Alberto Alexander, who earned a master of arts in education (MAE) degree from Northern in 1974, is managing director of the international consulting and training firm Eficiencia Gerencial y Productividad, located in Lima, Peru. He wrote an Aug. 3 online column on the major components of an effective cyber risk management process. Alexander addressed threat categories facing organizations, cyber risk management frameworks and challenges, and best practices related to assessment.
“Cyber threats are an increasing phenomenon in today's digitalized and connected operating environment," he wrote. "The same technologies that have enabled business transformation also enable or create cybercrime. Cyber risks can result in serious organizational impacts, leading, for example, to business interruption or major reputational damage. This may consequently cause even larger losses than traditional business and industrial risks.
“Establishing a risk management approach to cyber security investment acknowledges that no organization can completely eliminate every system vulnerability or block every cyber attack. Cyber security was previously seen as the concern of IT security professionals alone. This, however, is changing. … It is increasingly becoming a top management and board-level concern—and should very much be so.”
Alexander also holds a doctorate from the University of Kansas. In addition to his consulting role, he is a professor at the graduate business school of ESAN University and a member of the Business Continuity Institute.