Many data breaches are directed toward small and medium-sized businesses. Recent studies even suggest that hackers are more attracted to small businesses. Businesses that experience security breaches will suffer reputation and security wounds. Recovering from this disaster will take too long as small businesses don’t have strong financial muscles to bail them out of the impacts of a breach.
Why Cybercriminals Target Small Businesses
Small businesses are frequently targeted in data breaches because of a lack of understanding of the security landscape. This makes it important for them to invest more in promoting their business and building it at the expense of online security. Unfortunately, cybercriminals know this and use automated tools to find vulnerabilities in company websites and databases and attack them. Also, as small businesses spend a lot on getting their business up, they may not have enough resources to install the necessary security measures against cyber-attacks.
How to Avoid Cyberattacks
Small business owners can curb their cybersecurity risks by educating their employees about cybersecurity. Employees need to be aware of phishing scams and malware so they know how to spot and avoid them. Organizations must have regular seminars and sessions to explain the potential effects of data breaches on the company and its operation. Also, employees must be educated on the policies of the company in terms of online safety.
Moreover, they must limit access to business data. For businesses, confidentiality is mandatory to avoid online attacks and maintain client trust. Limiting access to business data will help prevent hacks that can lead to crippling losses in the business, particularly when data lands in the wrong hands and used in committing illegal activities such as fraud.
Adopting a strict password policy is also a step that small businesses can take to reduce their cybersecurity risks. Passwords serve as the keys to the preserved data of a business and so they must be treated with the utmost care. When hackers crack account passwords, they can easily steal data such as social security numbers, employee data, confidential transactional data, and more. Also, they may misuse the passwords to gain unauthorized access and delete data or use them to perform identity theft or fraud. A strong password should have an average of 10 characters and include a combination of numbers, letters, and special characters. Also, businesses can use password managers to create and store long passwords that employees may find hard to master.
