Sound bites are a term I use for collecting and memorizing powerful statistics or statements that come from credible sources like The Wall Street Journal.  By themselves, they won’t sell a thing – in fact most technology sales people are guilty of overusing them, or using them with the wrong people.  They have two purposes:

1. They build credibility when taken from the right sources
2. They soften cries from IT that the company has everything they need – “We have it covered”, they claim.

When the buyer hears powerful statements from The Wall Street Journal telling them that Visa, MasterCard, and the Pentagon have experienced major attacks and are unable to defend themselves, it is hard to sit there and claim to be in better shape – especially in the small and mid market companies.  In today’s session we explore marketing theory and what it is that actually motivates the buyer to carve out funding for major security projects.  We use the sound bites to accomplish their task, but then move on to more advanced marketing strategies (ones that should be taught in school, but just aren’t).  Here are some of the sound bites sent to me as part of last night’s homework…I thought everyone might benefit from seeing some of these things.  Note:  These are in not particular order, and may not even by the most significant…just a sampling.  Feel free to add more powerful ones if you like.

1. The people in the IT department pose the biggest risks to data security. They can access nearly anything on the network, usually with no one looking over their shoulders. WSJ 4/4/12
2. 56% of those surveyed (WSJ) after financial crimes were committed, said the most serious crimes involved insiders WSJ 4/4/12

3. 53% of respondents indicated IT was involved in serious cyber crimes involving money over the past year 4/4/12 (WSJ)

4. Damage is only just now coming to light in the form of millions of false 2011 income tax returns filed in the names of people currently receiving Social Security benefits – reported by WSJ for Puerto Rico, but not the US – just coming out now!  Cringely Report.

5. Out of 47 attempts last year, hackers managed to penetrate NASA’s computer network 13 times – Ziff Davis  – March 2, 2012

6. Global Payment Inc – shares dropped 9% after disclosing a cyber attack – Reuters.3/30/12 – affected Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and Discover – 10 Million Card holders affected  (all 4 had stock price drops as a result).

6. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) runs a very active industrial espionage program because it has the joint mission of ensuring both military and economic security. So when companies from another country attempt to do business with a Chinese company or agency in an important area of technology, the PLA helps give its side an advantage by stealing data from the other side. They use the same targeted cyber-intrusion techniques they use to steal military secrets. They are after the “play books”–the documents that tell what the company is willing to give up and where it will hold the line. That data gives their side an advantage in negotiations. Sometimes, as in the Google case, they just steal the technology they want.  (FBI discussion with SANS – March 2012)

7. Shawn Henry, who is preparing to leave the FBI after more than two decades with the bureau, said in an interview that the current public and private approach to fending off hackers is “unsustainable.” Computer criminals are simply too talented and defensive measures too weak to stop them WSJ 3/28/12

8. James A. Lewis, a senior fellow on cybersecurity at the Center for Strategic and International Studies,  I think we’ve lost the opening battle [with hackers].” Mr. Lewis said he didn’t believe there was a single secure, unclassified computer network in the U.S.  WSJ  3/28/12

9. 24 Million customers compromised through Sony PlayStation last year, over 100 million on NASDAQ.  WSJ 3/28/12

© 2012, David Stelzl