Every year, cybercriminals are getting more sophisticated. And chances are, your business is a target.
Criminals don’t care if you’re a small business or a Fortune 500 company. If they can find a vulnerability, they’ll exploit it. From ransomware attacks and data breaches to phishing emails and website hacking, your business is at risk of a cyberattack every day.
Attacks are on the rise, and businesses are common cybercrime targets. Businesses are commonly targeted because they hold sensitive data on their customers. This data includes names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, and credit card information.
Hackers can then sell this information online for a profit. Have you ever wondered how your phone number and email address get in the hands of spammers?
Cybercrimes against businesses are sometimes meant to steal proprietary information and trade secrets. And other times, they’re simply meant to cause damage to operations.
In this article, we’re first going to address the recent rise in cybercrime. Then, we’ll explain why business owners should take a more proactive approach to cybersecurity.
Cyberattacks Can Happen to Anyone
You might assume that you’re too small for cybercriminals to go after you. But, that kind of thinking can prevent you from taking simple, preventative measures.
Security breaches can affect any company, no matter how large or small. And there has actually been a rise in small-to-medium-sized businesses becoming cybercrime targets.
Why?
It’s simple: your small business is a target because criminals know how lax your cybersecurity is. Many smaller organizations don’t have the enterprise-level cybersecurity larger companies do.
Over the years, cybercriminals have become more advanced. This means that attacks can be more difficult to detect. Now more than ever, it’s important to make sure you’re doing everything possible to protect your business from these threats.
Large companies are still at risk of becoming cybercrime targets, too, though. Malware and other techniques make gaining unauthorized access to corporate networks simple.
Cybercriminals tend to keep a low profile until they have access to the data that they want. Then, they freeze the network and either demand a ransom or threaten to sell or publish the data online.
Cyberattacks Are on the Rise
The pandemic has changed the way businesses operate.
Many companies were not prepared to begin working remotely on such short notice. They had to scramble to install virtual workspaces in response to stay-at-home orders.
The sudden shift to remote work left many companies unprepared for cyberattacks. With the rise in working from home came a rise in cybercrime. As more businesses relied on virtual workspaces, cybercriminals preyed on their low security.
As companies continue to adapt and adopt new ways of doing business online, so too are criminals. Cybersecurity experts warn that the methods used by cybercriminals are becoming increasingly complex. The stakes are high for businesses of all sizes.
Is Your Company up to the Challenge?
There’s no way around it: small businesses are a primary target for cybercriminals. With limited budgets, most small businesses don’t have the resources to protect themselves.
Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to protect your business. Don’t allow your business to be a sitting duck for cybercriminals.
To prevent your company from becoming a target, you need to work with cybersecurity experts. You need a team that can help you protect your sensitive data and keep your internal systems private.
You’ll also want to train your staff in the basics of preventing cybercrime. This will further help protect your company by reducing points of entry into your system.
Train Your Staff in Attack Prevention
Cybersecurity is an ongoing process that requires regular training and evaluation. With the right training, your employees can learn to identify and prevent cyberattacks. Empower your employees with the knowledge they need to protect your business.
A simple way to educate employees is through security awareness training programs. They can be effective in ensuring everyone understands and follows good security practices.
These programs generally cover phishing scams, password protection, and physical security. But, each business should tailor a program based on its specific needs.
Teach Your Staff the Importance of Backups
Back up frequently and back up off-site. Backing up is easy and will save you a lot of grief if your organization becomes a cybercrime target. You could backup daily, weekly, or monthly depending on how much data you have and how often it changes. Whatever schedule you choose, make sure you keep at least one backup copy off-site.
If your company stores data in the cloud, consider keeping an offline copy of the data too. That way, if a hacker destroys your cloud data or encrypts it for ransom, you’ll still have access to the copy.
Teach your staff how to perform proper backups. It’s important to be able to restore your data in the event of a network breach. Also, make sure they also know how to spot suspicious emails and phishing attacks. You don’t want employees to download malware that could compromise the entire network.
Have a Response Plan in Place
If you become a cybercrime target, having a plan can help you recover faster. It can also reduce the damage done by the attack.
Understand what steps you will need to take in the event of an attack. You should create a plan and delegate responsibilities among your team. For example, some employees may need to notify customers about compromised personal information.
Having a plan in place will help ensure your recovery gets done quickly and correctly.
Trust ITSG to Protect Your Company from Becoming a Cybercrime Target
No one can predict the future. But ITSG is here to help you prepare for it with our comprehensive managed IT services. We handle all your IT needs so that you can focus on your business and its growth.
We work with Philadelphia and Chicago-are businesses of all sizes and industries. We’re here to help organizations prevent cyberattacks by monitoring for and closing vulnerabilities.
Our managed IT services will help your company stay ahead of the curve.
Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, ITSG has the right solution for you. Contact our team today to learn more about our services. We can help keep your business from becoming a cybercrime target.
