{"id":40881,"date":"2025-08-19T14:22:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T18:22:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?p=40881"},"modified":"2025-08-19T14:22:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T18:22:48","slug":"business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Report: Who\u2019s Accountable for Your Cybersecurity?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Reg Harnish, CEO of OrbitalFire Cybersecurity, says small firms must own cybersecurity.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Reg Harnish, CEO of OrbitalFire Cybersecurity<\/p>\n

By now, most small business owners and leaders understand that cybersecurity is a must-have, not a nice-to-have. Ransomware, email scams, compliance requirements and customer questionnaires are no longer reserved for big corporations; they\u2019re the new reality for smaller businesses in our own communities.<\/p>\n

But when it comes to accountability, there\u2019s still a lot of confusion about who\u2019s actually in charge of managing and improving your company\u2019s security.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re like many small businesses, you probably have a part-time IT person or are working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP)\u2014a third-party IT company that handles things like computer updates, hardware support, networking, and maybe even managing your cloud applications.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the uncomfortable truth:<\/p>\n

Your MSP is not your cybersecurity provider. And they were never meant to be.<\/p>\n

The IT vs. Cybersecurity Divide<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to lump IT and cybersecurity together. After all, they both deal with technology and data. But they are not the same and treating them like they are can be a costly mistake.<\/p>\n

Think of it like this: your accounting software runs on technology, but you wouldn\u2019t ask your IT provider to do your taxes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Specialties are the norm in every aspect of your life, and cybersecurity is no different. And while it\u2019s true that some technology can help improve your security, it can also create vulnerabilities, risks and problems when it\u2019s not managed adequately.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be clear: MSPs are essential. They manage backups, patch your systems, and keep employees from throwing laptops out the window. Many also offer security-related tools like antivirus, spam filtering, and firewalls. These are all helpful, even necessary, but they\u2019re tools, not a strategy. And these tools are just a small part of your cybersecurity program.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>Effective small business cybersecurity has changed dramatically in recent years. It now involves:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Risk assessments and mitigation planning<\/p>\n

\u2022 Regulatory compliance (HIPAA, CMMC, NYSDFS, FTC Safeguards, etc.)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Policies and plans<\/p>\n

\u2022 Awareness training and employee behavioral change<\/p>\n

\u2022 Threat monitoring and incident response<\/p>\n

\u2022 Governance, accountability, and long-term planning<\/p>\n

Doing all of this well requires experience, expertise and focus.<\/p>\n

Whose Job Is Cybersecurity, Really?<\/b><\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the real kicker: Cybersecurity is ultimately your responsibility.<\/p>\n

Yes, even if you engage with cybersecurity experts and buy a cyber insurance policy. Your prospects, customers, supply chain partners, and employees all expect that you\u2019re doing the things you need to do to protect your business.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t about blame\u2014it\u2019s about accountability.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important for small businesses to stop assuming someone else is \u201ctaking care of it.\u201d Cybersecurity isn\u2019t a service you can throw over the fence and forget. You need to own it, understand it, and be involved in how it\u2019s handled, which is often through a partnership between someone within your organization who has signed up to be the internal point person and a dedicated cybersecurity partner.<\/p>\n

What Does \u201cAccountability\u201d Actually Look Like?<\/p>\n

The idea of being \u201ccyber accountable\u201d might sound overwhelming. But it\u2019s not about becoming an expert; it\u2019s about making informed decisions and owning the outcomes.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what accountability can look like:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Engaging with qualified experts for all areas of your program \u2013 legal, insurance, compliance, communications, technology and cybersecurity in general. There is no one entity that can handle all your \u201ccybersecurity\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Addressing the \u201crisks\u201d your business faces. Are you at greater risk of a power outage, late paying customers or ransomware?<\/p>\n

\u2022 Knowing what sensitive data you handle. Do you interact with financial accounts, healthcare records, or defense-related secrets\u2014and how do you protect it?<\/p>\n

\u2022 Treating cybersecurity as a business function, not just an IT issue. Is leadership involved in your cybersecurity strategy and direction?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not about doing everything yourself. It\u2019s about knowing where the gaps are and making sure they get filled by the right experts.<\/p>\n

