It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month! So, let’s raise some awareness. The unfortunate truth is no one is too small to be targeted by cybercriminals. Cyber threats pose a big challenge, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. In fact, Accenture’s most recent study reveals that nearly 43% of cyber-attacks are on small businesses. On average, small businesses can expect to lose between $826 and $653,587 to recover from a data breach. Besides direct financial losses, a breach can lead to lost customers, damaged reputation, and decreased sales. If that’s not chump change to you and your business, you want to consider these three common mistakes your small business could be making as we speak:
1. No Employee Cybersecurity Training.
95% of cybersecurity breaches are attributed to human error. Just think…when is the last time you provided any kind of cyber security training for your employees? If it has been longer than a year, you need to run-don’t walk-to your nearest tech professional and ask for some training help. It helps to prevent breaches through regular awareness of phishing, unsafe downloads, poor password practices, and clicking on suspicious links. Training also enables employees to know what action to take when they do come across a security threat. Remember: cyber attacks are not just targeted at the boss. The entire team is both a risk and a defense – so make sure they are properly equipped.
2. Not Keeping Software Up-To-Date.
Think of this in terms of your laptops, servers, applications, bookkeeping tools…even your website. Are you regularly doing software updates? It’s more important than you might imagine! Updates frequently include security patches that fix vulnerabilities in software, which hackers actively search for to compromise systems. Updates are necessary to fix bugs, improve functionality, and boost software performance which strengthens your system stability. Keeping software up to date minimizes the potential entry points for malicious attackers.
3. Not Using Any Security Software.
We cannot stress this enough: if you are a business, security software is a necessary business expense. We know, not fun…but go ahead and count it as an essential part of your operation. Small businesses typically don’t have extensive internal security compared to large companies. But even if you are a small boutique, a local bakery, or a hometown dentist, it is VITAL to adopt extra security software like antivirus. Adding security software can help shield you against viruses, spyware, ransomware, and hacking attempts, plus it is used to safeguard sensitive data. You want to maintain confidentiality, privacy, and your customers’ information, right?
The biggest mistake of all is believing that it cannot happen to you. Many small businesses assume they are too small to even attract cybercriminals, and that is simply not true. In fact, cybercriminals often see small businesses as easy prey due to their potentially limited resources and lack of cyber defense in place. It just makes sense to attack the “low hanging fruit”. Understanding that small businesses can be targets is the first step in protecting yourself.
Being aware of your own vulnerabilities is the first step. The next part is easy – bring in a professional! Twin Oaks Technology offers top notch cyber-security solutions for businesses of all sizes. Contact our experienced team to set up a cyber-security risk assessment. We determine where your vulnerabilities lie, and what the best solution is to safeguard your operation. Get your cybersecurity in check with Twin Oaks Tech!
