Securing Your Startup Online – Fireside Chat with Gueorgui Gotzev

From my days in marketing and working closely in the cyber security space, and seeing how big business struggles with digital security, protections and legal issues, I often wondered how startups and entrepreneurs would be able to manage this ever increasing complex world.

Especially digital nomads, the challenges are enormous and for a small business, startup or entrepreneur the stakes are high – so high, many don’t even realize they even exist!

Go figure!

The State of The Digital World

Now it’s not just Digital Nomads we’re talking to here, anyone in the small business, startup world, entrepreneurs who are out there day in day out putting it all on the line. We all need to be aware of our surroundings, where our information is, who we bring around us and how we behave in the online world.

The ramifications can be enormous costing money, time, entry into certain countries, business deals … the list could go on. Just one wrong key stroke and you can accidentally find yourself in the thick of it.

This week’s interview was with Gueorgui Gotzev, a legal / security expert based in Europe.

View the full interview here.

I learned so much from this conversation and was reminded of so much from my days in this space.

Lessons On Personal Digital Privacy and Risk

1. The real challenge is the threat is real, people are just not thinking about it – often until it is too late.
2. If something is free then you are the product. Just look at social media, they are targeting you to engage you to get you to connect / socialize on their platforms so they can sell you to advertisers.
3. People need to know how to handle themselves on line – so much is at stake and sometimes very quickly
4. Password authentication, financial controls, VPNs and other security should always be in place especially if you move about and work in open network environments.

Lessons On Start Up Digital Privacy and Risk

1. As a startup you should have the budgets to protect your secrets.
2. Constantly be asking questions – getting better information – knowing where you stand and what to do should something go wrong
3. From website hacks, to personal data scraping to other phishing – know how to protect yourself, your team and of course your clients.
4. With any solutions out there, chances are you are getting what you are paying for. A cheap hosting or email service will perhaps cost you in lighter security protocols – you still get what you pay for.
5. If you are hiring contractors – as many startups do, especially across international borders, what are you doing to secure your IP? How do you know who you are dealing with?

Hiring Your Weakness

The final input from Gueorgui was that we need to hire in what we cant do well ourselves. And where we cant afford it there will likely be mentors, advisors, even communities like Business In Bare Feet who can bring talent around your business.

Don’t try and figure this out on your own.