Source: www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/strengthen-your-cybersecurity

Cyberattacks are worrisome for small businesses. Learn about these threats and how to protect yourself.

Cyberattacks cost the country’s economy billions of dollars a year and pose a threat to individuals and organizations. Small businesses in particular are an attractive target because they have the information that cybercriminals (unscrupulous fraudsters, foreign governments, etc.) want and they typically lack the security teams that larger companies have to protect their digital systems well to store, access, and share data and information.

Surveys indicate that most small business owners feel their businesses are vulnerable to a cyberattack. However, many do not have the resources to invest in professional systems to protect their information, have little time to invest in cybersecurity and do not know where to start.

Start by learning common cybersecurity best practices, understanding common threats, and dedicating resources to protect and improve your cybersecurity.

One of the best practices of cyber-attacks are: 

For the beginning, we need to think that Employees and their communications at work are the main causes of data breach for small businesses since they are a direct gateway to their systems. Training your employees on basic best practices when using the internet could go a long way in helping you prevent cyberattacks.

Other recommended training topics to address include:

  • How to identify phishing emails
  • How to use best practices when using the Internet
  • How to avoid suspicious downloads
  • How to enable authentication tools (e.g. strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, etc.)
  • How to protect confidential supplier and customer information.

Common threats

While it’s important to include best practices in your cybersecurity strategy, prevention measures can only protect you so much. Cyberattacks constantly evolve, and entrepreneurs should be aware of the most common types. To learn more about a particular threat, click on the links below to view a short video or fact sheet.

Malware

Malware (malicious or malicious software) is a generic term that refers to software (a set or category of programs) intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer, computer server, client, or computer network. Malware can include viruses and ransomware (software that hijacks your files or data and then asks for a ransom).

Virus

Viruses are harmful programs created with the intention of spreading like a disease from a computer to other devices. Cyber criminals use viruses to gain access to your systems and cause significant and sometimes irreparable damage.

Ransomware

Ransomware is a specific type of software that infects and restricts access to a computer until a ransom is paid. Ransomware commonly locks data on the victim’s device and demands money in return to restore the data. Ransomware exploits vulnerabilities in software with security flaws and is usually distributed via phishing emails.

Spyware

Spyware is a form of malware designed to obtain someone’s information and then send it to another entity without their consent. There are types of spyware that are legitimate, legal, and work for commercial purposes, such as advertising data collected by social media platforms; However, malicious spyware is frequently used to steal information and send it elsewhere.

Phishing

Phishing is a type of cyber-attack that uses emails or a malicious website to infect computers with malware or to collect sensitive information. The emails appear to have been sent from a legitimate organization or someone you know. These emails often prompt users to open a link or attachment that contains malicious code. Be very careful when opening links from unknown sources. If something seems suspicious from a known source, don’t click on it link, ask the source first if the link is legitimate.