One of the most challenging issues for small businesses is cyber security. The Covid-19 pandemic has posed a bigger threat for cybercrime as it has forced many businesses to operate remotely. Studies reveal that in small business workforces, 63% are now working remotely. Coupled with the lack of basic cybersecurity knowledge, 53% of those in the US believe they are now more vulnerable to cyber attacks more than ever.
Being a small business doesn’t mean small costs when it comes to cyber attacks. Studies show 23% of small businesses had suffered at least one attack in the last year and the average cost is $25,612.
The most common point of entry for cyber criminals is the company servers, so a critical step in order to minimize vulnerabilities is to ensure that they are secured. That being said, employees should be vigilant against cybercrimes and they need to be educated and involved on how to prevent this. It is important to be able to identify what is and isn’t a reasonable online request, detect any intrusions and continue monitoring until issues are resolved. Alerts are to be in place in both automatic and manual logging. It is critical that businesses have robust procedures to mitigate any risks brought about by the new work practices. A simple checklist for internal staff could mean saving the business tens of thousands of dollars. Regular cybersecurity awareness training should be updated with this kind of basic knowledge.
