But We’re Small... Nobody Would Bother To Hack Us, Right?

We get this cybersecurity question a few times a day from business owners like you and the simple answer is: Wrong!

Here are some facts:

• One in five small businesses fall victim to cybercrime each year and that number is GROWING. (Source: National Cyber Security Alliance)
• Small businesses are low-hanging fruit because they don’t believe they are a target, and therefore have very loose or no security systems and protocols in place.
• Half of all cyber-attacks are aimed at SMBs. (Source: Forbes Article, “5 Ways Small Businesses Can Protect Against Cybercrime”)

The words above should be sufficient to move you to take immediate action if you have the slightest suspicion something might be out-of-place when it comes to cybersecurity in your business.

We also understand that most probably, you don't have the skills or resources to have in-house experts devoted solely to cybersecurity? So here are 2 actions that you should take RIGHT NOW to make sure you and your company's most valuable asset, your data, are protected. First, grab a copy of our cybersecurity guide "The 7 Most Critical IT Security Protections Every Business Must Have In Place Now To Protect Themselves From Cybercrime, Data Breaches And Hacker Attacks." This is a completely free handbook on what to look to stay protected and... second, sign up for our "No-Cost Security And Performance Assessment", which will indicate if your company is at risk and what you can do about it.

Cyber Attacks Are Increasing And Are Extremely Costly

Malware and web-based cyber attacks are the most widely used types and these are expanding in their sophistication as well as the way they are distributed. Once a staff member clicks on a rogue link or opens a malicious attachment, they inadvertently provide hackers remote access to infect their systems. 

A single mistake and sensitive business data and personally identifiable details, for example, your social security number, become encrypted or stolen. The attack of choice today is Ransomware and maybe you have read about CryptoLocker, CryptoWall and Locky, harmful software that locks you away from your documents and then demands ransom payment for restoration. Factoring in this circumstance, cybercrime has become significantly expensive.

Expanding Cybersecurity Landscape is Putting Your Data At Risk

There are numerous threats to your data safety, for instance, insider threat. This could be a disgruntled employee or simply a user's mistake. Previously, you were capable of noticing a fake email, however, attackers are now making use of complex social engineering techniques when targeting individuals. It’s no more the "Nigerian Prince" you have to be concerned about. 

Possibly the most common method is soliciting payment for a bill. Hackers acquire access to your structure by appearing genuine in an email. End users believe that the request is legitimate because it’s sent from a known company's email account, for instance, Accounts Payable,  and open the harmful attachment allowing hackers access to your organization's information. Even the savviest of users fall for these types of techniques.

Data Protection Requires Vigilant, Consistent Maintenance and Monitoring

With the numerous threats to your company’s data and taking into account the effect of exploited system or structure vulnerabilities, you just don’t have the time to do what is necessary to maintain your business safe. IT cybersecurity must continually be examined. How long can you say you’ve spent taking care of cybersecurity concerns in the last six months? Are you staying updated with cybersecurity threats? 

When you don’t have someone continuously and actively monitoring your network, you cannot detect any difficulties until it’s too late. Imagine if you didn’t know you had been hit with ransomware until after the ransom payment period closed, and you couldn’t access any of your documents? The typical time to notice malware or a criminal strike is 170 days. Examples of time-consuming, yet necessary cybersecurity activities you can offload to ONIT Technology Solutions consist of:

• Patching the most recent vulnerabilities discovered
• Updating the firewall
• Filtering web-content
• Checking firewall rules
• Maintaining necessary controls and standard certifications, such as PCI, HIPPA, SSAE16, SOX, ISO, and others
• Updating software packages

ONIT Technology Solutions provides the proactive, preventative maintenance and technology you need to secure your servers, devices, workstations, and networks.

More importantly, you’ll have the ability to count on an organization whose sole activity is to closely monitor your network, getting alerts the moment something goes awry and providing end-user security awareness education. Not only this, you’ll benefit from the numerous years of training and expertise a highly qualified managed service provider like ONIT Technology Solutions delivers.