Is your small business adequately protected against cyber attacks?
If you’re like many people, you may assume that cyber attacks only happen to large organizations. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.
While big companies have the resources to prevent most cyber attacks, that’s the only thing that makes them unique. The reality is that businesses of all sizes can fall prey to various types of cyber attacks.
What can you do to ensure your business and customers remain safe?
To start with, you need to understand the different types of cyber threats. In this article, we’ll go over the most common kinds of cyber attacks that affect small businesses.
Phishing attacks involve fraudulent messages requesting sensitive information. These messages can be emails, texts, or even phone calls. Fraudsters try to trick employees into giving away sensitive data by impersonating trusted individuals.
The good news is that basic cybersecurity tips are all you need to evade most phishing attacks. Your employees need to know how to recognize phishing emails and ignore them. It only takes one mistake to jeopardize your business.
Ransomware is a little harder to avoid. Attacks involve malicious software, or malware, that gets installed onto business computers. This software then encrypts the data stored on the computers, making it inaccessible. Hackers will demand a ransom in exchange for unencrypting data they’ve stolen. When this happens, unless you have a backup somewhere, you have no choice but to pay them.
DDoS attacks, or distributed denials of service, involve overwhelming a business’s network or website with a flood of traffic. This renders the business’s systems unusable to legitimate users. Like ransomware, DDoS attacks can be used to extort money from small businesses.
Advanced persistent threats, or APTs, are designed to go undetected for extended periods of time. They lurk in the background and steal sensitive information over time.
Social engineering can take many forms, including phishing messages. It involves manipulating people into performing actions or giving away confidential information.
This may be the type of attack you’re most familiar with. Simply put, malware is software designed to harm a computer, network, or device. It can be used to steal important information or disrupt operations.
As you can see, online security is paramount when running a small business. Not only is your company’s data at risk, but its customers’ data is, too.
Fortunately, the right business security measures can protect all of you from most types of cyber attacks. But in order to benefit from them, you’ll need an IT team that’s up to the task.
That’s where Envision IT Solutions comes in. We offer managed IT services to keep businesses and their customers safe. To find out more and get protected, contact us today.
