VARS introduces James Ferrenburg, a cybersecurity expert

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A cybersecurity consultant for VARS on an occasional basis since 2017, James Ferrenburg is now joining the team full time. James is passionate about cybersecurity. Glad to be contributing to SME IT security, he shares his experience with us and highlights some organizations’ concerns.

  1. How long have you been interested in the issue of cybersecurity and why did you get involved? 

I have had an interest in hacking, reverse engineering and taking things apart since before I was 10 years old. I became more interested in the IT/cyber industry in the late ’80s, starting with the Commodore 64.

  1. What is your background or most notable achievement in the field of cybersecurity? 

There are a few roles in which I have been able to have a large impact on the organization or on other people: managing a program for an ICBM command and control network for the U.S. Air Force, managing classified firewalls for NATO and connecting additional Ministries of Defense as the countries joined the organization, and being accepted by ISC2 as an official instructor and teaching the official CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) course.

  1. What is the biggest cybersecurity challenge businesses are facing today? 

Ransomware and organizations that do not allocate enough resources to properly manage enterprise risks.

  1. What is the first recommendation you would make to large corporations and SMEs? 

I would recommend that they conduct an analysis with a team of experts to determine the gaps and identify the risks and vulnerabilities, with full transparency, to determine the current security posture and plan the path forward.

  1. Why does VARS stand out in business support? How can it help entrepreneurs fighting cyber threats? 

The VARS team understands the SME mindset while bringing to the market talent that is usually accessible only to large companies. With VARS professionals, our clients build industry standard programs within their budget.

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