A business owner may lock the doors each evening, check the windows and trust that everything valuable is secure. Yet an innocent-looking email or an overlooked weakness in the company’s computer system can provide another way in, often without anyone realizing it.
Derek Odiorne, owner of iFlock Security Consulting in Wakarusa, helps businesses identify and correct security weaknesses. His team finds ways unauthorized users could gain access to company computers and private information. The team then recommends which concerns should be addressed first.
“The simplest way to look at it is that we break in before the bad guys do,” Odiorne says. “We find the unknown unknowns in a company and create a plan to improve the cybersecurity program of the company.”
Odiorne’s technology career began in 1993, when he provided telephone support for Hewlett-Packard laser printers. In 1999, he began working locally as a network administrator. He later worked in information technology for several companies in the recreational vehicle industry. After that, he joined a global financial-services company. There, he managed the company’s computer systems and oversaw testing designed to protect customers’ payment-card information.
Odiorne had also begun providing technology and cybersecurity consulting services. As he saw a growing need for this work, he formed iFlock in 2016. The company’s name came from a Bible study discussion about the importance of moving through life together as a flock. Odiorne believed the same idea applied to cybersecurity because businesses often need a knowledgeable partner to help them understand and address online threats.
iFlock began as a company that tested computer systems to find security weaknesses. As the business grew, Odiorne noticed a problem with the way cybersecurity was often handled. Many technology companies focused first on keeping computers and networks operating, then added antivirus software as their primary form of protection. Odiorne believed security should guide every technology decision from the beginning. He built iFlock around that idea, first determining what a business must protect and then designing its technology services around those needs. Today, iFlock’s American-based professionals use this security-first approach to serve clients throughout the country.
Although iFlock works nationally, its roots remain firmly planted in Michiana. Odiorne was born and raised in the area, and the company belongs to the Elkhart, South Bend and Wakarusa chambers of commerce.
Odiorne has noticed a growing need for cybersecurity services in the area, as well as some common misunderstandings. Some business owners believe online security threats do not affect small communities, while others assume that having someone who handles their computers means they are fully protected.
iFlock primarily assists small and medium-sized companies in varied industries, including government, aviation, agriculture, banking and health care. Most services can be delivered remotely, although team members make on-site visits when needed. The company also occasionally provides its services to individuals.
Security testing remains one of iFlock’s primary services. With the company’s permission, iFlock’s cybersecurity specialists attempt to gain access to its network, website, applications or online storage. A website may appear to work perfectly but contain an error that creates an unintended path into the computer system supporting it. Finding that path during a controlled test allows the business to correct the problem before an individual or group with harmful intentions uses it to access private information, disrupt operations or hold the company’s data for ransom.
Unlike an automated scan that produces a long list of possible problems, iFlock’s testing includes human knowledge and judgment. The team explains which parts of the company’s computer system it was able to access, how it gained access and which security weaknesses should be corrected first. It then works with the client to create a practical plan for making the needed improvements.
Regular security checks are necessary because new weaknesses can appear, methods of gaining access can change and updates may affect a company’s computer system. iFlock can regularly scan the system, identify new concerns and guide the business in correcting them. The team also checks that essential protections continue to work properly.
For example, regularly backing up information is valuable, but testing a backup is the only way to know whether the information can be restored when it is needed.
Email is another serious concern. Artificial intelligence can help people create convincing messages that appear to come from a trusted business or familiar contact. A fraudulent webpage may capture a user’s digital sign-in information even after the person enters both a password and a security code. Odiorne compares this information to a concert wristband. Just as the wristband shows that someone has already been admitted, the digital information tells the computer system that the user’s identity has been confirmed. If another person obtains it, the system may allow that person into the account without requesting the password again.
An intruder may remain quietly inside an email account for weeks, learning how the company conducts business and who makes payments. Quick reporting allows security professionals to end the unauthorized access, determine what occurred and look for other ways the intruder might return. Odiorne stresses the importance of creating a workplace atmosphere in which employees feel secure reporting a suspected threat or mistaken click immediately.
iFlock’s simulated phishing campaigns measure how many employees open a test email or click its link, but the purpose is education, not punishment. Followup training explains the missed clues and possible consequences. For limited budgets, Odiorne prioritizes email security, employee awareness training and advanced endpoint detection.
The company also guides clients through PCI Data Security Standard requirements for businesses handling payment-card information. Its compliance and audit-readiness services address HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, cyber-insurance requirements and other frameworks. iFlock gathers evidence, prepares the organization and works with the auditor, helping prevent a costly audit failure.
Prospective clients may begin with a complimentary security assessment. During the initial conversation, iFlock asks 38 questions based on important compliance and security measures. The answers produce a letter grade reflecting the company’s current position and options for a customized roadmap for improvement.
Odiorne believes business owners should understand the possible consequences of inaction before an incident occurs, including damage to their reputation, legal expenses, denied insurance claims and lawsuits. Rather than offering the same package of products and services to every client, iFlock evaluates each organization individually. The team then develops a plan based on the company’s specific needs, budget and potential risks.
The strongest protection for a business can still begin with an employee who notices something doesn’t look or feel right and speaks up. With iFlock helping guard that digital doorway, business owners can close up at the end of the day knowing someone is also watching the entrance that never sleeps.
iFlock Security Consulting is located at 109 Sunset Court in Wakarusa. For more information or a complimentary security assessment, call 1-833-442-9677, email info@iflockconsulting.com, or visit iflockconsulting.com.
