Small businesses are highly at risk for data compromises due to cyber attacks. Take a look at some of the things you should know as a small business owner.
Achieving a plan of protection is absolutely critical if you have a small business, especially when it comes to your data.
According to South Florida IT services professional, Ariel Filotti of Quantum IT Consulting, Small business owners are highly vulnerable to data attacks. Take a look at some of the things you should know as a small business owner.
How vulnerable are small businesses from having their data compromised?
Small businesses could be deemed as the most vulnerable to data compromises, and there are statistics that prove that fact. For example, as much as 43 percent of cyber attacks are reported to victimize small businesses, and only about 14 percent of small business owners feel they have a highly effective plan in place to mitigate cyber-attacks. Many small businesses are vulnerable because they do not allocate funding to cybersecurity, updated software, or services that can help mitigate risks. Sadly, it is small businesses that suffer the most after an attack because many do not have the money to march onward and recoup.
What are the primary threats to small businesses and their data?
Unfortunately, the threats for modern-day business owners are continually growing, and much of the growing threat can be associated with just how much the modern-day business relies on technology to carry out everything. Some of the most common types of threats for small businesses in a cyber-driven world include:
- Data loss due to user errors and lacking programs or backups
- Hardware and software failures that lead to lost data
- Malware and ransomware attacks
- Privacy breaches that lead to exposed data
Targeted attacks are not always as big of a problem with small businesses like they are an issue for larger corporations, but they do exist. Hackers and criminals have quickly figured out that many small business networks are not as secure as they should be, employees are not always as educated about spotting an attack, and it can be easier to compromise data stores in a small business.
How can small businesses protect their data to the fullest?
The most important thing a business owner can do is to create a data protection plan that works precisely for their business and how it functions. There should be safeguards in place, yes. However, it is just as important to have ample backup plans in place to mitigate the risk of losing data during the time there is an issue.
In addition, small businesses should be utilizing the tools that are available to their advantage. For example, something as simple as using the wrong email server could leave data more vulnerable; a program like Microsoft Outlook, for example, would be a better email server for a business to use because they have such high-security standards.
Finding a good managed IT services provider is also an important thing to do as a business owner. These professionals help their clients safeguard their data with multiple levels of service, such as providing user training materials for employees, creating backups with cloud servers, and implementing security software programs to thwart attacks.
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