Press
Reach out for a quote or catch up with Stronger in the news.
Press information
Stronger International empowers firms to create stronger, more efficient, and more secure cultures. Stronger has partnered with colleges and universities, local and state governments, and holds a Federal GSA contract. Founder and CEO, Heather Stratford, is called upon regularly to educate, interview, and comment on technology news.
Press Contact:
Daniel Mutter
JOTO PR Disruptors
727-777-4621
In The News
Heather Stratford, interviewed on The JoyPowered Workspace :
Cybersecurity – March 1, 2021
In this episode, JoDee and Susan discuss cybersecurity with Heather Stratford, founder of Stronger International, Inc. and Drip7. Topics include common cybersecurity concerns, how businesses can help reduce the risk of a cyber breach, and advice for keeping your technology environment safe.
Visit www.getjoypowered.com/show-notes-episode-110-cybersecurity/ for full show notes and links…..
Click here to hear the podcast.
Heather Stratford, mentioned in CISION, PRWeb :
The World Changed — Cybersecurity Must Catch Up with Radical New Training – February 23, 2021
The cost of a data breach, in terms of revenue, reputation, legal exposure, and operational disruption, can be devastating; 60% of small-and medium-sized businesses close within six months of experiencing a cyberattack.(1) Meanwhile, the problem is growing rapidly especially because of changes due to COVID-19; global cybercrime costs are expected to reach $10.5 trillion by 2025, up from $3 trillion in 2015, reported by Cybercrime Magazine.(2) “Cybercrime is a global problem,” says Drip7 founder and CEO Heather Stratford, “but in every organization, there is a very local potential solution: a vigilant, engaged, and properly trained workforce.” ….
Click here to read the full article.
Heather Stratford, quoted in Government Technology :
Gamification of Cybersecurity Training for Employees – February 16, 2021
When you look at your cybersecurity threat profile, it is likely that your employees are your greatest vulnerability. An “errant click” can let the bad guys into your system and then you are doling out dollars via a ransomware attack that has your data or system locked down.
You can have Red Teams probing your network and your staff, but what you really want is to be protected from the attacks to begin with. See the news release below. I think the idea is right on the mark. One of my personal quotes is, “repetition is the mother of remembering,” so you can’t just have a single annual training event for employees. They just won’t remember all the steps that they need to be thinking about to protect your network and information.
For your consideration ….
Click here to read the full article.
Heather Stratford, published in Security Magazine :
A hundred-year-old secret is key to fighting cyberattacks – January 15, 2021
Every minute, three new phishing sites pop up on the internet, according to Wandera’s 2020 Mobile Threat Landscape Report. Due to the pandemic and working from home, phishing is resurging as a criminal’s go-to tool. In April 2020, Google blocked over 18 million phishing attempts each day for a week. That’s over 126 million phishing attempts in one week. And with almost all malware (94%) being delivered by email, making sure employees are cyberaware and well trained must be a top priority to chief information security officers (CISOs) and chief security officers (CSOs). Rethink how employees are being trained….
Click here to read the full article.
Heather Stratford, published in HR.com :
Your Cybersecurity Awareness Training Doesn’t Work – January 5, 2021
Technological shifts and Covid-19 restrictions have pushed the workforce to new levels of remote work as well as new collaboration platforms. The training industry must adjust to these changes and the needs of a rapidly evolving workforce —one that is younger, more mobile, more diverse, and increasingly more connected. In 2020, cybersecurity attacks grew exponentially. Employee training must catch up with these shifts and increasing cyber-attacks.
Human Resource professionals need to be aware that these new shifts require more focus on cybersecurity, cybersecurity education, and the new solutions in the marketplace that help address these constantly evolving needs….
Click here to read the full article.
Heather Stratford, published in Security Info Watch :
Hackers go phishing for remote workers during pandemic – December 30, 2020
The shift to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a 300% increase in cybercrime. Wandera’s 2020 Mobile Threat Landscape Report stated that every three minutes new phishing sites pop up. And in April of this year, 18 million phishing attempts were blocked by Google each day for a week. Cybercriminals are enjoying the dispersed work environment and making good use of the chaos, curiosity, and uncertainty. Without the structures of the work environment, employees are relaxing their diligence in cybersecurity awareness and criminals are taking advantage of it.
Click here to read the full article.
Heather Stratford, published in Thrive Global :
Backups let you sleep at night – December 20, 2020
As a part of my series about “5 Things You Need To Know To Optimize Your Company’s Approach to Data Privacy and Cybersecurity”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Heather Stratford, MBA, founder and CEO of Stronger International, Inc. a global cybersecurity firm focused on education and consulting. Heather is a thought leader in the cybersecurity field, keynoting at conferences and universities, and is a champion for attracting more women into technology and cybersecurity. Heather has spoken and written for the U.S. Department of Commerce, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and the 2018 G7 summit, to name a few. Heather is a national Tory Burch Foundation Fellow, alumni of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses program, and the recipient of the Women in Business Leadership Award from Whitworth University.
Click here to read the full article.
Heather Stratford, quoted by Natasha Nellis in Spokane Journal of Business :
Tech industry jumps ahead a decade, observers say – December 17, 2020
…Heather Stratford, CEO and founder of Spokane-based Stronger International Inc., says, “These are all trends that the technology industry saw coming. They all knew we are going to have more remote working. We already are poised to have more cybersecurity risks as everybody shifts to the cloud.”
