As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, small businesses have been increasing their efforts to maintain a safe and healthy workplace to minimize the risk of Covid exposure. This is admirable and undeniably necessary. But there is another critical component of ensuring a safe workspace that many small businesses fail to employ: cybersecurity.
You’ve likely seen an occasional news story or headline discussing a major data breach at a Fortune 500 company or other large organization. But the truth is small businesses are much more frequently targeted by hackers and cybercriminals. In fact, over 60% of all small businesses have reported at least one cyberattack last year.
What is even more concerning is that over 80% of small businesses do not adequately prepare for a cyberattack. Businesses that are victimized can experience long periods of downtime, a loss of data, severe network issues, and a damaged reputation. Some are never able to fully recover and actually go out of business.
How Do You Prepare for a Cyberattack?
Consider the following questions. Your answers will determine if you are a likely target and if you could benefit from managed IT security services.
- Are your employees trained to recognize phishing emails?
- Do your employees know the difference between a secured and unsecured website?
- Do you use MFA (multi-factor authentication) within the organization to sign into private accounts or databases?
- Do you consistently reassess your tech and update it to ensure up-to-date cybersecurity?
- Have you established BYOD procedures for your company?
If you’ve answered “no” to any of these questions, then chances are you are badly in need of a cybersecurity assessment. Many companies choose to partner with a managed IT security services provider that offers cybersecurity for small businesses. If you still aren’t convinced, consider the following reasons why IT security services should be a primary consideration for any small business today.
What Makes You a Target for Cybercriminals and Hackers?
So, how important is employee training when it comes to cybersecurity for small businesses? Well, most company data breaches occur simply because of employee error. Over 90% of all data breaches start with phishing emails. This leads to an employee unknowingly providing a hacker with private usernames and passwords or access to the network. It can also result in the download of malware, which can wreak havoc on the company network.
Essentially, cybercriminals rely on a lack of employee training to infiltrate their targets.
MFA is also a large deterrent to hackers, and a great way to prepare for a cyberattack. But if you aren’t using it, it makes it much easier for a hacker to infiltrate a network, database, or private account.
Outdated tech and software are also easily compromised. Hackers take advantage of security flaws in older tech hardware and software that haven’t been updated with security patches. This is just one way cybercriminals can infect businesses with such things as ransomware.
And while it is common for many employees to bring their own devices to work, if they aren’t practicing proper cybersecurity, it’s a big risk for your business. Without a strong BYOD policy in place, an infected device could be used to infiltrate the company network.
Partnering with a managed IT security services provider today can get you on track to improve your cybersecurity. Contact us today to receive a free consultation and learn more about the cybersecurity services your business needs.
