doors to the entire world, whether they like it or not,” Horbus says. “Sound security practices for business revolve around regular risk assessment … and then a prompt response to new developments within the technology world.”
Threats can range from the ever-present “digital gangsters,” as Horbus calls them — hackers and spammers who may be more attracted to your business as your online reputation grows — or internal threats like a disgruntled ex-employee.
“You’ve got to understand the threats when it comes to the world of security,” Horbus says.
The only way to stay on top of that is by reviewing your policy and any technology or legal changes that might impact it. Quarterly reviews may be three months late, so look at it as a constant endeavor that will be easier with proactive action now.
“By spending an amount upfront to make sure that systems are intact and security protocols are in place, [you] will save a tremendous amount of money down the road,” Horbus says. “Kind of the old saying: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Speak the same language
The first step to making your business tech-savvy seems simple. In fact, Craig S. Horbus can boil it down to one word: knowledge.
“From a practical business operation standpoint, understanding what technology your business already has in place is a vital step,” says Horbus, an attorney at Witschey, Witschey & Firestine Co. LPA. “If you don’t know what you already have in place, you’ll never utilize it and you’ll never be secure in that technology.”
Understanding what’s going on in your IT department can be like translating foreign tongues. On one side, you have IT gurus who understand technology. Across the table, you have executives who understand day-to-day business operations but aren’t typically tech-savvy.
“The technology gap is big in the business world today,” Horbus says. “Trying to bridge that gap is really trying to [find] the people that can speak both languages.”
Many companies are hiring chief information officers or chief information security officers who excel in both realms. Others bring in online consultants. Others look to young employees who have online talents to tap in an in-house tech group.
“Business leaders need to assimilate a group of individuals who are not only competent in the world of technology but who can understand these emerging issues, assess the risks and then be proactive in preparing or responding to this changing landscape,” he says.
How to reach: Witschey, Witschey & Firestine Co. LPA, (330) 665-5117 or http://www.witscheylaw.com/
