.png)
Yesterday we hosted a Cybersecurity Awareness Webinar focused on explaining some of the key impacts to SMBs in plain English.
Here are some of the key take-aways.
We asked listeners to think about how they secure their own homes from outside threats. Everyone has doors and windows, to keep people out. People may have dead-bolt locks, security systems, motion sensors, video cameras, a fence, a big dog, etc. You get the picture. It's not just ONE thing that you do for security, it's the combination of a lot things put together that help keep you secure. Also, different people will have a different level of protection needed to feel safe - everyone has a different level of risk tolerance.
Now imagine a major crime wave hits your town and your neighborhood. Imagine that several of your neighbors have had home break-ins. At this point, most people would wisely reconsider ALL their security options, and strengthen each of the layers of protection and add a few more. Are ALL your windows locked? Does your family know what to do when an intruder rings the door bell? Do you have motion sensors? Is your alarm system up to date and connected to the police department? Basically, to retain your level of safety, you must respond with more security protection to address the increased threat.
The same scenario is happening in Cybersecurity. Cyber crime is now larger than all other forms of organized crime. We've all seen the headlines, but in a way this has led to "cyber fatigue". Too many SMBs think that when they hear that Marriott or Yahoo has had breach, they are relieved that they're not a big company and hence not a target. This is NOT how it works. Threats are automated and half of all threats hit SMBs. Smaller events don't make national news, but they're happening everywhere. In our line of work, we sadly hear about a lot of the local events.
We're advising all SMBs in our community to be very clear about what protection you have and what protection you don’t have, so you can make informed decisions about your security gaps and risk tolerance.
By thoroughly understanding the options, each business can make an informed decision about the level of acceptable risk. Know your security gaps BEFORE disaster hits.
With an greatly increased threat level, the security basics such as antivirus and security patches just aren't enough any more. After disaster strikes there isn't much you can do but there's plenty to do ahead of time to prepare, so get started! We hear from too many people who say "I'll just pay the ransom" or "I have insurance so I'm all set". Think this through now, and get a better plan!
There’s no such thing as 100% security, but the more layers of protection you have, the safer you are against data loss, breaches, and downtime. The cyber threat level has increased dramatically over the past few years, and to even maintain the same level of risk, you'll need to increase security.