When you run a business, you should be aiming to protect it at all costs. Hard work, hard earned moneyand time you’ll never get back should be reasons enough to do so. Aside from putting the necessary insurance in place, a way to protect your business is through cybersecurity. If your business operates online, you should know that there are a number of threats out there that you should be aware of. In case you’ve been wondering why exactly you need cybersecurity and whether or not it’s that important, see a few reasons to think about below.
1. They can be an Easy Target
Businesses, especially those that are new and relatively small, can be seen as an easy target for hackers seen as at least 43% target small businesses. This could be because they’re sometimes easily accessible and their in-house team may be less experienced when it comes to cybercrime. Thisis an advantage they may not have with bigger companies.
Some common hacks that are carried out on small businessesare social engineering attacks which include things like social media, search results and link bait. You should know that while some social engineering attacks are targeted on accessing customer data, others may be focused on the CEO or CFO of a company.
A solution would be to hire dedicated staff that can focus on security performing tasks like managing vulnerability, auditing, and risk management. This may not be the cheapest option, but it’s a worthwhile investment.
2. To Keep Data Secure
As a business, you’re likely to collect data from customers and prospective customers to help grow your business. Data can be usedfor a range of things which include learning more about your customers, what they need and their interests. However, this data can be useful information used by hackers and cybercriminals.
For this reason, putting cybersecurity measures in place to protect the data you collect is vital. You should also know what to do inthe case of a breach such as using a company like Secure Forensics seeing as they can deal with data breaches. In addition to this, they’re also capable of helping you find the source of the breach through investigations.
3. It could Cost you Money
Not having cybersecurity could cost you money in the long run. There are so many risks associated with a cyber attack such as the destruction of projects and lawsuits if care is not taken. Also, if you’re faced with an attack and news gets out, you could be spending large amounts on PR and damage control.
Another way not having cybersecurity could cost you money is in the extreme case of ransomware. A small business could end up having to pay hackers an amount they can’t afford.
4. Your Employees Could be at Risk
Aside from protecting customer data, you should also be looking for a way to protect your employees as well. Cyber-attacks can affect them negatively in the case that sensitive and private information is taken and shared. 5% of small businesses have reported that they had data breaches involving customer and employee information in the past 12 months. You should, therefore, think about using cybersecurity as it could protect both customers and employees.
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