As cybercrime continues to be a growing threat to critical-business infrastructure, global economies, and financial stability, there is a need for vigilance across all sectors, geographies, and industries. There are many techniques, tools, and technologies that financial services organizations can employ to protect their infrastructure, data, and people from a compromise. On occasion, it appears as if there is a surfeit of such techniques, tools, and technologies—and the number of available solutions is overwhelming to even the largest global organizations, and even more so to those who do not have mature, well-funded, and well-staffed security organizations. In this book, Dr. Erdal Ozkaya and Milad Aslaner explore the many different aspects of building a comprehensive and segment-specific offense and defense against current and emerging threats to global financial services organizations. Their objective is to reduce the complexity and focus on the fundamentals of cyber resilience and good cyber hygiene by means of practical advice. As global threats continue to increase in volume and complexity, it is often important to make certain we are doing the basics well. The advanced tools will be valuable, but our ability to construct and operate a scalable and sustainable security program with relevant processes, people, and tools is what will allow us to be successful over the long term. Both of the authors have relevant, boots-on-the-ground experience to share, and I encourage you, the reader, to read this book with a pragmatic view of what is possible today, while regarding it as a building block for the future success of your security program.

Ann S. Johnson

Corporate Vice President, Microsoft