By: Gregory Weiner, Member, PK Law Corporate and Real Estate Group
Speaking from the company’s corporate headquarters in Columbia, CEO and President Larry Letow explained why every organization – in every industry sector – should be aware of the daily threats from information breaches that could potentially cause significant negative ramifications including financial, personal and reputation loss. No business or government agency is immune, the threats are rapidly growing and, in many cases, companies need to look no further than their own employees as the culprits of intellectual property theft. Founded in 2002, Convergence Technology Consulting has more than forty employees working for customers throughout the country.
Q. Please provide a quick description of the company.
A. Convergence Technology Consulting has been managing, moving, and securing data for private and public sector customers for 15 profitable years. We have earned the trust and business of every branch of the United States Armed Forces, members of the Intelligence Community, civilian agencies, the White House, the nation’s largest defense contractors and leading companies in major industries including healthcare and financial services. We provide expertise around critical infrastructure, networking, and cyber security – making an organization’s information simultaneously secure and accessible — anywhere in the world and on any device.Companies engage us because our ability to design, implement, and support them through the whole process, if that is required.
Q. Why is this industry growing so quickly?
A.For starters, the cybersecurity industry is not that old as, five years ago, companies were not worried about information breaches like they are today. We actually believe this industry is in its infancy state. Attacks are coming from all sides and threats increase on a daily basis. Every company needs to safeguard themselves from this situation, especially from employees. They know where the information is, have unique access to it and you trust them. Firewalls are useless in this scenario, as the theft is coming from within.
Q. What industry sectors comprise the bulk of your customers?
A. Federal, state and local government agencies, of course, but we work with companies involved in finance, manufacturing, entertainment, retail, defense contracting and associations. You name the industry and we can list many successes. Everyone has the same concerns.
Q. Why should more companies pay closer attention to this situation?
A. Companies need to understand that, whether they realize it or not, employees are stealing data every day. Sometimes this is accidental and others it is malicious. The cost of this theft is ten times what companies perceive it to be, with the damage to reputation and credibility incalculable.
Q. What challenges does the company face on a daily basis?
A. Our cyber product can be considered “Big Brother,” so we still fight the stigmatism associated with this fact, even though most everyone agrees about our value and the importance of protecting a company’s IP and an employee’s PII data. And, great employees mean everything to us, so we work hard to recruit and retain them. Our interview process is intense, whether the job involves sales, technical or operational. We try to hire the best, like every company does, because not doing so is wasteful and expensive.
Greg Weiner is a Member in PK Law and Co-Chairs the firm’s Corporate and Real Estate Group. He represents emerging and established businesses in a wide range of industries including technology, health care (including urgent care, home healthcare, assisting living and nursing homes), restaurants, breweries, education, construction and professional services (including physician practice groups, accountants, attorneys, software and IT companies and design firms). He assists them with general business matters, as well as employment contracts, wage and hour and overtime issues, independent contractor versus employee classification, real estate needs and financing. Greg has represented Convergence since 2007, assisting with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, contracts, employment matters and general business matters.
Pessin Katz Law, P.A. (PK Law) is the eleventh largest law firm in the Baltimore area and has been serving clients for close to thirty years. PK Law maintains full-service offices in Towson, Columbia, and Bel Air and is comprised of more than 60 lawyers, paralegals and law clerks. Practice areas include corporate law, real estate, zoning, education law, estate planning, elder law, labor and employment, litigation, insurance law and medical malpractice defense. For additional information, visit www.PKLaw.com Contact Greg Weiner at gweiner@pklaw.com
