Citrin Cooperman and Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara Team Up to Champion Cybersecurity Awareness for Businesses with Original Series of Informational Podcasts

Cyberattacks are on the rise, with industries and organizations reporting rampant increases in phishing or business email compromise and a majority of Americans having personally experienced a major data breach. To address the heavy risk and cost of a breach in a company’s operations, Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC (PLDO) and full-service assurance, tax, and business advisory firm, Citrin Cooperman have teamed up to produce a series of original podcasts dubbed “Cyber Crooks and Crime,” featuring PLDO Partner Brian J. Lamoureux, a leading voice and frequent commentator on social media and digital law and cybersecurity legal issues, and Kevin Ricci, CISA, CRISC, MCSE, QSA, a leader in the cybersecurity practice at Citrin Cooperman. The podcasts take a deep dive into the cybersecurity landscape, how hackers behave, and how best to make informed decisions to safeguard and protect an organization’s customers, employees, and brand.

“Cybersecurity is not set it and forget it,” said Attorney Lamoureux. “The entire ecosystem of how we live is connected one way or another, from our mobile devices to our refrigerators to our checking accounts and our cars. This seamless digital interconnectedness has its benefits, but if hacked or infiltrated by cyber criminals, it can wreak havoc. For businesses, the chaos caused by a cyberattack threatens their bottom line and exposes an organization to numerous legal issues.”

“There is no greater way to reduce the risk of a cyberattack than to have an informed employee,” said Ricci. “The starting point is with the executive team, the IT professionals and throughout the entire workforce. We know that the cost of a hack – internally or externally – is more than the damage of stolen data or lost productivity. Having an educated workforce that is aware and on the look-out for phishing emails or other compromising techniques used by hackers, can be the key difference between a successful rapid response following an attack or dire reputational damage to a company’s brand.”

Episodes of the podcast series cover topics including “Know the Cyber Criminal Landscape,” “Cybersecurity Breach Response and Preparedness in the 21st Century,” “Taming and Reforming the “Wild West” of Information in the Digital Age and Protecting Privacy Rights” and “Meet “Your” Hacker – Who Are the Bad Guys.”

Listeners will learn how to avoid falling prey to spoofing and phishing emails, factors to consider when conducting cybersecurity training, the real cost of a cyber incident to a company’s bottom line, the components of a cybersecurity plan and its importance to reducing the risk of litigation following a breach, legal issues regarding privacy rights and data protection, best practices when considering outsourcing cybersecurity and why cyber crooks are growing in numbers and how social media has given rise to the acceleration of cybercrime. Each month a new podcast will be released along with collateral material and other updates. To access the podcasts and resources, visit Cyber Crooks and Crime.

For further information, please contact Clare Eckert at PLDO at 401-855-2601 or email ceckert@pldolaw.com or Tracy Tavares at Citrin Cooperman at 401-421-4800 or email ttavares@citrincooperman.com.

About Citrin Cooperman
Citrin Cooperman is among the largest, full-service assurance, tax, and business advisory firms in the United States, having steadily built its business serving a diverse and loyal clientele since 1979. Our daily mission is to help our clients “focus on what counts.” Rooted in our core values, we provide a comprehensive, integrated business approach to traditional services, which includes proactive insights throughout the lifecycle of our clients wherever they do business, across the globe. Citrin Cooperman is an independent firm associated with Moore Stephens International Limited. citrincooperman.com

About Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC
Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara (“PLDO”) attorneys are highly skilled with a proven track record of achievement representing clients with respect to complex matters in a wide range of disciplines and industries. The founders of PLDO were formerly partners in an international law firm and are trained in multiple disciplines. The primary areas of practice for the firm include business law, special masterships, government relations and legislative strategies, civil litigation, real estate development, commercial lending, municipal law, nonprofit law, cyber law, health care law, white collar defense, estate planning, probate administration and trust litigation. The core values of respect, integrity, quality service and responsiveness are stressed each day at PLDO and the firm is committed to supporting the community in a meaningful way. The firm has offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Florida. For more information, visit www.pldolaw.com.