Risk managers should keep an eye on cyberattacks

In the post-recession economy, risk management has become a paramount concern among lenders, investors and financial service firms. While some companies have even begun creating C-level positions for the field, the general trend is in building a greater risk management culture. However, as stringent an organization's risk management policies may be, there are always random or unforeseeable factors that may expose an organization to excessive losses or risky investments. One of the most obvious of such factors would be a cyberattack. The thing about cybercrime is that it's often a less visible concern, apparent only suddenly or after the fact. "If you do not have [faith in government and financial institutions' security policies], and have noticed the increasing level of news about successful hacks of government agencies and important websites, then you might consider thinking through how you might prepare for the worst," writes Richard Shaw for Seeking Alpha. To protect your organization from cyberattacks, utilize anti-virus software, data protection programs and ID verification services to secure your information and preempt breaches.