Meet TSG’s Risk & Security Management Experts: Claire Vandenbroecke & Mike Tudor

As cyber threats become more prevalent and sophisticated, businesses require the guidance of experienced cyber security professionals to safeguard their valuable assets.

For TSG, Cyber Security Specialist Claire Vandenbroecke and Security Solutions Architect, Mike Tudor bring years of experience to the table, specialising in the design and implementation of effective security solutions.

This spotlight will delve deeper into their backgrounds, their respective approaches to cyber security, and the impact of their work on TSG’s clients.

What’s your role in the Risk & Security team at TSG?

Claire: I’m a Cyber Security Specialist here at TSG. I provide our clients with information and guidance around cyber security and the support we provide in this area, in addition to driving the delivery of our security services and developing new solutions where needed.

Mike: As the Technical Architect for Security my role is to develop security products that meet our client’s needs, along with designing appropriate solutions for each individual customer, ensuring they get the best fit solution for their needs.

How has your experience in security developed whilst working at TSG?

Claire: I’ve learned how cyber security fits into an organisation’s IT infrastructure on a more technical level, which has helped me to have a better understanding of the challenges that businesses face when deciding where and how to allocate resources to protect their data and network from exploitation.

Mike: I’ve gone from knowing the basics and really focussing on the functionality of IT, what it can do for you, to being very aware of what it can do to you in the wrong hands. Since I started working at TSG, we’ve seen things move from the Conficker Worm and spam emails, to Ransomware and targeted phishing. I’ve been involved in and led teams that dealt with NotPetya, WannaCry, the Hafnium attacks and many more ransomware incidents over the past few years, and I don’t see this slowing down.

How long have you been working in the cyber security sector and what have been your biggest learnings?

Claire: I began my cyber security career 5 years ago working as a Cyber Crime Officer for Northumbria Police as part of the Government’s National Cyber Security Project. My biggest learning so far would have to be that, over the years, the types of cyberattacks haven’t really changed that much, they’ve just become more sophisticated as technology has advanced. Knowing this can put us at a real advantage over the criminals as we can anticipate what they might focus their efforts on next based on what’s on the horizon in the tech and cyber world.

Mike: I’ve been in IT for nearly two decades now, and probably involved or focused on some form of security for the past 10;  I received my first security certification (the CEH) in 2011. My biggest learning is probably that tech alone cannot make you secure–you need a combination of people processes and tooling to properly protect your data.

What, in your opinion, is a constant, unchanging piece of information about risk & security management that every business needs to be aware of?

Claire: Cyber security is not just a concern for the technical experts, it protects your business and its assets, so it needs to be integrated into business-as-usual practices for it to have a significant impact. This requires buy-in from the top-level executives of your organisation and should be a regular agenda item at monthly board meetings. There’s a misconception among SMEs that cyber-attacks only happen to larger enterprises which is simply not true. Cyber crime is a real threat and, sadly, it’s not a case of ‘if’ but ‘when’.

Mike: Your people are your greatest strength but also your greatest weakness. Make sure they are well trained and have the best possible support to understand when there is an incident and how to prevent it from getting any worse.

What is the best piece of advice you can give businesses that aren’t sure about their security posture?

Claire: Start with a security audit such as Cyber Essentials, which is a government-backed scheme focusing on the 5 key controls any business should have in place to secure their business against cyber-attack. This will give you a good overview of where the gaps are in your base-line security and what you can do to improve your defences.

Mike: It’s no longer a case of if you will be hit with a breach of some type, more of a when you will be. All you can do is ensure you know enough and are prepared enough so that you can control how great the impact will be. Understanding your current posture through an audit or by getting something like the Cyber Essentials is a good start, once you know where you are and what gaps you have you can start to put things in place to minimise any risks.