Small businesses were once believed to be safe from hacking attempts compared to larger companies which pose a higher reward for data theft. However, the increase of cyber attacks on small businesses is on the rise, and 43% of attacks targeted towards SMEs.
This increase in attacks against small businesses is a result of awareness of lacking cybersecurity which plagues most small companies. Read below to learn more about how hackers take advantage of small businesses’ lack of security.
Low or No IT Security
A distinct lack of protection means easy access for prying hackers. To rectify this, consider ordering a network security assessment from a managed services provider (MSP) such as our Southern California IT Company that will help you better understand your most vulnerable access points.
Additionally, an MSP will provide your business with a tailored IT protection plan that suits your unique needs, which may include such technology areas like perimeter management, network monitoring, cloud services, or a host of specific services that better protect you and your customers data.
Specialized and reputable MSP’s can also offer your business advanced security programs to meet any legal requirements for your industry.
No MFA In Place
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) works to protect your business data from unauthorized users by requiring multiple forms of authentication and identification before allowing access to sensitive data. MFA can involve identity checks such as fingerprints scans, face recognition, memorable passwords, or SMS codes.
Unfortunately, single factor authentication or individual passwords are simply no longer a sufficient method for safeguarding company information. And although MFA may seem high-tech and therefore expensive, it’s actually one of the most cost-effective ways to help keep business data secure.
The Risk of Remote Working
Due to COVID-19, working from home has become the new norm for millions of Americans. In order to comply with social distancing guidelines, businesses sometimes have no other option than to make the switch to remote work.
However, this transition exposes small businesses to a myriad of cyber threats that arise when workers are no longer protected by company firewalls, devices, and networks. Without knowledge of each individual’s cybersecurity measures, it’s difficult for SMEs to control how their data is accessed and shared, which can result in a breach.
However, MSP’s offer solutions to minimize the opportunities for hackers to penetrate and access company data. Furthermore, MSPs also provide companies with disaster recovery solutions in the event of a successful hacking attempt.
Untrained Staff
Although hacking is widespread and frequent, one of the biggest threats to a small business is human error, typically caused by untrained staff.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to keep your business data secure is to train your employees in cyber security. This doesn’t mean that they have to learn the latest new coding language, but they should understand the warning signs of scams and how to properly access and share sensitive business information.
Cyber criminals’ skills and experience with attacking small businesses will only continue to grow. Take these easy steps to prevent your small business from becoming another victim to cyber crime by investing in reliable cybersecurity solutions such as a managed services provider.