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.
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!
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!
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:
They are generally understaffed and under resourced, so AI can provide some much needed relief. AI can:
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:
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?
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 exlpoit your trust and export your data for their gains.
You must stay 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.
How best to protect your organization from cybersecurity attacks?
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!