Is Your Company At Risk Of a Cyber Attack?

Cyber Attack, are you at risk?

Cybercrime is something that we are all aware of. There’s a lot of information out there about how we should safeguard our data, be prepared for cyber attacks, etc. But, let’s be completely honest here, how seriously do we take the warnings for Cyber Attack?

According to research conducted by the editors of EveryCloud the average small to medium enterprise spends less than 6% of their overall budget on cybersecurity.

But is that enough? The statistics that the company gathered seem to show that it is not. Did you know that 43% of cyber criminals target small businesses? I’ll bet that you didn’t. Want to learn more about what Big Data Made Simple found out? Check out the infographic that we’ve posted on this page to find out.

Why Would Cyber Criminals Target Small Businesses?

There’s a very simple reason – because they can. Sure, for a hacker, the servers of a large corporate will be like catnip. But the large corporate knows that and so institutes serious security measures. While the payoff of getting into one of these servers is huge, it is also a lot of hard work.

A smaller target may mean a smaller payoff, but it can be accomplished a lot more easily. So, your company could very well be a great target for a hacker. And that’s just for the hacker that wants to steal the data. There are plenty of other types of hackers out there. Let’s take a closer look at these.

Malicious Hackers

There are hackers out there who are purely malicious. Their aim is to simply create as much chaos as they can. Which might make them a bit harder to beat. They don’t need to actually physically gain access to your system to cause you a lot of problems.

All they do need to do is to embed a virus or worm into a file and send it out into the world. If you happen to open that file, and your anti-virus software is not prepared for it, your computer becomes infected.

Some of these hackers try their luck with just about any system they encounter online. For them, the thrill is in actually beating the system. They don’t care who it belongs to.

Ransomware Hackers

These are a newer kind of cybercriminal and their motive is purely profit. Their aim is simple – they take control of your computer and lock you out. You’ll then get a ransom demand and, unless you pay the money, you could very well lose access to all your data for good.

Is My Company a Target?

Any company may be targeted, so it’s best to assume that you are. It’s never a bad idea to beef up your company’s cybersecurity just in case you do have to cross swords with a hacker.

What Makes You More Vulnerable?

There are a few different things that can make you more vulnerable to attack. Here are the main ones:

• Out-dated anti-virus software: You should be running daily updates for your anti-virus software. Set the system up so that it updates automatically at a certain time of day. This can be after hours to ensure minimal interruption to your system.

• Soft passwords: We all know that we should choose passwords that aren’t easy to guess. But many of us still choose passwords that are based on the names of pets, or specific dates, etc. Your password should be completely random and preferably not a specific word, consisting of alpha and numeric characters, and also have at least one capital and also a special character. Also, longer is better than shorter.

• Passwords that don’t change: How often do you change your password? If you’re like most people, the answer is that you don’t change it unless you have to. It’s a schlep, but passwords should be updated at least once a month. This is in case the password has been cracked by someone – remember, not all hackers will leave a visible trail – some like having a back door into your system.

• Poor on-site security:  This refers to your actual premises. Hackers will have an easier time finding a way into the system if they can work from one of your terminals, or possibly by hacking your Wi-Fi. Control who comes and goes on-site carefully to mitigate this risk.

Overall, your best cyber-defense is to be as prepared as possible. Make your business as difficult a target as possible. Organizing security awareness training is always a good idea! It might not protect you against all cyber-crime, but it reduces the odds of your business becoming a victim of a cyber attack.