ARE YOU AND your business Cyber Safe?
Understanding your risk is half the battle
55% of smaller business owners and professionals reported at least one breach and almost a third at least one cyber attack...
Its easy for an attacker to hit their target, steal information that they want and disappear without a trace, all before your business realizes what happened.
Masked in anonymity, working from anywhere in the globe, a cyber-criminals risk of being caught is exceptionally low but your risk of financial loss and a damaged business reputation is exceptionally high.
Looking to stay on top of some important trends and issues in cyber security?
The numbers don't lie...
Businesses of all sizes are susceptible to cyber attacks or data breaches, but there is a common misconception that this risk is reserved mostly for large corporations.
- Forty-four percent (44%) of American small businesses have been victims of a cyber-attack, according to National Small Business Association data. Source
- A small to mid-sized business that gets hacked...that does not have a cyber (data breach) policy in place will pay up to 3x as much for three core things it will need if customer's information is compromised (forensics experts, PR squad and call center personnel). Source
What are some Cyber Security risk factors?
There are several but it is typically caused by improper care in handling data, mistakes by employees, intentional actions by employees, hackers or third party relationships.
Everyday business activities like sending emails, storing documents online, accepting credit cards on a website, or even collecting credit card information over an unsecured VoIP phone system, can all put your business at risk of a cyber-attack or data breach. Maintaining private information on paper files can also be a risk factor.
But it doesn't end there. Slack internal data security policies, mistakes by employees as well as malicious and intentional acts by disgruntled employees, can also significantly increase your company's level of cyber-risk or a data breach.
Are you a target? Security gaps make small businesses an easy target for cyber attacks and data breaches
Small businesses are at a higher-risk for a cyber-attack, because they frequently lack the financial resources that larger companies enjoy, which allows them to invest more heavily in IT staff and security.
Smaller businesses often lack an official IT Security Policy, and also have no cyber safety programs to offer their employees. The lack of resources that small businesses face is no secret to cyber-criminals, and is a key reason why cyber-attacks against small businesses are on the rise.
Another factor that puts small businesses at an increased risk for cyber-attacks or data breaches, is the fact that larger companies are continually upgrading their security, usually in response to an attack on another large company that was in the news. These reactionary security upgrades are making large businesses more secure as a whole, leaving small businesses as the sitting ducks and preferred targets for today's cyber-criminal.
Want some more help and insight?
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