Let’s raise the roof for Memphis innovation and the powerhouse that was the 𝐀𝐈 & 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 hosted by Black Chamber of Memphis and Greater Memphis IT Council! This was a great opportunity to share operational excellence for small businesses navigating the digital frontier.

The speakers? Top-tier. The insights? Actionable. The energy? Electric. Let’s dive into the cybersecurity awareness takeaways that show why local events like this are the heartbeat of our tech ecosystem.

🧭Strategic Mindset:
The conference drilled home a truth every small business must embrace: 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥. Cyber incidents aren’t a matter of “if”, but a matter of “when.” And when they hit, your ability to recover defines your future.

▪️We have to take the mantle, “Only the Paranoid wins”. Security must be baked into your operations, not sprinkled on top.
▪️𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥: Your people can be your strongest defense. Train them, empower them, and make cybersecurity everyone’s job.

🔐 Layer Up or Lose Out
Memphis businesses are embracing 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 like pros. The speakers made it clear: one tool isn’t enough. You need overlapping defenses that work together.

▪️Firewalls, antivirus, and malware protection on every device.
▪️Don’t sleep on 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞, they’re part of the perimeter.
▪️Documentation matters. Policies aren’t just paperwork; they’re your playbook.

🔑 Lock It Down
This section was a crowd favorite. Why? Because it’s where most businesses slip.

▪️𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: Long passphrases beat complicated gibberish. And no, you don’t need to change them every 30 days unless there’s a breach.
▪️ 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (MFA): Microsoft says MFA blocks 99% of attacks. That’s not hype, it’s fact. Think of it as your digital screen door.

🧪 Prep Like a Pro
One speaker nailed it: “Preparation is cheaper than recovery.”

▪️𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: It’s not optional anymore.
▪️𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: When systems go down, your team still needs to talk.
▪️𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐮𝐩𝐬: Offsite and cloud-based. Redundancy is your safety net.
▪️𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Twice a year minimum. Continuous learning is the Memphis way.

🧠 AI Is the New Battlefield
This was the wake-up call. AI isn’t just powering innovation; it’s powering attacks.

▪️Phishing emails with perfect grammar.
▪️Deepfake voice calls mimicking your CEO.
▪️Social engineering at scale.

Stay informed, stay agile, and never underestimate the creativity of cybercriminals.

Read Part 1 below, where we discuss team culture as a firewall.