As we all know, the SEC and FINRA have made cyber-security an exam priority in 2014, but what does it mean when the audit of your regulator shows that it is susceptible to a data breach.  A recent audit of the SEC found that its cyber-security was far from perfect. 

I am sure that there are some who rejoice in the fact that the SEC is having these types of issues.  In reality, however, this should be a valuable lesson to everyone in the industry.   

If the SEC (who has some of the most sophisticated systems) has a cyber-security weakness, what does that say for your systems.  The issues found during the SEC audit should serve as yet another wakeup call for the industry. 

Undoubtedly, no systems are perfect when it comes to cyber-security.  Nevertheless, you need to do all you can to ensure your systems are as protected as they can be. 

You should be asking yourself, when was the last time you had your systems audited for cyber-security weaknesses.  If it has been more than a year, it has been too long. 

Don’t be a victim.  Take affirmative action now to do what you can to secure your systems and the client information that you hold so dear.  Otherwise, expect to see your name in the paper as yet another victim of a data breach.  What will our clients think then?

* photo from freedigitalphotos.net