• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

My TechDecisions

  • Best of Tech Decisions
  • Topics
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Mobility
    • Unified Communications
    • IT Infrastructure
    • Network Security
    • Physical Security
    • Facility
    • Compliance
  • RFP Resources
  • Resources
  • Podcasts
  • Project of the Week
  • About Us
    SEARCH
Network Security

Cyber Security Tips From a White House CIO

According to Theresa Payton, the former CIO of the White House, companies need to implement and rehearse security strategies for the most valuable digital assets.

March 12, 2017 Rachel Quetti 4 Comments

On October 21, 2016, a digital disaster occurred across the globe. Online users were barred from popular sites such as Twitter, Netflix and others, all because of the Internet of Things.

According to wccbcharlotte.com, hackers were able to flood these popular sites with so much traffic through the IoT that the sites simply couldn’t handle it, and were forced to shut down.

If a hack like this can happen once, it most certainly can happen again (and already has), so how can you protect your business and the solutions you provide your clients from getting hacked?

Tip 1: Best Practices Don’t Work

“Best practices were the worst thing that happened to cyber security,” said Theresa Payton, former chief information officer of the White House and founder and CEO of Fortalice Solutions, a Charlotte-based cyber security firm, at the 2017 PSNI Super Summit in Dallas, Texas. “Checklists don’t stop bad things from happening.”

While checklists and best practices have been implemented in tech departments and companies across the globe, they haven’t actually protected companies from cyber threats.

“We always talk about reducing risk, but things have actually gotten worse,” said Payton. “You have to ask yourself, since we’ve now had three attacks using the IoT, will you be ready?”

Theresa Payton, founder and CEO of Fortalice Solutions, shares tips for avoiding the next digital disaster at the 2017 PSNI Super Summit.

Tip 2: Implement Lessons that Will Make a Difference

Payton offered the following tips for protecting your company and your clients’ data.

  1. What data and network information matters most? You cannot protect it all and you cannot treat every digital asset you have as the same, so companies must decide what is top priority when it comes to protecting their digital assets.
  2. Identify your “POTUS” and “VP” assets. The President and Vice President are the White House’s top priorities when it comes to protecting the government. Make sure you know what assets and information represent your “POTUS” and “VP.”
  3. Practice digital disaster. What if the worst happens? Replay the attack of Oct 21 and assume it was your devices attacked. Implement your digital disaster strategy, see how it works and make adjustments where necessary.

Tip 3: Use the White House Strategies As a Guide

Payton shared the top four actions taken at the White House to protect their network and data.

  1. Admit all security is defeatable.  Payton said to think about storing your data differently, such as what you would do with your jewelry when you go away for vacation. You might hide it in a safe or drawer. Do the same with you data and store it in places that may be more protected from hacking than others.
  2. Understand adversarial targeting. “Who would want to steal my data? Who would want to embarrass me and make my life miserable?” asked Payton. Companies need to identify who would want to get access to their data. Once that person is identified, Payton said companies should create a profile of them and share that profile with their security teams. “Go to your security team and have them act as if they are your company’s adversary.” Payton advised to not disrupt operations, but to try out this tactic to see how prepared your company really is for a cyber attack.
  3. Be on the offensive. “This is vital with the IoT,” said Payton. “If a device is behaving badly, (Wi-Fi is connecting weirdly, etc.) [the White House] has permission to ‘kill first, ask questions later.’ Get that permission.” Payton warned, however, that companies need to be careful in doing this, as “it could make you wildly unpopular with your customers and executives. But it’s the difference between someone probing you and someone breaching you.”
  4. Plan ahead. Don’t wait for an attack to happen to implement a plan. Develop a plan as to how your company would respond to a digital disaster and regularly rehearse that plan.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Corporate Cyber Security
Cyber security can be confusing, but after reading our article you’ll be in the clear and ready to stay safe.

This article was originally posted on sister site Commercial Integrator.

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!

Tagged With: Cyber Security

Related Content:

  • Cybersecurity and information or network protection. Future technology web services for business and internet project CrowdStrike Cyber Armageddon: How Do Firms Now Build…
  • DDoS, NETSCOUT Arbor Insight 7 Layers of DDoS Attacks and How To…
  • cisco webex-rooms-modern-space AVI-SPL Receives Cisco 2023 Reimagine Workspaces Partner of…
  • data breach Nearly 900 Schools Impacted by National Student Clearinghouse…

Free downloadable guide you may like:

  • Download TechDecisions' Blueprint Series report on Security Awareness now!Blueprint Series: Why Your Security Awareness Program is Probably Falling Short

    Learn about the evolution of phishing attacks and best practices for security awareness programs to ensure your organization is properly prepared to defend against them in this report from TechDecisions' Blueprint Series.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mytopposts says

    December 23, 2017 at 1:05 am

    We should think like a hacker then only these steps will work. We should read daily about the cyber security threats.

    Reply
  2. cyberian says

    January 13, 2018 at 9:49 am

    Yeah! The tips are so useful to me. The White House CIO done well. Sometimes I face some huge problem by the hackers. I’m very thankful to you.

    Reply
  3. Junayet Sajib says

    March 5, 2018 at 1:26 am

    Such an informative post, it is! I have been searching for cyber security tips for my safety and my business also. I think it will be help me a lot. Self awareness is very important for everyone to protect any kind of cyber attack. So everybody needs to know what’s going on over the internet and how to protect themself against cyber attack. I think your post will be helps a lot for know more about cyber security trends! Thanks for sharing such as helpful post. Keep it up.

    Reply
  4. cyber security training in hyderabad says

    October 16, 2018 at 6:25 am

    Extraordinary information useful to all the aspirants of CYBERSECURITY!
    Thank you for the valuable content!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Downloads

Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces
Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces

Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-fa...

New Camera Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow
New Camera System Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow

Sony's HXC-FZ90 studio camera system combines flexibility and exceptional image quality with entry-level pricing.

Creating Great User Experience and Ultimate Flexibility with Clickshare

Working and collaborating in any office environment today should be meaningful, as workers today go to office for very specific reasons. When desig...

View All Downloads

Would you like your latest project featured on TechDecisions as Project of the Week?

Apply Today!

More from Our Sister Publications

Get the latest news about AV integrators and Security installers from our sister publications:

Commercial IntegratorSecurity Sales

AV-iQ

Footer

TechDecisions

  • Home
  • Welcome to TechDecisions
  • Contact Us
  • Comment Guidelines
  • RSS Feeds
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

Free Technology Guides

FREE Downloadable resources from TechDecisions provide timely insight into the issues that IT, A/V, and Security end-users, managers, and decision makers are facing in commercial, corporate, education, institutional, and other vertical markets

View all Guides
TD Project of the Week

Get your latest project featured on TechDecisions Project of the Week. Submit your work once and it will be eligible for all upcoming weeks.

Enter Today!
Emerald Logo
ABOUTCAREERSAUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERSYour Privacy ChoicesTERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY

© 2025 Emerald X, LLC. All rights reserved.