Why Now is the Time to Double Down on Cybersecurity

Yes, those are all English words, I promise. 

For the average small business owner, cybersecurity may not seem like something worth investing in. After all, cyber-attacks only happen to megacorporations with billions of dollars in revenue, right?

Wrong. According to CNBC, cyber-attacks cost companies $200,00 on average and 43% of all attacks are against small businesses.

The biggest mistake you can make is assuming you are too small to be targeted.

Small businesses are targeted because they have the information cybercriminals want – think confidential, financial information. The problem is small business owners are not educated about cybercrime nor have the infrastructure to protect themselves which makes you more susceptible to attacks.

One-click on a suspicious email could render all of your accounts unsafe. Tapping into your wifi network could expose all of your professional business. Using weak passwords could be cracked easily by algorithms. 

A hacker attack happens every 39 seconds. You must stay safe. Here’s how to start:

1. Educate yourself on terms like phishing, ransomware, viruses, and malware.  That way you’ll know how to spot them and avoid falling victim. Unlike popular belief, hackers aren’t just random dudes in their mama’s basement attacking your business.  They’re sophisticated programs designed to trap you that basically run on auto-pilot.
   
   Assess your risk. Use the FCC Planning Tool to help you build your strategy around good cyber hygiene. 
2. Secure your networks. Set up a firewall, encrypt your devices, protect your wifi networks, invest a little cash. Multi-factor authentication and encryption are the biggest hacker obstacles.  So start there when it comes to protecting your systems from hackers.

The road to cyber safety can be simple – check out the resources linked throughout this article to begin your journey.

To more money in our pockets. 

P.S. Want to read more? Read this, or this or this.