infoarmor.com
InfoArmor Founder and CEO, Andrew “Drew” Smith
By Yvonne Stevens
On February 24, 2016, ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law students in the Privacy, Big Data and Emerging Technologies class, co-led by Professors Gary Marchant and K Royal, were fortunate to have the opportunity to listen to and engage with InfoArmor Founder and CEO, Drew Smith. Specifically, Smith discussed the products, issues and challenges faced in the context of running a successful identity protection and advanced threat intelligence business for private & public companies and government agencies.
Scottsdale-based InfoArmor’s services and products have grown over the years and are arguably no longer an option for entities seeking to protect their information, rather, from a legal perspective, they are a must in terms of customer accountability (read: liability). When information breaches occur, investigations will look at company data security practices and determine whether an entity took sufficient steps to protect its data from being compromised. Smith pointed out that traditional “privacy” no longer exists — it is now about proper management of information that is disseminated.
The course of attacks on information is also changing, moving from a single “in / out” strike to where today’s bad actor (or hacker) bides his or her time to gather information for long periods, unbeknownst to the target. Once enough information is gathered, the bad actor is “in” and has enough ammunition to carry out a large-scale attack.
With the progression of the Internet of Things, there is so much data available about each individual that is out of his or her control, a virtual bodyguard of sorts is required to effectively take control and protect surreptitious use of data that is acquirable by bad and questionable actors. In conversation, Smith also noted that we are all human and, as such, security breaches often occur inadvertently because employees did not follow or were not aware of company policies prohibiting activities that may compromise security.
InfoArmor itself has to ensure that it follows best practices with regard to data it obtains in the course of protecting its clients’ information that may belong to another entity. As well, InfoArmor is in a vulnerable position when it comes to its power to defeat cyber-security threats that are in the planning or about to be executed stages. Bad actors are obviously unhappy if their plans are foiled.
Staying ahead of the game requires a solid team of knowledgeable people who are up to date with and understand the technology and methods of infiltration that are constantly evolving in this area. Law students, in particular, are in a great position to take advantage of this industry sector. One of the things that often draws people to the practice of law is its variable nature. New challenges await almost every day. Law and technology are excellent partners, the latter applicable to just about every law practice area, whether traditional or contemporary including IP, corporate, criminal, cyber, employment and regulatory practice. Through the course offerings of the Center for Law, Science & Innovation (LSI), SDOC law students have a unique opportunity to gain and hone the knowledge and skills necessary for a successful 21st Century-based legal practice. For more information on LSI-related course offerings, contact LSI Director Lauren Burkhart at 480.965.2465.