Some small business owners might believe that they’re not in the same cyber attack risk category as large corporations, but this is far from the truth. As a IT support company for small businesses in San Diego, we wanted to share a few eye opening facts and figures about the threat that hacking poses to smaller corporations and mom-and-pop shops.
Symantec, an American technology company headquartered in Mountain View, California, revealed in its 2013 Internet Security Threat Report that cyber attacks on small businesses have steadily increased in the past several years. In 2012, for example, 18 percent of all attacks were small business targets. By 2013, the number almost doubled to 31 percent.
Yet, a McAfee and Office Depot survey in 2013 of 1,000 business owners found that 77 percent responded that they had never been hacked and 66 percent believed that they have nothing to worry about.
The problem with these statistics is that small business owners are more likely to be attacked than larger corporations. Large companies have the money, time and manpower to invest in the best computer security and have the staff to provide quick IT solutions in the face of an emergency situation or data breach. On the other hand, hackers know that small businesses are easier targets because of a combination of factors, two of which include owner overconfidence and poor security. Small businesses that also have network connections to larger companies provide criminals with the perfect means to get past corporate security.
Even if these facts could be ignored, one fact can’t be: A cyber attack often does far more damage to small business owners and their customers then to large corporations and their customers.
Small businesses are more likely to have personal customer details such as names, addresses and credit card numbers, and bank or other online account passwords on a computer connected to the Internet. Additionally, when an attack happens, most small business owners don’t have the resources to deal with re-securing their computers, let alone deal with an interruption to productivity or sales, lawsuits or other legal or financial complications.
Re-evaluating computer and network setup and security should be the first item on every small business owners “to-do” list. And if you own a small business and need help with conducting an IT audit of your business, call Syndeo Communications today. Located in San Diego, we offer free consultations and are more than happy to answer any questions you may have about your current technologies.