Technology is evolving rapidly in the digital age and with them cybersecurity risks. Businesses must plan, prepare, and implement strategies to tackle cyberthreats to them. However, some small businesses believe only large firms are targeted due to the data and resources they possess.
In reality, a statistic reveals almost 61% of small businesses have been a target of cyberattacks. Would you like your venture to be a part of this statistic? Or would you like to safeguard your business from common cyberthreats? Read on to learn how!
Discover the unique cybersecurity threats a small business can face and the strategies to overcome them.
These cybersecurity threats are often a result of a lack of a dedicated IT team and limited resources. Despite these limitations, defending against them is possible.
Online Phishing Attacks
Phishing is when a criminal designs and sends fraudulent messages or emails to trick an employee into revealing confidential information. It occurs after the employee clicks on the link in an email which mimics another employee at the firm.
The primary objective of these attacks is to extract information and compromise systems for monetary gains.
How to Defend Against This as a Small Business
TRAIN YOUR EMPLOYEES! Believe it or not but training your employees adequately can prevent a range of cybersecurity threats from ever impacting your business. It will be a recurring theme of the blog.
Regular sessions that enable them to recognize phishing attacks and the steps to follow next is the strategy to handle skeptical emails.
Poor Password Creation and Management
Passwords are designed to protect sensitive information from an individual looking to gain unauthorized access. But creating a weak password and improperly managing them can easily compromise the system’s defenses.
How to Defend Against This as a Small Business
Develop a policy that requires the creation of strong and unique passwords wherever required by each employee at every level. Also, remind them to change passwords frequently, roughly 2-3 months.
A password manager is easy and cost-effective enough to invest in. This can help store and manage all the strong and unique passwords in a secure environment.
Attacks from the Inside
No matter how small or large a business is, insider threats looking to dismantle a firm are a permanent threat. It could be from misusing their access to data, causing the crash of a system, or any other manner of harming the business, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
How to Defend Against This as a Small Business
Conduct a thorough background check before hiring an individual. During onboarding and primary training regarding security, ensure the employee is made aware of the serious consequences.
Additionally, you can use basic monitoring tools that regularly update and track a user’s activity. At the first sight of suspicious behavior, ensure the necessary personnel are informed, and the employee swiftly dealt with.
