Why Small Businesses Should Worry About Hacking Attacks
Cyberattacks and hacking seem like big threats enterprise-level businesses encounter because they hold tons of precious data. After all, hackers are after valuable customer data and proprietary information they can sell or misuse. As a small business owner, you may not bother about securing your asset. You probably do not consider yourself a lucrative target.
But the truth is that cybercriminals do not discriminate by size. Statistics suggest that smaller companies with fewer employees on board have experienced breaches in recent years. It is an alarming sign that you must not undermine cyber threats only because you run a small business. Let us explain why you should bother about hacking attacks as much as enterprises do.
You may own valuable data
Although small and mid-sized companies do not have deep pockets like their enterprises, they may still own valuable data. Bank account credentials, credit card information, Social Security numbers, medical records, and proprietary business information are some instances of data that hackers can compromise. The source hardly matters because these pieces of information are saleable on the Dark Web. Hackers will be after your business as long as they can find them, regardless of the size of your business.
You have the computing power
A hacker may be interested only in using your computing power by conscripting your computers into an army of bots for massive DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks. Such attacks entail creating enormous amounts of web traffic artificially to disrupt service to a company. It can even affect a group of companies. Hackers use your computers as hijacked bots to generate disruptive traffic to affect other businesses.
You are less defensive
The most common reason for high risks for small businesses is that they are less defensive. Remember that there is no shortage of cyber threats you may encounter, from ransomware to DDoS and phishing. You are also at risk of insider data leaks by trusted employees. The best piece of advice is to take apt measures to fortify your networks, applications, and hardware. You may hire a hacker for cell phone to track employee activities if you suspect them. Also, implement appropriate cybersecurity policies to stay a step ahead of attacks.
You may be complacent about security updates
Small business owners are likely to be complacent about security updates only because they have a lot more to handle on their own. It is easy to miss out on software updates, security patches, and other vulnerabilities when you do not have a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts. Moreover, you may take a set-and-forget approach to the security policies for your business. Complacency makes you an easy target for malicious players.
You have links to the big fish
Businesses are digitally connected to share information, run transactions, and manage supply chains. A small one may have links with large enterprises due to these factors, making them an ideal passage to sneak into the systems of the big fish. Hackers seldom get a chance to compromise the robust defenses of large companies. But they can find a route through the smaller ones. So they get a chance to gain double profits with a single attack.
Hacking threats are the same for all businesses, regardless of their size and scale. You must do your best to bolster your defenses against them, even if you operate on a small scale, because safety is non-negotiable.
Cyberattacks and hacking seem like big threats enterprise-level businesses encounter because they hold tons of precious data. After all, hackers are after valuable customer data and proprietary information they can sell or misuse. As a small business owner, you may not bother about securing your asset. You probably do not consider yourself a lucrative target.
But the truth is that cybercriminals do not discriminate by size. Statistics suggest that smaller companies with fewer employees on board have experienced breaches in recent years. It is an alarming sign that you must not undermine cyber threats only because you run a small business. Let us explain why you should bother about hacking attacks as much as enterprises do.
You may own valuable data
Although small and mid-sized companies do not have deep pockets like their enterprises, they may still own valuable data. Bank account credentials, credit card information, Social Security numbers, medical records, and proprietary business information are some instances of data that hackers can compromise. The source hardly matters because these pieces of information are saleable on the Dark Web. Hackers will be after your business as long as they can find them, regardless of the size of your business.
You have the computing power
A hacker may be interested only in using your computing power by conscripting your computers into an army of bots for massive DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks. Such attacks entail creating enormous amounts of web traffic artificially to disrupt service to a company. It can even affect a group of companies. Hackers use your computers as hijacked bots to generate disruptive traffic to affect other businesses.
You are less defensive
The most common reason for high risks for small businesses is that they are less defensive. Remember that there is no shortage of cyber threats you may encounter, from ransomware to DDoS and phishing. You are also at risk of insider data leaks by trusted employees. The best piece of advice is to take apt measures to fortify your networks, applications, and hardware. You may hire a hacker for cell phone to track employee activities if you suspect them. Also, implement appropriate cybersecurity policies to stay a step ahead of attacks.
You may be complacent about security updates
Small business owners are likely to be complacent about security updates only because they have a lot more to handle on their own. It is easy to miss out on software updates, security patches, and other vulnerabilities when you do not have a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts. Moreover, you may take a set-and-forget approach to the security policies for your business. Complacency makes you an easy target for malicious players.
You have links to the big fish
Businesses are digitally connected to share information, run transactions, and manage supply chains. A small one may have links with large enterprises due to these factors, making them an ideal passage to sneak into the systems of the big fish. Hackers seldom get a chance to compromise the robust defenses of large companies. But they can find a route through the smaller ones. So they get a chance to gain double profits with a single attack.
Hacking threats are the same for all businesses, regardless of their size and scale. You must do your best to bolster your defenses against them, even if you operate on a small scale, because safety is non-negotiable.