For event planners, attendee experience is a primary focus, from providing valuable keynote speakers to the quality of the catering. But there is another important aspect of event planning that is often overlooked: cybersecurity. Cybercrime is on the rise, and it’s costly—a recent report by IBM puts the average cost of a data breach at 4.5 million dollars. A data breach could put your attendees’ data at risk—and brand your event with a negative lasting impression. To keep yourself (and your attendees) safe, learn these four critical tips to heighten your event cybersecurity.
Cybercrime is on the rise, and it’s costly. A data breach could put your attendees’ data at risk—and brand your event with a negative lasting impression.
#1. Make Sure Partners and Vendors Can Prove Their Commitment to Cybersecurity
When choosing partners and vendors, make cybersecurity a requirement. Whether on-site or virtual, all event vendors should be able to show proof of their strong security practices and compliance. Not sure what to look for? SOC 2 compliance is a good place to start. Issued by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), SOC 2 reports provide detailed information “relevant to security, availability, and processing integrity of the systems the service organization uses to process users’ data.”
Ask potential vendors what level of security they have, how they prove compliance, and what reporting instruments they use to evaluate their systems.
Here at Stagedge, we look for this high level of compliance with all our SaaS providers. For example, before we began working with Swoogo and Brightcove—two of our favorite partners—we carefully reviewed their reporting and compliance. Before you sign a contract, ask potential vendors what level of security they have, how they prove compliance, and what reporting instruments they use to evaluate their systems. And make sure their commitment to security extends to the vendors they use, too. What does their vetting process look like? If they can’t produce any of this information, that’s a red flag.
#2. Build Your Event on a Secure Platform
When choosing an event platform, features like ticketing, payment, scheduling, and applications are front and center. But don’t overlook security. Your event platform will be collecting attendee registration information and other data, and it needs to have a strong security infrastructure in place.
Your event platform will be collecting attendee registration information and other data, and it needs to have a strong security infrastructure in place.
Similar to evaluating a vendor, when it comes to event platforms you should look for hybrid and virtual event platforms that provide clear and comprehensive information about their security measures. Examine their data security infrastructure. Ask for details on data storage, encryption, and sharing. Review their security compliance and certifications. What are their password policies? Check out their auditing and incident response processes. What are their redundancies and backups? The best event platforms should meet all of your needs—including robust cybersecurity.
#3. Enforce Strong and Secure Logins
In the digital age, most of us understand the importance of password protocols, but it’s important to remind your team that every unsecured access point can be an invitation to cyber criminals. One way to reduce vulnerabilities is to enforce login procedures, like two-factor authentication. This is an absolute requirement for anyone accessing our systems at Stagedge events.
Password best practices strengthen your overall cybersecurity, as well. For example, avoid having a single login on any app for all employees. Though it may seem convenient, shared login information is more likely to attract unauthorized access. It also complicates password changes—a cornerstone of password security. It is also worth looking into single sign-on (SSO). While implementing SSO can feel like a large undertaking, it greatly increases login security, which is why many enterprise companies have already added it for an extra level of security.
#4. Make Sure Your Have Good Network Security at the Event
On the day of the event, everyone who accesses your network wants to know their data is safe. It’s no secret that Wi-Fi is another potential target for cybercriminals, and your venue’s existing network may not be the most secure choice. For the highest level of security, consider bringing in your own separate, event-specific Wi-Fi and creating a unique event password. While this is especially important for companies in the financial sector who have to be more careful to protect sensitive data, all orgs can benefit from this level of security. If you do decide to use your venue’s network, there are extra steps you can take to increase security, such as using an appropriate travel router. These let you create your own VPN, segregate your network, and add a firewall.
Don’t wait until the week of the event to try to figure out Wi-Fi security. Loop in your IT team early in the planning stages to help determine what level of security you will need to stay secure at whatever venue you choose.
Don’t wait until the week of the event to try to figure out Wi-Fi security. Loop in your IT team early in the planning stages—even before booking the venue—to help determine what level of security you will need to stay secure at whatever venue you choose. Taking a proactive approach to network security will help everyone feel comfortable accessing your network during the event, creating a positive feeling about your event before attendees even sit down at the opening keynote.
Staying Ahead of Cybercriminals
Cybercriminals know how to adapt quickly. For that reason, while the tips outlined above will help you improve overall event cybersecurity, it’s also a good idea to pay attention to cybercrime trends and update your practices accordingly. At Stagedge, we work hard behind the scenes to stay up to date with the latest technology and cybersecurity trends. This helps us build security measures into every step of event production, ensuring that our clients’ events are protected to the most recent industry standards.
Keeping your event secure starts with the virtual event platform you build on. At Stagedge, our custom-branded, web-based platforms are built on the top security and compliance standards. Check out our Virtual Venues webpage for more information.