Cyber security isn’t just for large companies and major corporations. Hackers and cybercriminals look for weaknesses across all types data systems. The difference between attacks on your small business and the “compromises” of larger businesses is that they have the financial strength to withstand the backlash.

Even though larger companies can afford large scale data security, they are still targeted for attacks and many times data breaches are successful. Target, Snapchat, Experian—they have all faced major breaches in their data even with their high-end security measures. So, as a small to mid-sized business (SMBs), are you doing what you can to prevent a security breach? If your business fell victim to an attack, could it recover?

Customers shop small businesses because they trust them; shopping feels more personalized. Individuals are often more likely to enroll into rewards program, newsletters, and other mailing lists belonging to small businesses because the perception is that there will be less “spam”-like updates from the smaller business.

In recent years, cybercriminals have begun to focus on SMBs. Read on to learn why, and what the things you can do as a SMB owner to help protect your company against attack.

IT Solutions

Typically, smaller businesses often have weaker data security measures in place than a larger business. For many, it is standard data encryption provided by their web development and hosting and/or their commerce processor. Many do not seek additional data security above what is included in the basic services required to run the small business. Not investing in IT solutions is often the result of cost perception and the belief that the small business will not be a target. However, industry data shows that small business cyber-attacks are on the rise because extra measures are not being taken as a precaution. The average cost of a cyber attack for a small to mid-sized company is around $188k—an amount far higher than the annual cost of IT security.

Internal Risks

While your employees may be trustworthy, they may also be the source of entry for an attack. Aside from making sure your employees use strong passwords (upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, symbols, and preferably no personal link to the password used), they should also maintain other aspects of cyber safety, including:

  • How to identify and what to do if they receive a suspicious email or attachment.
  • How to enter and verify valid external web addresses—and how to properly access them at work or from home.
  • Recognizing when a site is secure before entering information.
  • How their actions online or on company computers in general can cause data safety risks.

Computer Security Software

Each company computer, whether desktop, laptop, tablet, or company issued phone, should have security software installed to protect against malware, phishing attacks, and social engineering (all forms of identity theft to gain access to sensitive information). Malware attacks can cause SMBs losses upward of $90k and other “tech-savvy” tactics can cause anywhere from $25k – $100k in losses.

Disaster Recovery Services

Cyber-attacks aren’t just about hacking in and stealing customer data or sensitive information. It can also be about weakening your company structure—causing damage because they can. Small businesses can have a hard time recovering from a data breach, or data loss, without the right remote backup and disaster recovery service. Many SMBs fail to invest in this service thinking they are not large enough to need it.

Comscend is uniquely qualified to understand your business’ needs when it comes to identifying IT weaknesses and recommending course of action and products to help protect your company. Our telecommunication and technology consulting firm has extensive background in every part of the technology industry from Telecom, Voice, and Data Centers to Software Implementation, Managed IT, and Cyber Security.