Craig Lund, CEO of SecureAuth Corporation in Irvine, California, USA, is the Chair of the Final Judging Committee for the company awards and organization awards categories in The 2013 American Business Awards, the premier business awards program in the USA.
We talked with him about cyber terrorism, career advice, and what inspires him.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper recently identified cyber attacks and cyber espionage as the nation’s biggest threat, surpassing that of terrorism. What would you recommend businesses should do to avert such a threat?
The type of cyber attack companies should be most worried about is a data breach, similar to those that occurred with Facebook, CNN, Apple, and LinkedIn. Data breaches seriously undermine the credibility and viability of a company. According to a 2011 report sponsored by Symantec on the cost of data breaches in the United States, the average breach costs companies $5.5 million, which includes forensic costs, fines, legal fees, etc. Moreover, companies that experience a breach lose customers and experience increased churn in their customer base.
Data breaches aren't just a concern for big companies. They can hit businesses of any size, in any industry. According to Verizon's 2012 Data Breach Investigations Report, small businesses with between 1 and 100 employees reported 612 data breaches last year. The number of reported breaches—especially for small businesses—is usually just the tip of the iceberg.
To avert these types of attacks, businesses need to hold on and secure their own authentication credentials, and implement a multi-factor authentication process that is non-intrusive to their users.
What other item of news recently caught your eye and why?
Bring your own device (BYOD) and mobile security are hot topics right now. Companies are understandably concerned about the corporate apps on employees’ mobile devices. These devices are often used for personal as well as business use, and can leave corporate apps and their content vulnerable.
What is your favorite business app?
Docusign is my favorite. I travel a lot, and being able to review and execute documents from the road is a lifesaver.
What career advice would you give to young people starting out in business?
Begin with your goal in mind and then believe in yourself. Decide what it is you want to do and then do it. Act as if failure is not possible. Positive belief combined with positive action are the most powerful tools you have to achieve your career ambitions.
As someone at the top of your profession, what keeps you inspired or makes you hit the ground running in the morning?
I happen to be a runner, and as any runner will know, it’s a mental game. You need discipline, self-motivation, and endurance to keep striving to exceed your goals. You also need a great support team. In my work, I’m fortunate to have a team of talented and ambitious people that keep me pushing for more.
About Craig Lund:
CEO Craig Lund is a seasoned technology-industry veteran with over 25 years of experience managing high-performing teams in some of the world’s leading technology companies and startups.
Before joining SecureAuth in 2005, Lund worked for IBM where he was a member of the World Wide Security Management division and was responsible for Security Sales Teams for the United States, Canada, and Latin America. He developed and managed the execution of sales strategy for five security product lines that resulted in more than $100 million of annual revenue.
Prior to joining IBM, Lund was the vice president of sales and operations--western region for Netegrity. He has also held sales and sales management positions at Dassault Systèmes, Intelligent Environments, Prime Computer, and Digital Equipment Corporation. Lund holds a B.S. in business administration from Utah State University.
About SecureAuth Corporation:
SecureAuth is a technology leader in universal identity enforcement for mobile devices, cloud applications, and networks that serves hundreds of customers and over 10 million users worldwide. Its SecureAuth IdP products offer Global 5000 companies a uniquely extensible, enterprise-proven method of administering corporate identity governance on cloud-based applications, mobile devices, and networks. These all-in-one solutions provide IT departments with a simplified way of managing and enforcing access, authentication, approval, and assertion based on existing user entitlements. For the latest insight on enterprise identity governance and issues follow the SecureAuth Blog, follow @SecureAuth on Twitter, or visit www.gosecureauth.com for additional information.
