Will Quick Discusses Privacy & Cybersecurity Best Practices in Business North Carolina Feature

Brooks Pierce partner Will Quick was recently featured in Business North Carolina as part of its annual digital privacy and security discussion, sponsored by the law firm.

The privacy and cybersecurity professionals who participated provided insight into best practices for businesses, including those related to data storage and collection. But much of the focus of the piece was on how new ways of working and the sophistication of social engineering have caused businesses to rethink security concerns regarding ransomware, data storage and securing employees’ personal devices. Quick continues to advise clients that the best defense for costly cyberattacks and data breaches is a proactive investment in preventive technical measures and solid processes to turn to when an incident occurs. He also emphasizes the importance of and helps clients evaluate whether they have appropriate cyber coverage.

“Ransomware attacks have exponentially driven up the cost of incident response, including the cost of cyber insurance,” he said. “Typical ransom attacks now include both system encryption and data exfiltration. When you are hit with one of these, you have to get back up and running, figure out how the bad guys have gotten in and close that gap. You also must determine what data might have been exposed and what your obligations are related to that data. Those are costly processes.”

“I try to get clients to understand that investing in cybersecurity measures, data mapping and redundant backups on the front end is going to save a lot of headaches and money when a ransom event happens,” Quick said. “As an added bonus, these efforts up front can also help to bring down the cost of cyber insurance.”

Quick assists businesses with designing and implementing data privacy policies and compliance programs. He also helps companies experiencing breach events with the response and notification process, often coordinating efforts across multiple states. He is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and a Board Certified Specialist in Privacy and Information Security Law by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization.

The full article can be read online here and is also available in Business North Carolina’s November issue.