More than 80% of hacks are financially motivated, and small businesses are a favorite target. Learn 7 common cybersecurity mistakes you may have made.
Hacking and other cybercrimes are on the rise. A study found that 86 percent of all hacking have financial motivations. This usually boils down to breaching a business’s computer network and pilfering them of vital information, such as credit card details, personal data, and financial records. The criminals would either sell this information on the internet or, more dastardly, ransom their release from the business owner.
- Although large corporations can take the blow of a cyberattack, the same is not true of small enterprises. Cyberattacks can be extremely ruinous to small businesses, with the average cost being around $200,000 per hack. To avoid such a dreadful fate for your business, you will do well to study the most common cybersecurity mistakes people make and ensure they do not occur in your organization.
- Personal emails are shared everywhere, from social media networks to subscription sites. This means that a lot of people can access them and send you emails. Opening such emails at work can be exactly the way a hacker needs. Thanks to techniques such as phishing, your personal emails can be the backdoor a hacker wants to slip some ruinous program or look into your network. Prevent your workers from opening personal email accounts at workplaces so there are fewer vulnerabilities.
- Some methods of hacking involve duping you or your employees into activating programs. One of the most common methods of doing so is called phishing or spear-phishing. This entails sending the target an email crafted to tempt them into tempting a link. The link will then infect the computer when clicked. If you receive any emails that don’t seem to be solicited or from strange addresses do not click on any links within them. Be very careful with emails as hackers have become exceedingly clever and can even masquerade their letters to appear from official sources like international banks or mortgage companies in your city.
- A firewall is one of the most prevalent methods of protecting your computers. The purpose of a firewall is to watch all internet traffic that goes in and out of your network. If any data packets violate previously established rules and parameters, it prevents the packet from entering or leaving the network. However, ingenious hackers have now found ways to bypass firewalls. You cannot simply trust a firewall to protect your business alone. Employ other methods of protecting your computers that will work in tandem with your firewall.
- The burden of keeping your company secure should not rest upon the shoulders of your IT department alone. Your employees must be constantly updated on the latest threats and certainly, they will need to be informed on proper etiquette regarding company computers. Hold regular seminars on how they can remain vigilant for possible cyberattacks. Their continued education can be all that stands between your company falling into ruin or staying away from dubious attacks.
- Your small business may begin with a small computer network with basic defenses but as time goes by, not updating it can be your death warrant. A computer network is like a car and should always be checked for damages and outdated components. Unless you regularly update your network and the cybersecurity measures it comes with, you’re leaving your business open for attack and infiltration by unsavory online personages.
- With the lockdown restrictions still in practice in many parts of the country and the world, you and your employees may be working from home. However, sometimes people will rely on public Wi-Fi networks to connect their work devices or access servers for business. This should not be tolerated, as public networks are not reliable and their security could be compromised. Dissuade all employees from accessing public Wi-Fis, whether in malls or coffee-shops, for work-related business.
Final Verdict
If you run a small business, such as a retailer of table showers or a small gardening center, you may be wondering what sort of hacker would even design to attack your networks? Unfortunately, this assumption can lead to you letting your guard down. Because mall businesses most often don’t have the resources for more elaborate and effective defenses, they make the perfect targets for hackers.
Don’t assume that just because your business is small, doesn’t mean uncouth hackers won’t try to attack your networks. Remain vigilant and expect your business could be imperiled.
Your small business has probably taken a lot of time and effort to build. You shouldn’t lose it all due to carelessness. Be aware of these mistakes and do your best to guard against them. And you can safeguard your small business’s future.