Small and medium businesses (SMB) are the backbone of the American economy, but they are also increasingly the target of cyber attacks. In fact, 43% of all cyber attacks target small businesses.
The reason for this is simple: small businesses often lack the resources and knowledge to properly protect themselves from cyber threats. As a result, they can be an easy target for cyber criminals looking to steal data or money.
To help you keep your business safe from cyber attacks, we’ve put together a list of the top SMB cybersecurity mistakes. By avoiding these mistakes, you can make it much harder for attackers to succeed.
Not Having a Cybersecurity Policy
One of the biggest mistakes that small businesses make is not having a formal cybersecurity policy in place. This policy should outline the steps that your employees need to take to keep your data safe.
It should also include procedures for dealing with a security breach, such as who to contact and how to report it. Without a policy in place, your employees may not know what to do if they are targeted by a cyber attack.
Not Training Employees on Cybersecurity
Another mistake that small businesses make is not providing adequate training to their employees on cybersecurity. As mentioned above, your employees are one of your biggest assets when it comes to protecting your business from cyber attacks.
However, they can also be one of your biggest vulnerabilities if they don’t know how to spot or deal with a cyber threat. Make sure that you provide regular training to your employees on cybersecurity, so they can help protect your business.
Not Backing Up Data Regularly
One of the worst things that can happen during a cyber attack is losing important data. This data could be customer information, financial records, or anything else that is critical to your business.
To avoid this, you need to make sure that you are backing up your data regularly. This way, even if your primary data is lost or stolen, you will still have a copy that you can use to continue running your business.
Not Keeping Software Up-to-Date
Another mistake that small businesses make is not keeping their software up-to-date. Software updates often include security patches that can help protect your business from the latest cyber threats.
However, if you don’t install these updates, your business will be vulnerable to attack. Make sure that you set up automatic updates for all of the software that you use, so you can rest assured that you are always using the most recent version.
Not Monitoring Network Activity
Another way that cyber criminals can gain access to your data is by exploiting vulnerabilities in your network. To help prevent this, you need to make sure that you are monitoring your network activity and looking for any suspicious activity.
There are a number of tools that can help you with this, such as a network security camera or a network analyzer. By monitoring your network, you can quickly spot any unusual activity and take steps to prevent an attack.
Conclusion
Small businesses are increasingly the target of cyber attacks. However, by avoiding the mistakes listed above, you can make it much harder for attackers to succeed. Implementing proper cybersecurity measures is essential to protecting your business from these threats.