I Won't Get Hacked. I'm Too Small.

"I Won't Get Hacked. I'm Too Small." is a Myth.

Do you believe that your business is too small to get hacked? Maybe it's time to reassess this belief?  

If you own or run a small company, chances are you wear a lot of hats. Because, in a small company, budgeting is always tight, and you need to be flexible as you grow. It's possible that you haven't given serious thought to your IT network security. Maybe you keep putting it off because you think your company is too small for anyone to attack. It is hard to believe, that companies still believe this myth. And you might be one of those companies.

Do you believe that your company is too small to get hacked?

The myth is far from reality in 2019. According to hackmageddon.com, a review of the target distribution data shows that for 2019, the top group being attacked is individuals at 27 percent, and the second group most likely to be cyber-attacked is small businesses at 14.3 percent.

What percentage of cyber attacks are directed at small businesses in 2019?

31 percent of all cyberattacks are designated for smaller entities such as individuals or small businesses. And if you think about this information a bit, it makes sense that malicious hackers are moving in this direction. That's because big businesses are taking their cybersecurity seriously. They don't want to become the next victim in this cyberwar. Therefore, these companies are paying for sophisticated cybersecurity and backup systems to protect them in the case of an attack, and to restore their IT network rapidly if their data gets corrupted or lost.

Why should my small business consider cybersecurity options?

If hackers can't break into larger, more lucrative targets, they will look for other targets to hack. Most criminals aren't over-achievers. They don't want to work too hard. They will go after companies that aren't prepared with defenses. Criminals that hack into websites have developed easily deployed tools to find any organizations that believe they are too small to be hacked, the "low-hanging fruit" for hackers. At the very minimum, your data has value to your business. However, chances are that you have proprietary or sensitive data, or maybe both types of data that hackers could sell.

What would happen if my small business gets hacked?

There are numerous types of hackers, malicious actors that could cause a data breach to your IT network, and then, steal sensitive data. Depending on what industry you're in, you may have a lot of sensitive information. For instance, law firms protect significant amounts of personal data, while a retail store has a lesser amount. But, retails stores still have sensitive company information and employees' human resources data.

What if you could no longer access the data on your computer system?

The goal of ransomware, which has been a big threat in 2019, is to lock up your computer system and hold it for ransom. This type of cyber attack is increasing because it is extremely successful to exploit victims for money. If you aren't prepared, this can happen to you.

What if a hacker sold your clients' information to other criminals?

At the very least, your promise of confidentially would be broken. It's far more likely that you would get sued for damages.

How do I protect against a cyber attack?

Implementing the top cyber-security tools won't guarantee that you will never experience a cyber attack. But, ignoring the possibility and not protecting yourself and your clients is irresponsible, virtually guaranteeing that you will experience a very bad day.

At a minimum every company, no matter what size it is, should implement cyber-security solutions that will minimize a ransomware threat. Cybersecurity tools are affordable for most small- to medium-sized businesses, far more affordable than a potential data breach. Give us a call, and On Time Tech will be happy to discuss appropriate layered security programs to keep your data secure from malicious cyber threats.