Cyber-crime – Small Business Equals Big Target

Cyber-crime is not new and it is increasing rapidly.

When cyber-crime makes the headlines it is always the big brands who have been targeted that we hear about.

The truth, however, is that small businesses are targeted far more often than big brands. This is because they tend to be less aware of cyber-crime and take fewer steps to protect themselves against attack.

Now you may be wondering why small businesses hold value for hackers. Surely big corporates equal greater rewards for cyber criminals who can outsmart their security measures?

Why Hackers Target Small Business

Hackers and other cyber criminals are rarely opportunists. In fact a great deal of strategy goes into hacking.

Large corporate companies take their data very seriously as they have a lot to lose. This means they spend a lot of money on security measures.

Smaller companies tend to spend a lot less, both because they perceive the cost of security to be too high and they are also largely unaware of the dangers. In many cases small businesses will be totally unaware that they have been attacked.

While small companies may not have the large volumes of data that larger companies have, they nonetheless have sensitive data that can be used by hackers. Financial records, client and employee information and other sensitive information are still present in small businesses.

Cyber criminals are adept at discovering and leveraging this type of data. Whether they uncover credit card details that can be used to withdraw funds or they use a small businesses IT systems to disguise their attacks on larger targets, they can still put small businesses out of business.

Protecting Your Small Business from Cyber-crime

Among hacker’s most popular targets are email accounts and websites. A quick look at the WordPress security plugin WordFence’s realtime attack map will give you an idea of the scale of attacks.

A hacked website can be used to send email spam and attack other sites. It can also be used to gain access to computers that access the site by infecting the site and then a visitor’s computer with malware and virus’s.

Poor emailing habits also open the door for hackers.

For more information about cyber-attacks and security measures, read the following articles:

• Cyber-Attacks – The Why and How
• Protecting Your Organisation from Phishing Attacks
• Data Breaches – A Growing Threat Locally & Internationally
• Social Engineering – A Growing Threat to Your Data Security

Reduce the Risk of being the victim of Cyber-crime with Iron Mountain

Having high levels of security to protect your small business’s data does not need to cost the earth. In fact, you can also have similar levels of protection enjoyed by large corporates for less than you think.

We offer some of the most secure offsite data storage in South Africa and utilise high-level encryption on our retrieval systems.

By moving sensitive digital information offsite to a Iron Mountain facility and making use of our access controlled and secured browser based retrieval services you can reduce your risk of cyber-crime exposure.

Speak to us today to find out more about our data storage offerings.