Page 46 - BusinessWest June 23, 2021

Cyberattacks
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as well.
“We’ve all heard the stories ... peo-
ple think they’re backing up for a long period of time, only to find out that, when they need it, the backups are not working,” he said. “That’s why people are starting to realize that it’s really important to have these systems moni- tored in some fashion, and that there are multiple layers.”
As for whether to pay that ransom ... most consultants, and lawyers like Ost-
Westfield
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berg, certainly recommend against that practice, although that hasn’t stopped many of those who have been attacked from paying out millions in Bitcoin.
“One of the things that’s just awful is seeing people pay the ransom,” Chris- tianson said, “because that’s not the answer. You’re just encouraging them to come back — and they will come back, not to mention the fact that
they give you the key and you get your data, but you have no idea what they dropped in there and left for a back door.
“Honestly, in some cases, the only
way to know is to reformat it, reinstall it all, scan the heck out of the data, and bring it back from the ground up,” he went on. “Or, manage a good disaster- recovery backup plan.”
Which brings him all the way back to that onion he referenced at the top. It should have many, many layers, he said, with more added as they become available and necessary, because what worked and what was enough a few years ago probably isn’t enough now, and certainly won’t be enough a few years and maybe even a few months from now.
That’s how quickly and profoundly the scene is changing when it comes to cybersecurity and protecting a busi- ness, nonprofit, school system, govern- ment agency, or household from those who would do it harm.
Managing the problem is all-impor- tant, said those who spoke with, but what’s most important is managing it before the worst happens — because doing so can often prevent the worst from happening. u
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
Oulette is no stranger to Westfield. He worked with the Boy
Scouts of America Western Massachusetts Council for five years and was president of the Rotary Club of Westfield in 2019 and 2020. He accepted a director of Development position for the Boy Scouts in 2020 that had him spending several days a week in New Hampshire. When the pandemic kept him at home, he wanted to stay in Western Mass. and accepted the chamber position in April.
Oulette is the first to admit he had to “fill some big shoes” following Kate Phelon, who retired in Septem- ber after 12 years leading the chamber. He appreci- ates how welcoming everyone has been as he transi- tions into the new post.
“It’s just like starting any new job where informa- tion is coming at you like you’re drinking from a fire- hose,” he said with a laugh.
Back to Business
Flaherty, like Oulette, is optimistic about the city’s prospects for continued residential and commercial growth, noting that it has a number of strong selling
“We’re looking at four potential pilot areas that would be installed over the next year while the city goes through the process for the community to become a municipal light plant, or MLP,” he explained, add-
ing that expansion into the neighboring city could even- tually bring another 13,000 subscribers to the service.
TOM FLAHERTY
chamber,
points, including location, strong schools and neigh- borhoods, and, as mentioned earlier, lower-cost ener- gy and an expanding fiber-optic network.
And this expansion may soon take Whip City Fiber well beyond the city’s borders, he said, adding that the utility is in discussions with West Springfield about a pilot program to bring high-speed internet service to areas of that city as it advances plans to build a town-owned internet utility in partnership with Westfield G&E.
“There’s a good level of trust concerning our prod- uct and our capabilities — we have all the infrastruc- ture, we have the billing system, we have the custom- er in place, we have the utility capabilities, the bucket trucks, and the line personnel,” he noted, adding that the company is well-positioned for continued growth.
As is Westfield itself. Oulette and Humason are grateful the city was not forced to confront big job losses or high numbers of business closings. Despite the pandemic, the mayor noted, Westfield kept mov- ing forward.
“While our schools faced issues of whether they were going to hold classes remotely or in-person, we still continued with education,” he said. “We were still able to serve our senior citizens even though
we couldn’t meet at the Council on Aging. We were also able to keep our infrastructure projects moving despite the pandemic.”
Humason added that, because Westfield has taken care of residents, schools, and seniors, he now looks forward to giving more attention to expanding busi- nesses in the city. “I’ve said this since the day I was sworn into office: Westfield is open for business.” u
think in new ways to communicate benefits and enroll employees in a new hybrid environment.
“You can make the argument that flexible work schedules and the ability to work autonomously without having a manager look over your shoulder are also benefits that go beyond traditional health, dental, and disability plans,” Miller said.
It’s a trend to keep an eye on — one of many employers need to consider as they determine which benefits will attract and retain employees in a chang- ing economy — while making sense for the compa- ny’s bottom line. u
Benefits
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employees defi- nitely perceive it
Meanwhile, there are pre-
liminary talks about taking the service to other com- munities as well, Flaherty said.
many different employers saying they can’t get good people.”
Local employers he’s speaking with are increas- ingly hiring workers from other states to meet their needs.
“My clients are looking for health plans that are more robust and have a national presence,” Miller said. “I’m hearing that from employers right here in Western Mass.”
For many, traditional benefits remain important, but they make up only a part of the employment experience. Leary said the move to remote work means employers and benefit consultants need to
as a benefit.
“If you asked me last February if working from
home would be feasible, I would have said ‘no way,’” he noted. “But it not only works, it works very well.”
Help Wanted
These days, employers need every benefit they can offer when recruiting new employees. Despite businesses itching to expand, Miller said, employ- ers face new challenges in doing so. “I’ve been doing this nearly 30 years, and I don’t ever remember so
Borawski
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manship — we want to advise as well,” he noted, adding that business owners who are experts at whatever business sector they have chosen are not neces- sarily — and not likely to be — experts on the many different insurance and employee-benefit products available today and which ones might be best for their company.
This desire to advise is another strong attribute that has served the company well during this time of con- solidation within the industry, said Rosa, adding that, with those mergers
and acquisitions, a personal brand of service is generally lost, creating oppor- tunity for those who can still provide it.
“From a new-business standpoint, many people have made up their mind that they want to go somewhere else,” he explained. “It doesn’t take much for a client to figure out that things won’t be the same as they used to be. They figure that out pretty quickly, and that’s when the phone starts to ring.”
Bottom Line
While there are certainly many direct comparisons between bank-
ing and insurance, there are some important differences as well, Malek explained.
“Insurance is an intangible,” he noted. “You can’t touch or feel it until you need it. And we try to get people to understand just that — that everything is great until something goes wrong. And when it goes wrong, you need to know that you’re going to be put back to where you were prior to that.
“One of the things that we pride ourselves on is that we’re able to give people that sense of comfort to under- stand that their business is going to
run just as if nothing happened,” he went on, adding that not all agencies can successfully provide this level of comfort.
Those that can think independently — in every sense of that phrase — can do it better than others. And that’s what has allowed this company to thrive for almost a century now, and prompt it to look toward the future with no plans to change how it does business. u
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
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