LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading cyber experts agreed on one key takeaway at the CES® CyberSecurity Forum today in Las Vegas: the need for urgent action in the cybersecurity arena following a tumultuous year that included the largest publicly-disclosed data breach of all time and a rise in attacks enabled by the Internet of Things (IoT). The day-long forum, presented by cybersecurity and workforce development company CyberVista, addressed the most critical threats presented by the growing number of connected devices coming to market.

"The technology innovation on display this week at CES has the potential to change the way our world works," said Amjed Saffarini, chief executive officer of CyberVista. "No sooner than these technologies come to market, however, hackers are planning their attacks. The tech industry cannot afford to let cybercriminals stand in the way of innovation and consumer adoption."

During a discussion of this year's biggest threats and how to address them, former Yahoo! Tech editor-in-chief Dan Tynan and Dell Data Security Vice President Brett Hansen agreed on the need to strike a balance that allows security to empower the workforce while protecting company security. "Every company not only has to have a cybersecurity plan but it must be communicated to everyone, including the CEO," said Hansen. "The modern CISO needs to be the evangelist that helps business leaders say 'yes' to solving security challenges, while meeting business needs."

Security experts noted that the latest threats are specifically targeting IoT, from connected cars to light bulbs and industrial systems, and that the only way to successfully navigate a connected world is by designing security at the foundation rather than as an afterthought. Dr. Zulfikar Ramzan, RSA Chief Technology Officer, said, "The fundamental objective here is a safe society, one using people, processes and products to reduce our risk. Risk always existed, but now people better understand the impact, which is why having these conversations is so important."

Saffarini added, "It was clear from today's discussion that cybersecurity education is critical for all businesses, including manufacturers of consumer technology products. Cybercrimes cost CEOs their jobs, consumers their identities, governments their secrets and companies their customers. Cybersecurity is everybody's business."

For more on today's forum at CES 2017, visit www.CEScybersecurity.com.

About CyberVista
CyberVista is a cybersecurity training and workforce development company whose mission is to create a cyber-ready workforce through personalized training programs that provide organizations with the people, knowledge and skills required to defend their most critical assets. With parent Graham Holdings Company and sister company Kaplan, Inc.'s innovative education technologies and personalized approach to learning, CyberVista offers a new vision for board, executive, and workforce cybersecurity education. For more information, visit www.cybervista.net.

SOURCE CyberVista