SideChannel Inc. (SDCH) Notes Importance of Cybersecurity for Cannabis Industry Operational Technology as Hybrid Work Models Expand

February 03, 2023 at 08:50 AM EST

SideChannel Inc. is a cybersecurity services and technology provider that assists small- to medium-sized businesses unable to budget for full time on-site cybersecurity staffing
SideChannel supplies virtual chief information security officer (“vCISO”) expert services on a contract basis at an expense that is lower than the cost of regular full-time CISO staffing
SideChannel CEO noted the importance of SMB network security protocols in a recent CISOlife podcast, specifically in regard to cannabis operations that are often small and cash-rich without significant cyber protections in place
Growing economic uncertainty is expected to increase the number of SMBs that may fall under the cybersecurity poverty line at a time when hybrid work models utilizing greater numbers of remote work access employees is increasing

Following the turbulent years of dodging and then dealing with COVID in business environments, a large number of companies are regularizing hybrid workplace models that incorporate remote access as a job feature worthy of ad promotion. Unfortunately, this approach is also capable of letting bad actors wreak havoc on a company’s operations.

Businesses below the cybersecurity poverty line, in particular, run the risk of seeing operations upended if hackers gain access to vital company data or operational technology (“OT”), since many entities such as smaller businesses, non-profits, and local government agencies, may let security slide, as they feel they…