Are you and your company prepared for a cyberattack? Knowing about these assaults and what you can do to prepare for them is a critical first step in defending your company.
What you’ll discover:
Is a small company cybersecurity strategy required?
What are some instances of small business cyberattacks?
What are the best cybersecurity options for small businesses?
What exactly is security awareness training?
As a small company owner, you may not have given much consideration to cyberattacks. In fact, 54% of small companies feel they are too tiny to be targeted by cybercriminals. But, you may be startled to find that 43% of cyberattacks in 2019 targeted small firms, with 60% of those attacked expected to go out of business within six months.
Small companies must plan ahead of time for a cyberattack. The easiest method to cope with this sort of crisis is to plan ahead of time and put aside finances to deal with an assault. The first step in protecting your small company against cyberattacks is to learn about these assaults and what you can do to prepare for them.
Table of Contents
Is a small company cybersecurity strategy required?
A cybersecurity strategy specifies how your small firm will manage security measures. It includes anything from managing employee access to installing firewalls to prevent unauthorized access to your network.
Every small company should have a cybersecurity strategy in place. It is critical to safeguard customer data, which includes credit card information, phone numbers, names, and addresses. Customers want you to secure their data, and in most cases, the law mandates it.
A small company security strategy will often cover the following issues:
Employee education
Restriction of access
Creating passwords and other login procedures
Wi-Fi connection security
Backup of data
Putting up firewalls
Anti-virus, anti-malware, and encryption software
Plans for mobile device access
Making a strategy is one of the greatest strategies to prevent a cyberattack from occurring. You should, however, assess what will happen if an assault happens. If you act quickly after discovering that your data has been hacked, you might save thousands of dollars and hours of effort.
An incident response strategy should address issues such as:
Who an employee should call if they discover an assault or a data breach.
Details about where to find data backups and how to access them.
When to notify law enforcement or the general public about a data breach.
Take care of these concerns before you need them. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provides a useful planning tool that you may use to develop a cybersecurity strategy that is tailored to your company’s needs. It may also be good to consult with an attorney about the legal ramifications of a data breach and how you should treat it as part of your strategy.
What are some instances of small business cyberattacks?
Cyberattacks on organizations may take many forms. These include anything from ransomware to basic staff infiltration.
Phishing. Phishing is a hoax that induces small company workers to do certain activities. For example, a hacker may get access to private systems or information by simply clicking on a link in an email or downloading an attachment.
Insider threats. An insider is defined as an employee or other closely related person who gains access to the system and shares knowledge, often selling it online.
Malware. This form of malicious software has the ability to disrupt your systems and network. It may also get access to your network in order to gather data or just monitor your company activities.
Persistent Advanced Threats (APTs). This sort of assault just hacks into your operations and observes them in order to gain information.
Ransomware is also gaining popularity among criminals. This form of attack encrypts your data so that you cannot access it and then demands money to restore access. Of course, since you are dealing with criminals, paying the demanded amounts does not necessarily guarantee that your information will be returned.
What are the best cybersecurity options for small businesses?
Having a strategy in place is the best approach to cope with cyberattacks. Consider the data that your firm gathers and utilizes. Is access to the data restricted? Are there safeguards in place?
Working with your IT provider or a third-party vendor to conduct an audit is a smart approach to get started with this sort of investigation. As part of developing your cybersecurity strategy, the audit will assist you in identifying and addressing gaps.
In addition to security software and training, having a Non-Disclosure Agreement with your employees that handles client data and proprietary information is a smart idea.
What exactly is security awareness training?
Cybersecurity awareness training is a means of educating yourself and your staff on the significance of cybersecurity in your business as a small business owner. It enables you to identify and handle hazards in your organization that you may not have been aware of.