Event professionals are largely unaware of how unsecure their data potentially is, according to the CEO of event technology supplier Eventscase.
Jose Bort’s company has released a White Paper on data security, available for download, which aims to highlight the risk event professionals face from being hacked.
CN was invited to a live workshop, 7 June, to see first-hand how easy it is for a hacker to access a device over a public Wi-Fi network.
A hacker is able to access a device in less than a minute, and once inside can wreak havoc with data, applications, and files. Users are urged to ensure when they are using a website, that they check the certification, by clicking on the padlock symbol to the left of the web address in the search bar.
Are event professionals underestimating the threat of hacking? Bort believes they are. He told CN: “Event professionals, as well as everyone, maybe do not realise the risk. A lot of us are unaware of how unsecure we are online. It’s not to scare anyone, and this threat is certainly nothing new.”
What will event professionals learn from the White Paper? Bort adds: “People will learn some basic things, which affect not only us, but our delegates and our events. Included is a checklist, which event professionals should absorb and talk through with their suppliers to assess their current risk.”
Since GDPR legislation came into force in 2018, the need to secure data has never been more urgent. Companies can face fines of up to £20m in the result of a data breach. “The organiser [data owner] is ultimately responsible,” Bort adds. “But the duty is shared between them, the venue, and the event technology supplier. Everyone must be clear on their role.”