One big push moving forward will be education and skills development within companies, a necessary adaptation companies will need to make as more workers continue to work remotely, Stratford says. In-migration from tech hubs like Seattle and San Francisco is expected to increase, she adds, bringing more technologically skilled workers to the area.
Stratford contends the previous once-a-year compliance sessions are no longer enough to protect companies…
Click here to read the full article.
Heather Stratford, published in Help Net Security :
Why microlearning is the key to cybersecurity education – December 1, 2020
Cyber attacks are on the rise during this year of uncertainty and chaos. Increased working from home, online shopping, and use of social platforms to stay connected and sane during this year have provided criminals with many attack avenues to exploit.
To mitigate the threat to their networks, systems and assets, many organizations perform some type of annual cybersecurity awareness education, as well as phishing simulations. Unfortunately, attackers are quick to adapt to changes while employees’ behavior changes slowly. Without a dramatic shift in how we educate employees about cybersecurity, all industries are going to see a rise in breaches and costs.
Click here to read the full article.
Heather Stratford, interviewed by Jason Remillard in Authority Magazine:
5 things you need to know to optimize your company’s approach to Data privacy and cybersecurity – november 13, 2020
As a part of my series about “5 Things You Need To Know To Optimize Your Company’s Approach to Data Privacy and Cybersecurity”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Heather Stratford, MBA, founder and CEO of Stronger International, Inc. a global cybersecurity firm focused on education and consulting. Heather is a thought leader in the cybersecurity field, keynoting at conferences and universities, and is a champion for attracting more women into technology and cybersecurity. Heather has spoken and written for the U.S. Department of Commerce, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and the 2018 G7 summit, to name a few. Heather is a national Tory Burch Foundation Fellow, alumni of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses program, and the recipient of the Women in Business Leadership Award from Whitworth University.
Click here to read the full article.
Heather Stratford, published in Training Industry:
Outmoded Training Methods in Cybersecurity fuel increased cyberattacks – november 13, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic unleashed cybercriminal activity and created a surge in cyber attacks. With so many employees working remotely and with so many new processes and so much uncertainty, nefarious actors continue to take advantage of the chaos. Cybersecurity awareness training is no longer reserved for financial institutions or hospitals. All organizations need it in order to prevent successful attacks — because if a business has money transactions, it is a target for criminals. Yet, cybersecurity training has not evolved to meet the current needs of an ever-changing workforce and its new work conditions.
Click here to read the full article.
Heather Stratford in the Washington Examiner, by Grant Gross:
Cyber Command blames Russian hacking groups for two malware strains – november 5, 2020
[excerpt] “Knowing where malicious packages originate helps security teams better know how to defend against them,” said Vanlperen, founder and managing partner of PWV Consultants, specializing in digital tech and security consulting. “Every hacker has their own signature, which helps security teams set protections. It’s also helpful for security teams to know what to keep their eyes open for.”
The attributions point defenders to the attackers’ modus operandi, added Heather Stratford, CEO of cybersecurity firm Stronger International.
“Knowing the malware architects, and where they are coming from, helps you know who you are defending against,” she told the Washington Examiner. “This is a war, and all the pieces of information are valuable.”
….
Stronger International’s Stratford called on government agencies and private companies to continue to share information. “Cybersecurity and defense is not a solo sport. It’s a team event in many ways, and sharing information and strategies is helpful to all,” she said.
Better cybersecurity training is also needed, she added.
“The way it is being done today, frankly, sucks,” she said. “It is commoditized, antiquated, and static. Despite the money spent in this area, the training is not up to the level of sophistication that the criminals are escalating to, and the current market is trying to make training a one-size-fits-all.”
Heather Stratford, interviewed by Jennifer Didier on Tech in The Right Direction:
The Importance of Cybersecurity in the Modern Age – November 3, 2020
This week’s guest is Heather Stratford, the founder and CEO of Stronger International. As a thought leader in cybersecurity, Heather keynotes at conferences, universities, and large financial institutions on the importance of keeping their data secure. She continually writes on cybersecurity and was a featured guest at the 2018 G-7 Summit in Canada. Heather also regularly speaks on entrepreneurship, failing forward, women in technology, and diversity in cybersecurity…
Heather Stratford, interviewed by WUSA9:
The Trickbot Ransomware Is Infecting Computers in Virginia. Elections Officials Say They’re Ready
Click here to watch the interview
Heather Stratford, quoted in:
How Online Security Threats Hurt Work-From-Home Businesses
Conor Cawley –
Outmoded Training Methods Fueling Ever-Increasing Cyberattacks
TecHR Series — OCTOBER 05, 2020
COVID-19 has forced millions to work from home; meanwhile, the rate of data breaches, ransomware demands, and other cybercrimes has climbed dramatically—yet employee training remains outmoded, over-commoditized. For companies to defend themselves, says Stronger International, a new approach to employee training is needed.
Heather Stratford, CEO of cybersecurity firm Stronger International, notes that 2020 has been a good year for cybercriminals. Recent studies show a 238% increase in cyberattacks against banks(1) and a 667% increase in phishing schemes.(2) On the ransomware front, there has been a sevenfold increase in attacks(3), and the average ransomware payment has increased by a third, to $111,605.(4) Meanwhile, business leaders agree that the single largest cybersecurity risk … [keep reading]