Everything’s online now — even finance. During the pandemic, businesses around the world had to switch to a digital-first model, and that’s especially true of the financial services industry. With that shift came the question: how to scale up services while ensuring the highest levels of cybersecurity?
Our PR pros have been working in cybersecurity and financial services for years and have been navigating the collision of these two industries in real-time. We wanted to know what that’s like and what it means for the future of cybersecurity and fintech, so we sat down with two of our PR experts, Amanda Meglio-Doughterty and Jenna Shikoff, to get the full story.
1. What drew you to work with RH Strategic’s cybersecurity and financial services clients?
Amanda Meglio-Doughterty: Financial services is an envolving industry, and the news cycle changes daily. There’s never a dull moment! From the investment community to earnings to the evolution of fintech disrupting banking and payments, we get to tell the most exciting, innovative stories in this space. I love being able to strategically position clients and their executive teams as known thought leaders in this industry.
Jenna Shikoff: Cybersecurity is in a similar position, evolving at breakneck speed. Every week, it seems a new cyber story takes over headlines globally. One of the best parts of working at RH Strategic is being able to partner with the innovators helping keep the world more secure in the face of increasing cyberthreats.
2. How has the landscape changed in financial services and cybersecurity in the wake of the pandemic?
AMD: Banks and financial institutions have had no choice but to adapt to this digital-first model, and the pandemic has further accelerated pre-existing innovation trends. The fintech market has continued to expand access to financial services and quickly implement emerging technologies to cater to the expectations and needs of their customers. This has also heightened the need for businesses to educate the market on their available solutions.
JS: From Colonial Pipeline to JBS, there seems to be a new data breach monthly — if not more frequently than that. With the threat landscape evolving, anyone and everyone could be the next target. That’s why solution providers and managed security service providers (MSSPs) alike are working to quickly innovate and implement emerging technologies to get ahead of threats in this challenging and hostile time in cybersecurity.
3. With emerging technologies on the rise, where do financial services and cybersecurity communications intersect and how do you navigate that intersection?
AMD: Quickly implementing new solutions is always challenging, and never more so in highly regulated industries like financial services. The digitization of key financial processes is quickly accelerating cybersecurity needs at large financial institutions. Many chief information security officers and cybersecurity teams are now charged with finding solutions to secure data and financial transactions while remaining compliant with industry standards and regulations. As PR pros, our team of experts has helped create a powerful narrative that intertwines these sectors.
JS: At RH, we are tasked with elevating our clients’ platforms across various sectors, including IT security, financial services, unified communications, government, healthcare and more. It is our mission to reassure the public and private sectors that innovative, secure solutions can be integrated into their organizations’ cyber infrastructure and improve their cybersecurity posture.
4. Thinking ahead to the rest of 2021, what will be the biggest communications challenge that financial services and cybersecurity will face?
AMD: Staying ahead of the competition and educating the industry about how they are rapidly delivering innovative and secure fintech solutions to keep up with the demands of customers. Consumers need to know that these game-changing solutions can be seamlessly integrated into a business’s infrastructure while at the same remaining compliant and providing an optimal user experience.
JS: The need for cybersecurity solutions has accelerated far faster than anyone predicted
It is more important now than ever for companies to make themselves stand out from their competition and remain ahead of the curve.
***
RH Strategic is a Seattle and D.C.-based PR agency with a nationwide presence and additional global reach via membership in the Worldcom Public Relations Group. We provide strategic public relations for innovators in the technology, government and healthcare markets.
