Importance of a Cybersecurity Plan for Cooperatives

Date: Thursday, May 4, 2023
Time: 02:00 PM ET / 01:00 PM CT / 12:00 PM MT / 11:00 AM PT [Prevailing Time]
Presenters: Ken Monroe, IT Director, Heard, McElroy & Vestal, LLC, Todd McElmurry, IT Department, Heard, McElroy & Vestal, LLC
Moderator: Wayne Sine, CPA, MBA, Director of Education, National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives
Learning Objectives:
- Education on Cyber Threats and how to recognize them
- Importance of planning for a threat and being proactive in prep and response
- Ways to help stay secure and support services for when an event occurs
Field of Study: Information Technology
Program Level: Basic
CPE Credit: 1.5 Credit Hour
Delivery Method: Group Internet-based
Prerequisite(s): No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.
  Order Recording

Course Description

This session will discuss cybersecurity threats; explore how they directly affect Cooperatives through discussions of their intent and examples of past attacks to re-iterate the attackers intent.   We will discuss the importance of not only educating staff and customers, but having a plan in place in the event of an attack.  We will dive into the importance of Cyber Security Insurance and what it actually is, and how it is designed to help in the event of a breach or attack; both financially as well as from a forensic analysis and response.

Presenter and Moderator Bios

Presenter: Ken Monroe, IT Director, Heard, McElroy & Vestal, LLC

Ken Monroe is currently the IT Director for Heard, McElroy & Vestal, LLC (HMV), a public accounting firm comprised of over one hundred and fifty (150) employees servicing clients throughout the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Mississippi, and Tennessee from offices in Shreveport and Monroe, Louisiana and Longview, Texas for more than 77 years.  As a proud graduate of Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration specializing in Management Information System, he was inspired to pursue a career in the Information Technology field.  Prior to joining HMV, Ken was the IT Director for the Ouachita Parish School System for 13 years. He has spent the last 10 years focusing much of his efforts in preparing policies and procedures, educational programs, and systems upgrades to address the ever-present issue of Cyber security.  Since joining HMV, Ken has spent significant time working with their Cyber Insurance Co. and making sure all requirements have a plan of implementation.

Ken has been married for 30 years to his lovely wife Dandy with whom he shares one son and daughter-in-law.  In his free time, he is active in his church, traveling, hunting, and fishing.

Presenter: Todd McElmurry, IT Department, Heard, McElroy & Vestal, LLC

Todd McElmurry graduated from Texas State Technical College in 1998 with a degree in Computer Networking.  He spent the first several years of his career life working with Smith County and Gregg Country Appraisal Districts within their IT and GIS Mapping departments.  In 2003 he started as Network Administrator with Curtis Blakely & Co., PC in Longview, Texas where he has been for the last 20 years.   In January 2023 Curtis Blakely & Co., PC was acquired by Heard, McElroy & Vestal, LLC out of Shreveport, Louisiana.  Todd transitioned into their IT group where he currently serves today.

His experience as a Network Administrator has encouraged him to have a passion for security and looking for ways to help clients become more knowledgeable about technology and Cyber Security through training and speaking at statewide conferences.

He is married to his wife Lisa of 24 years and have 3 boys together.  He enjoys camping, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing.  He is very active in his church and community.

Moderator: Wayne Sine, CPA, MBA, Director of Education, National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives

Wayne Sine is an experienced and highly knowledgeable professional in the field of Tax. Wayne recently retired as Tax Director from his company, Southern States Cooperative. He has extensive experience working with agricultural cooperatives and has been a long-time member of the NSAC. He is extremely active in the NSAC, serving as both past Chapter President of the Atlantic Chapter, and past Chair of the Tax Committee, and is currently serving as the NSAC Director of Education.. Wayne's career is marked by several accomplishments, and he has always been involved in many organizations, spreading his knowledge. Wayne is a member of the Legal, Tax, and Accounting (LTA) Committee for the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. He is also Past Chair of both the Tax Committee of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Manufacturers Association. Wayne also served on the Tax Policy Committee at the Virginia Society of CPAs and served as past Region Vice President for the Tax Executives Institute.

Cost
Free for NSAC Members / $56.00 for Non-Members

Delivery System

• All programs are delivered using the Zoom platform.
• Confirmations will include log-in instructions.
• Participants are able to participate using any device with an Internet connect (if the device does not have speakers, the participant can also dial-in) or they can participate with audio only by dialing in.
• All registrants will receive a link to the CLN’s recording by email within 48 business hours of event’s conclusion.
• There will be assistance available to help with technical and connectivity issues up to 10 minutes prior to the start of the presentation.

Registration

All registration is done on-line and each guest must provide their name and email address to participate. All NSAC members may register for free. Non-members may register for a nominal fee.

Refund Policy

NSAC will not issue refunds for CLNs. If a registrant is unable to participate in the CLN and provides notification to info@nsacoop.org 48 hours prior to the session, a credit will be provided for a future CLN. Alert the NSAC staff member monitoring the CLN if technical difficulties are encountered and technical support will be provided to eliminate problems with future CLNs.

Additional Information

Live participation is required for CPE credit and polling questions must be answered to document your active participation. All registrants will receive an email following the session with links to the slides and/or handouts, and a link to the CLN recording (unless otherwise stated). If you are unable to participate in the live session, you can still watch the recorded session, but you will not be eligible for CPE credits. Those eligible for credits will receive their certificate by email with 7 business days.

For more information regarding NSAC CLNs or administrative policies such as complaint and refund, contact the NSAC Headquarters, 7946 Clyo Road, Suite A, Centerville, OH 45459, 937-222-6707, or info@nsacoop.org.