With the information technology landscape constantly evolving, the industry is in need of continued guidance on security best practices. To that end, The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) recently formed an advisory council for cybersecurity. The non-profit organization, which is among the leading trade associations in information technology, selected the new council members from different established cybersecurity companies, whose leaders are well positioned to address the complexities of security and privacy in today’s connected world.
According to Annette Taber, CompTIA’s Senior Vice President for Industry Outreach, the organization members are well experienced and distinguished authorities in the cyber world and include CEOs or top executives of companies like Tech Data Corporation, Alvaka Networks, XeneX, Kroll Inc., SecurityCurve, Eden Data, Huntress Labs, and ADT Cybersecurity.
The committee will collaborate to develop a roadmap for solving pressing cybersecurity challenges. In doing so, they will advise technology companies on strategies for ensuring the safety of users' information, especially given the recent wave of cyberattacks bypassing security measures once thought sufficient for thwarting data breaches.
The committee's Co-Chairman, Tracy Holtz from Tech Data Corporation also admitted that there is a great need to change many things in the way cybersecurity is presently being structured. “We recognize the real need to make industry-wide improvements if we are going to defend our companies, customers and industry reputations,” Holtz said. “The council will greatly expand outreach with the primary goal of changing collective behavior to reduce attacks and their associated negative impacts on the channel and their clients.”
The primary goal of the cybersecurity council is to assess the present protocols in cybersecurity and identify the factors that affect companies’ adoption of new cybersecurity practices. They will also evaluate developments that may affect the cybersecurity market in the years to come, such as new potential vulnerabilities and the development of more advanced security technology.
The advisory council will not work in isolation, as other CompTIA groups have been instructed to collaborate. Among the groups that will work with the advisory committee are the association’s IT Security Community and the CompTIA Information Sharing and Analysis Organization. The Cybersecurity Advisory Council is now the seventh advisory committee under the supervision of CompTIA.
As cybersecurity threats grow in number and strength each day, organizations like CompTIA’s will help to open a dialog for companies and organizations looking to future-proof their cyber-defenses and protect valuable data and other assets.
