Over the past 2 years, many companies have been forced to transition to remote working or, at least, incorporate some form of it into their daily routine. We’ve seen an alarming increase in cyberattacks against small businesses in relation to this transition. While attacking small companies isn’t a brand-new occurrence, it seems like they are becoming more and more common. But why do hackers choose small businesses specifically?
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What makes small businesses vulnerable to cyber-attacks?
If the rewards were not worth it, we wouldn’t see such an uptick in cases of cyberattacks against small businesses. Here are some of the qualities and vulnerabilities that make small businesses a perfect target for hackers.
Data
One of the primary reasons small businesses are so often targeted through cyber threats is their customer databases. Depending on what sort of small business we are talking about, they can hold the data regarding the client’s medical records, their financial information, personal information, and much more. This sort of data is extremely valuable on the dark web and can make many profits for the attackers. This is one of the primary reasons hackers often choose to attack small businesses.
Weak IT Support
Hackers know that running a small business means individual people wearing many different hats. When the business is just getting off the ground or is focused on a smaller market, it makes sense that multitasking is a part of the deal. But when it comes to cyber defenses, it’s hard to do a good job while balancing multiple other things. Cyber threats are extremely complicated, and defending against them requires a dedicated person or a team that will ensure that your IT systems aren’t vulnerable. There are very few small businesses that can afford that, which is why hackers tend to target them so frequently.
No employee training on cyber security
You might think that most cyberattacks on small businesses occur because of some elaborate operations. But the reality is that hackers, even the subpar ones, usually bank on one of the employees at the company making a human error. And the likelihood of this human error is multiplied by hundreds when the employees aren’t too well-versed in the topic of cyber security and when the companies don’t give them specific training, informing them about the most common cyber threats and how to avoid them. The majority of regular employees don’t know what phishing scams are or what a VPN is. Just like with the weak IT support, not too many small businesses can afford to offer such training to their employees, which eventually leads to increased vulnerability when it comes to cyber security.
The impact of remote working
Employers are more or less able to control the employee’s activity and the defense system used on their devices when they are working from the office. It is much harder to control when everyone is working from home, using their own devices. It’s impossible to check who has a properly functioning antivirus or uses a VPN. This is why we’ve seen such an increase in cyber attacks for small businesses.
How to protect your small business from cyber threats?
There are many routes you can take as a small business owner or an employee to increase your company’s overall level of cybersecurity. But using a couple of them together will give you the best results. This is because, when it comes to cyber security, no single defense system can account for all possible threats that may harm your company. Using various effective defense practices greatly increases your chances of staying safe even if there is an attempted attack on your small business.
Make sure all your employees use a VPN when browsing the web
We greatly overestimate our level of security when going on the internet without any protection in place. Unless our internet connection is encrypted, all the data we exchange online, as well as our IP address and other personal details, are exposed and could be used against us by hackers. VPNs encrypt your connection concealing your details, making it safer for employees to browse the web.
Update important software regularly
Don’t overlook the importance of updating all your software regularly. Updates can often be overlooked, but they are crucial for improved cybersecurity. Each update equips the user with a more robust protection system, and why would you want to miss out on that?
Yes, getting the notifications to update the software and then waiting for the updates to install can be annoying, but this is a much safer practice than neglecting the updates.
Train your employees
If you can afford to conduct a quality training session about cyber security within your company, then great! It will probably be the best investment you make for your company’s safety. But we realize that not every small business can afford huge training sessions for their employees, so feel free to get creative with it. You can source the training from the inside if you have a dedicated IT employee or a team. Use their knowledge to inform others about the best cyber security practices. You can also create a universal cyber safety guide and distribute it to your employees. Just ensure that none of your employees are clueless about the cyber threats.