The Bottom Line<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re running a small business, you already know how many hats you wear. But when it comes to cybersecurity, the most important one might be labeled \u201caccountable.\u201d Not because you\u2019re a cybersecurity expert\u2014but because it\u2019s your name, your reputation, and your business on the line.<\/p>\n

Your MSP can and should be a trusted partner. But they are a small (and shrinking) percentage of your cybersecurity strategy. That\u2019s where a cybersecurity services provider comes in: a specialized partner with the credentials, experience, and expertise to help you.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, the only one answering to regulators or customers if something goes wrong will be you. So, ask hard questions. Get clarity. And don\u2019t wait for an incident to find out whether you have an adequate cybersecurity program. If you don\u2019t, now\u2019s the time to start building one\u2014with the right support in place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Reg Harnish, CEO of OrbitalFire Cybersecurity By now, most small business owners and leaders understand that cybersecurity is a must-have, not a nice-to-have. Ransomware, email scams, compliance requirements and customer questionnaires are no longer reserved for big corporations; they\u2019re the new reality for smaller businesses in our own communities. But when it comes to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":40883,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-workplace-security-legal"],"yoast_head":"\r\nBusiness Report: Who\u2019s Accountable for Your Cybersecurity? - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Business Report: Who\u2019s Accountable for Your Cybersecurity? - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Reg Harnish, CEO of OrbitalFire Cybersecurity By now, most small business owners and leaders understand that cybersecurity is a must-have, not a nice-to-have. Ransomware, email scams, compliance requirements and customer questionnaires are no longer reserved for big corporations; they\u2019re the new reality for smaller businesses in our own communities. But when it comes to […]\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-19T18:22:48+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/08\/orbitalfire-fi.png\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"683\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"356\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jake Van Ness\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jake Van Ness\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/\",\"name\":\"Business Report: Who\u2019s Accountable for Your Cybersecurity? - Saratoga Business Journal\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/08\/orbitalfire-fi.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-19T18:22:48+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/a11ec438b5f0e57f1156754ba3931b86\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/08\/orbitalfire-fi.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/08\/orbitalfire-fi.png\",\"width\":683,\"height\":356},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Business Report: Who\u2019s Accountable for Your Cybersecurity?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/\",\"name\":\"Saratoga Business Journal\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/a11ec438b5f0e57f1156754ba3931b86\",\"name\":\"Jake Van Ness\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d74f7533bd2ebb3908a187893d5eafbf1ee7752b11715c976372134cbea918d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d74f7533bd2ebb3908a187893d5eafbf1ee7752b11715c976372134cbea918d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jake Van Ness\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/author\/jakev\/\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Business Report: Who\u2019s Accountable for Your Cybersecurity? - Saratoga Business Journal","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Business Report: Who\u2019s Accountable for Your Cybersecurity? - Saratoga Business Journal","og_description":"By Reg Harnish, CEO of OrbitalFire Cybersecurity By now, most small business owners and leaders understand that cybersecurity is a must-have, not a nice-to-have. Ransomware, email scams, compliance requirements and customer questionnaires are no longer reserved for big corporations; they\u2019re the new reality for smaller businesses in our own communities. But when it comes to […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/","og_site_name":"Saratoga Business Journal","article_published_time":"2025-08-19T18:22:48+00:00","og_image":[{"width":683,"height":356,"url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/08\/orbitalfire-fi.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Jake Van Ness","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jake Van Ness","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/","url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/","name":"Business Report: Who\u2019s Accountable for Your Cybersecurity? - Saratoga Business Journal","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/08\/orbitalfire-fi.png","datePublished":"2025-08-19T18:22:48+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/a11ec438b5f0e57f1156754ba3931b86"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/08\/orbitalfire-fi.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/08\/orbitalfire-fi.png","width":683,"height":356},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/08\/business-report-whos-accountable-for-your-cybersecurity\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Business Report: Who\u2019s Accountable for Your Cybersecurity?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/","name":"Saratoga Business Journal","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/a11ec438b5f0e57f1156754ba3931b86","name":"Jake Van Ness","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d74f7533bd2ebb3908a187893d5eafbf1ee7752b11715c976372134cbea918d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d74f7533bd2ebb3908a187893d5eafbf1ee7752b11715c976372134cbea918d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jake Van Ness"},"url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/author\/jakev\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/89"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40881"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40884,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40881\/revisions\/40884"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}