When was the last time you changed your computer passwords? Are your website’s plug-ins updated? Who in your company has access to your company’s email server? These questions, and more, were addressed during a seminar hosted by the Illinois Limousine & Bus Association (ILLBA). During the first Coffee With ILLBA of the new year on January 12, members and guests learned the Importance of Virtual Security in a session by Charles Kaelin, president of Summit 7 Agency.
Coffee With ILLBA
New ILLBA President Arthur Rento of Ponterelli Companies started the meeting by welcoming attendees and pledging to continue the popular monthly Zoom conferences.
“We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from these meetings,” says Rento. “We’re going to try to continue to bring topics of interest to operators.”
After introducing the 2021 ILLBA Board, Rento wasted no time in getting things started, and welcomed Kaelin, a digital expert who has provided digital services for more than 200 companies in the ground transportation space. With so many companies relying on their networks and websites to do everything from book work and communicate with customers (hello, Zoom), online security is paramount. Many operators have been burdened with ransomware and less-than-trustworthy providers. Kaelin covered the nuts and bolts of website, server, and email security, from basics like changing your passwords frequently to more advanced concepts like ICANN and website registration.
Kaelin fielded questions from the attendees and served as unofficial moderator as operators shared best practices—and horror stories—about online security issues. One hot-button topic dealt with legitimate-looking links sent through spam. Kaelin advised everyone to avoid clicking any unsolicited links, and suggested running an immediate system scan if you or an employee has clicked something suspicious.
After the session, Executive Director/Secretary/Treasurer Paula DeBiasi of Chicago Coachworks updated attendees on the latest Chicago area happenings. The association recently held talks with O’Hare representatives to add a motorcoach staging lots. In the meantime, operators were advised to continue following guidelines for pickups, etc. In other news, Illinois recently distributed $275M in Business Interruption Grants to businesses affected by the pandemic. DeBiasi said that this was the largest state program of its kind, and several operators received funds.
The next Coffee With ILLBA seminar is scheduled for February 15.
Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.
[01.18.21]