This article appeared in the Sep/Oct 2023 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.

Over 43 percent of cyberattacks are targeted at small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) but only 14 percent of these businesses are prepared to handle such attacks. And the many reasons why are apparent.

Cybersecurity is an alien world to most people, the landscape of which changes daily. At the same time, many small and medium organizations (SMOs) do not have experts on staff due to the high cost to employ them, says Rick Snyder, CEO of Ann Arbor-based SensCy.

“Cybersecurity is only going to continue to be a more important field, a more challenging field and more difficult to deal with,” says Snyder, who also served as Governor of Michigan from 2011 to 2018.

To provide SMOs with stronger security, SensCy offers “a wrap-around solution” designed to help them improve their cyberhealth, mitigate risk and prepare to respond should an incident occur. Short for Sensible Cyber Solution, SensCy provides a suite of services beginning with the proprietary “SensCy Score” cybersecurity assessment. Through this assessment, businesses receive a score on a 1,000-point scale that identifies the strength of their security, and then SensCy provides a customized Cyberhealth Plan and other related services.

One Skill Everyone Should Have

I would say listening and having compassion.

“Our goal is for you to be at 800 or higher, just like a credit score,” Synder says. “Most organizations rank 500 to 600, so they’re only doing half of what they should be.”

Remaining Vigilant Amid the Rise of AI

With technology and artificial intelligence growing quickly, maintaining proper cyber hygiene is a daunting task, and the demands change daily.

For example, past phishing e-mails contained many grammatical errors, so recipients could easily spot the scams, Snyder says.

The Best Advice I Ever Got

It’s the Golden Rule: Treat people as you wish they would treat you.

“Now, they will just use AI, and it will be a sharp-looking e-mail. We are looking at ways to beat them at that,” he says. “We are looking at how to use artificial intelligence in a positive way; the bad guys are going to use artificial intelligence in a very bad way. Literally, there’s going to be an arms race between artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.”

To keep systems secure, it’s critical that SMOs identify potential threats and create and implement mitigation plans. Then, it’s equally important that businesses maintain those protocols and processes.

“If you don’t keep it up, you just slide backwards and are at higher and higher risk again,” Snyder says, adding that SensCy inventories its clients’ systems and provides them with alerts about key cybersecurity risks that come up.

Best Part of My Job

Helping wonderful clients become safer and working with a great team of people that are committed to the same cause.

Enhancing Security Measures

MMA members who subscribe with SensCy receive a 5 percent discount for the whole suite of services. In addition to the assess-ment, cyberhealth plan and cyber alerts, SensCy services include:

• Access to a real, live cyber advocate
• A cyberhealth dashboard and policy library
• A customized incident response plan that details steps to take in the event of a security breach
• Cyber awareness training and monthly phishing exercises
• Help with cyber insurance forms
• Executive briefings

Implementing and maintaining cyberthreat prevention can be challenging but SMOs that have a trusted resource to support them can feel more confident in their security.

SensCy is an MMA Premium Associate Member and has been an MMA member company since September 2022. Visit online: senscy.com or learn more in Member Benefits.