Don’t Let Cybersecurity Spook You!
Every October, we enjoy pumpkins, fall foliage, hot apple cider, and Halloween. At NBM, we celebrate National Cybersecurity Month (although we do love pumpkins, fall foliage, hot apple cider, and Halloween too)!
Small to medium sized businesses continue to be the primary targets for hackers. Why? At least in part because 66% of senior decision-makers at small businesses believe that their business is not a target for hackers, and consequently fail to take the proper measures to protect against hackers. Only 14% of small businesses are prepared to defend themselves against a cyberattack.
The reality is that hackers purposefully and methodically target small to medium businesses for this very reason. The mom and pop shop on Main Street, the small insurance agency, the solo lawyer, the mid-sized construction company; these businesses are primary targets for hackers to infiltrate. 81% of data breaches occur at small to medium sized businesses, with more than 50% of all small businesses suffering a cybersecurity breach within the last year.
The consequences of cyberattacks are crippling. On average, cyberattacks cost small businesses $200,000 per incident (and that does not include hefty fines for breach of federal and state data security laws). Most small businesses simply do not have that extra money in their pocket. As a result, 60% of small businesses go out of business within 6 months of a network security breach. Cybercrime is putting small businesses out of business, and hackers are showing no signs of easing up on the SMB market.
What can a small to medium sized business do? Become educated, invest in technology, and manage your cybersecurity risk. Cybersecurity is not a problem that can be solved, but a risk that must be managed. An astounding 97% of security breaches could have been avoided had a Company invested in today’s cybersecurity technology. Investing in up to date technology, engaging an experienced IT services provider, training your employees on cybersecurity, and following these cybersecurity tips will help you manage your risk:
- Have NBM perform a security assessment to establish a baseline and close existing vulnerabilities.
- Secure your email! This is where most attacks originate.
- Apply security policies on your network (and follow them!).
- Train your employees on cybersecurity – and train them often.
- Protect your computers’ data from viruses and malware with up to date advanced endpoint security and employ an up to date firewall.
- Employ multi-factor authentication in everything you do – on social media, on banking websites, on your network.
- Keep your products up to date on your devices (i.e., Microsoft, Adobe, etc.).
- Regularly change your passwords, and know whether your passwords are compromised. NBM now offers Dark Web monitoring to expose breached passwords
- Encrypt, encrypt, encrypt your files! And secure your mobile devices too.
- Backup local. Backup to the cloud. Backup on Premises. Test your backups often.
Are you spooked yet? NBM is an established Managed Service Provider with many years of IT experience, knowledge, and trust from customers throughout New England. We manage your cybersecurity risk, so you can focus on your business.
Happy Halloween from your friends at NBM!