Macro Connect Hosts GJC’s AI & Cybersecurity Roundatble for Non Profits

Who is GJC?

GJC is an established certified public accounting and consulting firm. They support both privately held and publicly traded entities and are a leading auditor and advisor of not-for-profit organizations, foundations, and government agencies in the Midwest region. 

What is the GJC Roundtable? 

As stated above, one segment GJC serves is the non-profit community, so they host periodic roundtable discussions on topics that are of interest to non-profits. Anywhere from 15-40 people may attend each time depending on the content and event marketing!

What is Macro Connect’s Relationship to the GJC Roundtable? 

Many times over the last several years, we have been invited to be the speaker on a variety of IT Topics. The GJC Roundtable is coordinated and run by Erica Battle, who used to be a Consultant for GJC (serving non-profits) and is now the COO of Brilliant Cities, a Macro Connect client located in Detroit, that we initially met at one of these GJC Roundtable events!

What topics were covered?

Erica Battle presented on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and it’s many uses for the non-profit sector. Miguel Davis, CEO of Macro Connect, presented on Cybersecurity Attacks & How to Prevent & Combat them. 

How Non-Profits can use AI:

Non-profits are generally understaffed and under resourced, so AI can provide some much needed relief. AI can: 

• Be used to write emails and proposals, democratizing writing skills;
• Be used to compare grant application guidelines to written grant proposals;
• Summarize reports, analyze data, and help with research projects; and
• Be used to improve program and service delivery, followed by improvements to support finance and compliance too!

Pro Tips from the Speakers & Audience: 

“Use AI to help you explain your budget and financial resporting to your board members in terms they can understand!”

“Make sure you draft an AI policy”
(Side Note: you can also use AI to help you write it!)

How to protect organizations from Cybersecurity threats:

Macro Connect’s CEO, Miguel Davis took over the presentation and posed this opening question to the group: “What is global spending on AI Solutions including R&D, deployment, and integration costs?”

After a few audience guesses in the millions, Miguel revealed the answer: $644 billion(!!) Breaking that stat down to focus on non-profits: 

• The non-profit sector was the 2nd most targeted sector last year
• The average cost of a breach reached $2 million last year
• The number one reason for breaches? Phishing scams.

Cybersecurity threats are clearly here to stay, so what do organizations need to know about them and how to prevent them? 

Phishing scams and other malicious behavior are created by Hackers. So, what is the Hacker’s Mindset? 

• People are the easiest way in 
• One device is all it takes
• Blend in to break in
• Map the digital terrain
• Exploit trust, not just code
• Automate everything
• “Persistence” is key

You may think you have IT security in place, but any team member can open or forward a dangerous email or click a malicious link. All hackers need is one way in to start destroying all of your data on all of your devices.

Phishing scams and others often mimic the people and behaviors associated with your organization, making their antics harder to recognize. Their goal is to exploit your trust and export your data for their gains.

Even worse, once a hacker has found their way into one of your devices, even if you have help addressing the issue, if your system is compromised, the attacker can evade detection, and control your system even after a reboot or credential change! They are waiting in hiding to find the most strategic way to attack your data. They are persistent.

So, you too, must be persistent in your approach to educating your team, staying vigilant yourself, automating what you can, keeping your devices and software up to date, and partnering with IT professionals who can keep you safe!

What are the connections between AI and cybersecurity attacks?

As we know, AI can be used for good - as a helpful and supportive tool, and AI can be used for bad - to aid attackers. Turns out, hackers have learned to use AI too. 

• Hackeres use AI to mimic communication styles, making phishing emails nearly indistinguishable from legitimate ones.
• Attackers use AI to clone voices, alter videos, and fabricate identities to bypass verification systems. -and-
• Deepfake scams targeting employees with fake executive instructions are expected to hit new highs.

How best to protect your organization from cybersecurity attacks?

• Make sure you adopt a “when”, not “if” mentality.
• Lock down privilages wherever you can. The more open you are, the most at risk you are.
• You can still trust, but adopt a healthy sense of skepticism, and verify anything that looks suspicious by checking with the supposed source.
• Educate, educate, educate. Train yourself and train your team. Look to partner with IT professionals to run phishing simulations to test you and your team. 

If you think you’ve been a vicitim of a cyberattack, or if you’re concerned you’re an ideal target for it, reach out to us at Macro Connect. We’ll listen, advise, and help you figure out what solution is best for you!

Connect with us!