Cyberattacks are a very real threat to small businesses. Most of the time, businesses don’t think about cybersecurity until AFTER they have had a cyberattack, whether that is a website hack or theft of sensitive information. These types of attacks can be mitigated with some preparation and maintenance of your cybersecurity practices.
We will outline the following in this blog post:
- The importance of cybersecurity
- The main types of cyberattacks
- Steps to implement to mitigate these attacks
The Importance Of Cybersecurity
Cyberattacks seem out of the realm of possibility until they happen to you or someone you know. Below are some statistics that you should be aware of:
- In the Cost Of Insider Threats report published by IBM in 2020, they found that 63% of all data breaches were caused by negligence of the website owner.
- The FBI have reported a rise in cyberattacks due to the pandemic and physical lockdowns.
Small Businesses are an easy target for cyberattacks as they are perceived as being more vulnerable. The data backs this up so take the necessary steps to protect your company and website.
The Main Types of Cyberattacks:
- Phishing attacks
Phishing involves a fake email or website built and designed in such a way that aims to get users to give sensitive information
- Ransomware
Software that locks your files and data behind a paywall. You can not get access to this without paying the fee set by the ransomware developer.
- Malware
Malware or malicious software is used to corrupt computers, servers, and networks. This leaves them open to viruses and other malicious attacks.
- Man In The Middle Attacks
These attacks focus on the insecure transactions happening between a website and a user. They can be used to steal sensitive personal or financial information.
This is not a comprehensive list of the various attacks out there. Every day, the internet expands and so too does the list of new cyberattacks. Keeping up to date with the latest cyber threat is an important step in making sure your business does not become susceptible to it.
Steps To Implement Today
Take the time to examine your companies cybersecurity. Sit down and comprehensively assess your current security level. This should include what you already have in place and a checklist of any sensitive information you may have that needs protection.
Once this is done, you can create a plan on how you can move forward such as:
- Updating antivirus software
- Running consistent WordPress security scans
- Creating cybersecurity policies for your company
- Finding a more secure web host such as SmartHost
Strict Access
User permissions and two-factor authentication for billing systems or areas that store customer data can be an easy way to fortify access points within your company.
Regularly changing important passwords is also great practice you and your employees should follow and can be done easily with a password generator online.
Employee Training
Bringing your employees up to date with your new cybersecurity plan is essential for this to work. Not every employee is tech-savvy, so take the time to explain how and why these processes are being put in place.
This is even more important with remote-work increasing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These practices need to be maintained when outside the office.
Update and Back-Up Regularly
There is a reason for software updates. New features and improved design are the parts we all look forward to but security patches are an essential part of any update. Ensure your WordPress site and all its plugins are regularly updated, along with any other software your company uses to function.
In conjunction with updating, backing up your information is critical. This helps you stay protected against ransomware attacks and makes sure you don’t lose any valuable information.
Cybersecurity is an often overlooked aspect of a company. Take a moment to assess how effective your cybersecurity is and build a plan to protect your information and data today.
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