Companies giving IT security top priority

Safeguarding client information has taken on a greater importance for businesses – especially those lenders involved in the mortgage sector

“In the new normal of the online world, companies need to take steps to protect themselves against the financial loss that can result from online attacks,” says Maia Espejo, senior professional liability manager of D&O/E&O for Burns & Wilcox. “The cost of recouping the damages of an attack and the cost of investigation can build and result in significant financial loss for an organization.”

One lender, American Financial Group, recently promoted John D. Rogers to Divisional Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer who will continue to lead the IT security function for the company.

Rogers joined the organization in 2008 as the Director of Information Security for Great American’s Annuity Group, and assumed leadership of this function enterprise-wide in 2013. Rogers has 18 years of information security experience working in the energy, manufacturing, finance and insurance industries.

The real indication of the growth of IT in the mortgage industry is Rogers’ educational background, as he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Northern Kentucky University and a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Denver, and holds the following designations: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), and GIAC Certified ISO-27000 Specialist (G2700).

“Instituting organizational policies related to data security is the first step towards mitigating the potential costs of cybercrime,” says Espejo. “Mortgage brokerages, given isolated security breaches over the years, are particularly proactive about protecting client files against cyber attack.”