Easton Utilities holds Cyber Defense 101

Easton Utilities held a free educational event for local businesses focused on cybersecurity. Over 70 attendees participated in the event which was held at The Milestone. “Cybersecurity should be an important focus for businesses and individuals alike, and we believe sharing the expansive knowledge our IT team possesses was of great value to our community,” said Hugh E. Grunden, President and CEO of Easton Utilities.

The educational event was conducted by Easton Utilities’ Chief Information Officer, Fred Christie, who has worked in the IT and computer fields for over 35 years. Mr. Christie works with numerous government agencies on cyber defense and speaks internationally on the topic. His presentation included information on the history of the cyber activity, identifying cyber threats, and best practices protecting and defending assets against malicious attacks. “As a public electric utility and a part of the US critical infrastructure, we have direct access to cyber expertise through our many Federal agency partners, such as the DOE, DHS, and FBI,” stated Christie. “We hope sharing our expertise with local businesses will better prepare them to defend against ever increasing cyber threats.”

With a constantly changing landscape in the cyber world, it is incumbent on small businesses to be informed and proactive. This was the key message during the event. “Fred and his team have increased our awareness and preparedness for vulnerabilities in our daily operations and work tirelessly to make cybersecurity a priority for Easton Utilities and our customers,” added Grunden.

Easton Utilities will hold a similar session for individuals on Thursday, April 2nd at 6 pm at The Milestone. Details can be found online at eastonutilities.com.