Small businesses still cybercrime targets

We’ve seen a great deal of threats highlighted this year, as well as information leaks, IoT botnets and some very evasive ransomware.
One could argue that strains of malware are evolving and cyber criminals are becoming bolder. Ransomware is particularly rife and there is a far greater need for more pervasive and aggressive cyber security than ever before.
This is particularly relevant for small and medium sized businesses who are in danger of becoming complacent, believing that they are of no interest to cyber criminals. This, however, is not the case.
Let’s face it: cyber-attacks are expensive, and security may not be top of the budget for many small businesses. The fact remains that it really makes no difference what size your business is, it is still a target when there is money to be made by the attacker.
“Many small businesses don’t include security solutions in their budget because their concern is placing funds into keeping the business afloat. Many opt for just the basics while others implement no security measures whatsoever. This is exactly the kind of thing that cyber criminals are looking for. Some businesses simply don’t have the funds for security solutions. It’s like leaving your front door wide open,” says Anvee Alderton, channel manager of Trend Micro Southern Africa.
The cost of security breaches is also something that most small companies cannot afford. Even if the cash is there for recovery after a cyber-attack, there is still the damage to reputation and loss of client trust to consider.
The other side of the coin is that there is a lack of sufficiently qualified cyber security professionals in the workplace in general. This makes assessing the technology needs difficult and an in-house IT team may lack the necessary skills to be able to deal with the emerging threats and to neutralise them.
Where possible, it’s important for small businesses to make use of the available security talent and ensure that updates are done on a regular basis. Managed service providers (MSPs) could be the solution to improving security and preventing breaches.
“Trend Micro provides business security services that give you all-in-one cloud protection for both the user and for your data. It’s vital that small businesses pay attention to their cyber security. The threats out there are very real, and the expense of bouncing back from a cyber-attack may cost more than ensuring your data is secure now,” Alderton advises.
There seems to be a rising trend in ransomware and other cyber-attacks. While there are many big fish for the attackers to target, it’s easier to penetrate a small business that has little or no protection. While a small business needs room to grow, it also needs to be safe.