Peer Review Panel Debuts

One brave member volunteered to be the first SecureNM™ self-assessment subject for the first Peer Review Panel on September 17.

Special thanks to Steve Palmisano, owner of Albuquerque Dukes Store in Nob Hill who allowed us to use his business as a sort of case study. The other members in attendance were able to see how complicated cybersecurity systems and processes can be scaled down to the smallest of businesses.

We learned that the first step in effective preparedness is having an actual written policy and procedure for every area of cybersecurity. Where no policies exist, plans for implementing procedures should take their place. Where security equipment is not affordable, login sheets could temporarily suffice, and when the budget won’t cover an agency to check candidate backgrounds, the owner might just have to get on the phone and call former employers.

The key takeaway from our experts, Gregory Sahd and Thomas Sipf were that small business owners need to treat cybersecurity like any other crucial operation. They need to manage the processes and monitor the outcomes. Cyber-safe Peer Review™ panels help them accomplish this critical task.