Hackers And Cybercriminals Are Attacking Small Business

Hackers and cybercriminals have been turning their efforts to small “mom and pop” businesses instead of large enterprise corporations. Why? Because small business networks offer a much easier “lock” to pick, unlike large enterprises who invest far more time and money into high security for their network. “As the security becomes better at large companies, the small business begins to look more and more enticing to computer criminals,” said Charles Matthews, President of the International Council for Small Business, “It’s the path of least resistance.”

Think your network is secure from cybercriminals? Did you know:

• One-fifth of small businesses don’t have up-to-date antivirus software installed.
• Sixty percent don’t encrypt their wireless links.
• Two-thirds of small businesses don’t have a security plan in place.
• Eighty-five percent of the fraud occurs in small and medium-sized businesses.

Why is cyber security so poor for small businesses? Primarily for two reasons:

Ignorance. Most small businesses believe that nothing could ever happen to them, and therefore don’t take the necessary precautions to secure their network, monitor their systems, and train their staff. They are also ignorant of HOW to get this done. The second reason is that they are being cheap in the wrong places. Some simply refuse to spend money on securing their network from cybercriminals. That’s akin to having a beautiful home full of expensive furnishings and valuables, but refusing to buy a good lock for the door because it “costs too much.”

So what should you do at a minimum to protect your company?

1. Educate your users on security basics such as using strong passwords, shutting down PCs at night, and others. Some companies make computer security rules part of their standard HR policies and make each employee sign that they understand the rules.
2. Install a web filtering software to police users and prevent accidental (or intentional) slip-ups on usage policies.
3. Have a good virus protection system in place on all computers on your network and maintain it.
4. Install a firewall and check the logs periodically.
5. Remove all unessential services and applications installed on your servers. After e-mail, this is probably the biggest security vulnerability. If a hacker gets in, this will reduce their ability to use a forgotten service or application to exploit your network.
6. Keep all your servers updated with all the latest security patches.
7. Never keep any of the manufacturer’s default settings on any of the appliances or software you install. Hackers know what these settings are and will use them to gain easy access to your network. This item nails more systems administrators than care to admit.

Taking and implementing these steps will help keep you protected from cybercriminals. Taking it another step forward and having us keep you protected will help you stay safe and you won’t have to worry about a thing. Reach out to us today with your questions or schedule a meeting with us to let us show you how we can keep you protected. If you are interested in learning more about our other tech tips check out our YouTube channel.