Shore Up Your Business’s Cybersecurity

Computer security sign Think your small business is protected against data breaches? Think again. Computer security experts say that small businesses are prime candidates for computer security breaches because they lack adequate protections to defend against today’s cybersecurity threats. And the results of such a breach can mean catastrophic data loss.

Nearly half of all small businesses have suffered a cyberattack, reports the National Small Business Association. And according to the National Cyber Security Alliance, 20% of small businesses are victimized by cybercrime each year.

A cyberattack (or even an insider data breach) can ruin a business. An Experian survey reports that 60% of small businesses that have experienced a cyberattack fail six months later.

Why are small businesses targets for cyberattacks — and what can you do to make your business less vulnerable?

Cybersecurity weak spots

Small businesses attract hackers for several reasons: They often have unenforced or nonexistent password policies and weak online passwords. Small organizations may also be exposed through their use of unencrypted cloud services. Finally, small businesses lack the highly comprehensive IT security resources that larger companies have, such as network monitoring and penetration testing.

For their part, many small businesses are overly complacent about cybersecurity and don’t consider cyberattacks a major threat to their organization.

What cybersecurity strategies should small businesses use to protect their data, networks, and websites? Security experts recommend these practices:

Use strong passwords and change them regularly.
Don’t open or click unsolicited email attachments or links.
Be cautious online, providing only necessary information and visiting only trusted sites.
Have an experienced, reputable IT security provider test your network and website for security vulnerabilities.

The security statistics are sobering, but they can also provide a much-needed wakeup call to small businesses to take seriously the threat of cyberattacks, educate themselves about common threats, and then take action to make their business less vulnerable to hackers. When you’re ready to take the next step to protect your business against cyberattacks and other IT security threats, Affinity Security Solutions can help.

Stay tuned for more in-depth small-business security tips in an upcoming blog post.

[cta] Want to learn more about improving your business’s cybersecurity? Contact Affinity Network Solutions by email or call us at (888) 682-8999.[/cta]