3 Reasons Why SMBs should care about security

No matter their size, businesses can halt because of a security breach. Emails fail, people end communication, servers fail, and important data gets lost. These problems impact businesses of all sizes. However, cybercriminals increasingly target small—to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) because they perceive them as less secure and less aware of security threats than larger companies. Here are three Reasons Why SMBs Need to Care About Their Security.

3 Reasons Why SMB Owners Should Care

1. A limited or non-existent cybersecurity staff and services budget will have a more significant impact on a company. Security often gets overlooked in the budget, as many view it like preparing for a snowstorm in the desert. However, a single breach can turn into a massive expense. Fortunately, plenty of no-cost or low-cost methods exist to boost security.
2. Even low-risk vulnerabilities can be exploited to access a company’s network, so staying aware of every possible weak point is crucial. Even if all digital databases are secure, social engineering—which many managers overlook—can still lead to a breach. In my article *The USB Keys in the Urinal*, I explained how, during a security audit, I breached a company’s network by leaving a set of USB keys in the men’s washroom. Their cyber defences were airtight, so I had to find another way in.
3. You don’t know what attackers might be looking for. You may think, “Why would anyone want to attack my business? I don’t have anything that valuable.” Your most valuable asset, however, may be something as simple as your high-speed internet connection. Such connections are new launch points for brute-force SSH scans and Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Attackers may be seeking customer credit card information or sensitive employee files. You cannot be sure what they will search through, so you must be ready for all possibilities.

6 Low-Cost Ways to Improve the State of Your SMB’s Security

1. In addition to the 3 reasons why SMBs should care about security, your first job should be to set priorities based on what is most important to your company. Each business is different, so this duty entails outlining a reasonable budget and evaluating your company’s security needs. Are your customers’ credit card numbers safe? Could someone deface your e-commerce storefront? What would happen if your servers crashed? This is the time to address all questions. I’ll list a few more assessment questions at the end of this article.
2. Update technical policies to include licensing and keeping up-to-date anti-malware and anti-virus software. This is an easy way to decrease your risk of many attacks.
3. Do not allow users to run as administrators on their devices. This could be a difficult conversation to have because it requires playing a babysitter role. Even though the device belongs to the user, too many dangers could present themselves from browsing the Internet.
4. Educate all employees. People are commonly unaware of how to protect their data best, so giving instructions and policies will allow everyone to be on the same page. Implement an Acceptable Use or Remote Access Policy so employees cannot access risky material.
5. Ensure that all workstations, hard drives, and removable disks/drives are locked down and encrypted in case of theft or a local boot attack.
6. Regularly performing network and vulnerability assessments of internal and external networks can help you best protect yourself from as many scenarios as possible. By leveraging one of our services, someone like us from Cylogy Labs can speak with authority and give input on your situation.

Can you be sure you’re safe from risks?

Ask and write down the answers to these assessment questions.

1. How easy would it be for someone to steal our corporate information and crash our network?
2. What is the likelihood that someone will hack us?
3. What could one of our employees do with unauthorized privileges?
4. How easy is it to circumvent access controls?
5. Is it more accessible for insiders than outsiders from the internet?

If you’re a small business owner, partnering with us can help you leverage our experience to build a digital fortress around your business. Please visit www.cyologylabs.com for a no-obligation consultation. Finally, don’t forget to download our mobile app, FRAUDSTER, which is available on Apple and Android. You can learn more at www.FraudsterApp.com.