Five Questions With: Peter Nelson

PETER NELSON is vice president of engineering at NetCenergy, an information-technology services firm in Cranston. / COURTESY NETCENERGY
PETER NELSON is vice president of engineering at NetCenergy, an information-technology services firm in Cranston. / COURTESY NETCENERGY

Peter Nelson, vice president of engineering at NetCenergy, an information-technology services firm, talks about how the company is hosting a free cybersecurity informational session on March 14 at its Pontiac Avenue headquarters in Cranston, and how businesses can protect themselves from cyberattacks. Registration for the event is open through March 13.
PBN: What can businesses do to protect themselves from cyberattacks?
NELSON:
Businesses should ensure they understand who has access to their data and what mechanisms they have in place to protect it. Single Point solutions like backup software of a firewall alone are simply not enough. Well-thought-out combinations of technologies should be layered together to provide appropriate protection. The importance of user education cannot be overstated, as the end users are truly the last, and often best, line of defense.
PBN: Do most businesses take this threat seriously? Do most have a plan of action?
NELSON:
Generally speaking, security becomes a concern after a breach or loss of data. Most businesses do not take cybersecurity threats seriously and as a result don’t develop a plan or budget to appropriately protect the business. As ransomware and security breaches become more publicized and frequent, we are being asked by businesses about what it takes to be secure.
PBN: Is this the first cybersecurity session that NetCenergy has done? Will there be more in the future?
NELSON:
This is the third public security event that NetCenergy has held and we look forward to holding more in the future. These sessions and the private training seminars that we hold have proven to be a great way to educate users on existing threats, protection methodologies and general best practices.
PBN: How crucial is it for businesses to have a Business Continuity Disaster Recovery Plan?
NELSON:
Having a BCDR plan changes the outcome of a disastrous situation from panic and potential data loss to a known timeline until productivity. Approximately 60 percent of companies that suffer major data loss will shut down within six months of the disaster, so having a plan makes all the difference when the disaster hits.
PBN: How much of your business is related to cybersecurity?
NELSON:
We feel as though it is important to incorporate security components into all of our service offerings. For example, our eNCompass Managed Service Program consists of a layered model that focuses on network and data security while maintaining client productivity. Bringing security awareness and education to business owners, CEOs/CIOs, and end users alike really is only a portion of the business that we do.

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