Cybersecurity for Small Business
Cybersecurity: Small Business, Big Threat
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Cybersecurity for Small Business
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Cybersecurity for Small Business
Cybersecurity for Small Business
Learning with Expert: Bernie Klinder.
We are your Cyber Security and Data Protection Specialists.
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Do small businesses need cybersecurity?
Your IT and Tech Mates Tips: Every business needs a cybersecurity strategy to protect its own business, its customers, and its data from growing cybersecurity threats.
What are the most important things that a small business owner needs to know about cybersecurity?
The biggest cybersecurity problem that I see with small businesses is that they often think they are “too small” to be a target, or that their business is too boring and no one would be interested in their data.
Every small business owner wants to put as much money as possible into either growing the business or increasing retained earnings. They see every other expense as a cost, and pay little attention to risk avoidance. With the hundreds of other things that demand their time and attention every day, cybersecurity is at the bottom of the list. In their minds, cybersecurity means changing passwords and running an antivirus program.
The reality is that modern threats have evolved and simple vandalism is no longer the motive for cyber-criminals. Almost all of the attacks today are financially motivated: Ransomware, phishing attacks, data theft, compromising financial records, social engineering, etc. Without doing anything destructive, a hacker can go undetected for months, gathering data, elevating access, getting to know the routines of a business. Simply shadowing email will reveal the organization’s reporting structure, common communication channels, company roles, links to documents, etc. They can make a quick assessment of the financial capabilities of the company and decide whether to siphon off money quickly with a combination of social engineering and ransomware, or go for a longer timeline and siphon money and data more slowly.
Common attacks include:
- Stealing customers financial data.
- Emailing customers and telling them the accounts payable bank account has changed.
- Redirecting employees payroll to a offshore accounts or burner cash cards.
- Using company email to social engineer and compromise systems and employee accounts at customers, suppliers, and vendors.
Nothing will destroy your business faster than having a security problem that steals capital as well as impacts your customers security. If the attackers suspect that you are on to them, they’ll move on to more destructive attacks like ransomware and hold your data hostage until you pay up. If you’ve been an easy target, they’ll give you a few months to recover and come at you again and again until they have bled you dry and you’re out of business.
It’s much easier to prevent these types of attacks than to try and recover and secure your environment after you’ve been breached. A proper suite of cybersecurity tools are as essential as locks on doors and physical alarm systems: it’s the cost of doing business today.
Hope this was helpful.
Cybersecurity for Small Business
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Reference: Bernie Klinder ( Experienced Business IT Consultant ). “What are the most important things that a small business owner needs to know about cybersecurity?” originally appeared on Quora, the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
