Cyber Attacks Threatening Your Small Business

Cyber attacks are on the rise and pose an ever-increasing threat to your small business. Cybercrime is a rapidly growing business. It’s estimated to cost the world over $10 trillion dollars annually by 2025. What steps can you take to protect your small business from a cyber attack?

The Reality of Cyber Attacks

In 2021, we have seen some of the largest cyber attacks taking place. Colonial Pipeline, Kaseya, and JBS have been victims to these crimes. But what about your small business?

In reality, most cyber attacks on small businesses don’t make headlines. But research shows that over 40% of cyber attack victims are small businesses. Of those businesses hit, over half of them go out of business within 6 months of the attack. While there is never a guarantee that you can prevent an attack, there are reasonable steps you can take to protect your small business.

Cyber Security is an Onion

Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers.

-Shrek, 2001

Securing your business technology properly means having several layers of defense. Cyber criminals employ new tactics every day, so you can’t simply rely on traditional methods of protection anymore. That’s why when one defense is bypassed by a bad actor, you need to have additional technologies and procedures in place to detect and protect.

1. Security Controls

The first layer often comes down to access controls on your business systems. Only authorized personnel should have access to company data. The Least Privilege principle should be followed when granting users access to company resources. This means that any employee only has access to information and systems that are absolutely necessary for them to perform their job.

2. Monitoring & Detection

You can’t mitigate a cyber attack unless you know one is occurring. Your small business needs technologies in place to detect a compromise when it occurs. This solution has to be implemented on as many business systems as possible. Otherwise, you may find out that you locked all the doors but left the windows open.

3. Cyber Security Awareness Training

The largest attack surface for most businesses is their staff. So it’s critical that all members of your company receive up-to-date and frequent cyber security training. This step helps employees become another layer of defense against cyber attacks and minimizes the likelihood that they will help further the efforts of cyber criminals.

Response & Disaster Recovery Plan

As mentioned earlier, there are no guarantees that a cyber attack will be prevented. When an attack occurs, you need to have a written plan of action to follow. This is often referred to as a Disaster Recovery Plan. This document provides a step-by-step process for dealing with an attack on your business.

It can seem overwhelming, but protecting your small business in Arizona can be made easy. At TekStop, we provide I.T. Infrastructure and Support with a strong focus in cyber security to keep your small business up and running. Call us today to talk to a cyber security expert and find out how we can protect your business in this changing technology landscape.