Cyber Attacks: Not IF, Not WHEN, but What Will You Actually Do to Protect Your Business?

By Breanne Wilson, CyberShield Global Contributing Writer

“Cyberattacks happen, but not to my business.”

“My business is too small. A hacker wouldn’t be interested in stealing
  my business’ or my customer’s personal information.”

“I have antivirus software. That’s all I really need.”

These are just a few very common misconceptions many small and medium sized business owners have about cyber security.  With so many global businesses to target, it’s easy to assume that cyberattacks will happen to another business – but not to yours.

But as they say, assumptions are the parent of all mistakes.

If you assume you don’t need to properly protect your business from intelligent and crafty hackers, this mistake can be absolutely devastating to the welfare of your company and to the welfare of your customers. And we have the data to prove it!

According to the 2016 Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR):

“In 2015, we saw a record-setting total of nine mega-breaches, and the reported number of exposed identities jumped to 429 million. But this number hides a bigger story.

In 2015, more companies chose not to reveal the full extent of their data breaches. A conservative estimate of unreported breaches pushes the number of records lost to more than half a billion.”

Half a billion personal records stolen or lost! And your business could be next.

It’s not a question of IF your business will be attacked by hackers, and it’s not a question of WHEN – because it will happen when you least expect it. 

The real question is: will your business be armed with the proper protection against a cyberattack when a hacker strikes?

Ask yourself:
·        Is your business’ network secure?
·        Do you have a security monitoring strategy?
·        Are your passwords strong enough to combat hackers’ attempts to
         break in?
·        When you or your staff does business on mobile devices, are these
         devices truly secure?
·        Do your screens automatically lock?
·        Do your store, use or transmit personally identifiable information (PII)
         or your business’ financial records electronically?
·        If yes, does this information get transmitted to any third parties? How
         secure is it?
·        Can you continue to conduct business if this personal information is
         compromised?
·        How will you know when company systems and assets have been
         compromised?
·        What type of pre-breach protection are you currently investing in?
·        Who do you turn to if you’re attacked for professional 
         post-breach solutions?

These are just a few things to think about when assessing your business’ cyber security prevention and recovery plans.

Believe it or not, there are even more areas to consider when implementing a complete cyber security strategy for your business.

If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, don’t worry. Most business owners feel the same way when it comes to combating hackers.

Here’s the good news – you don’t have to be a cyber security expert to run a successful business that’s protected from cyberattacks.

But you do need to invest in proper cyber security protection as soon as possible, before a hacker strikes.

Get started today. Let CyberShield Global help you take the first step!