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Small business makes up a huge part of the global economy. Based on a new survey of U.S. small businesses sponsored by Symantec and the National Cyber Security Alliance, sixty-seven percent (67%) of small businesses have become more dependent on the Internet last year and sixty-six (66%) are dependent on it for their day-to-day operations.
The Internet is a vast gateway that provides great potential for businesses. More small businesses today use networks and the Internet as vital business tools to find new customers, and serve existing customers more effectively.
Small businesses are attractive to cyber criminals
Cyber criminals already control more than 100 million computers across the globe, and have have shifted their attention to small businesses and individuals. While large firms are ideal targets because of their large assets, small businesses are more vulnerable to attacks. Large firms have set security and contingency measures in place, but small businesses are at risk since cyber criminals know that they are the least protected.
A closer look reveals that most small businesses lack effective protection from attackers and other cyber criminals, sufficient cyber security policies and training. They often lack resources to hire internet security experts or purchase effective security software. Some rely on using cheap Internet security software or making use of freeware, or none at all, and doing so makes them easy targets. This lack of security investment creates an environment that is relatively low risk for criminals.
A firewall coupled with anti-virus software and spyware are not sufficient protection against the web threats and email threats of today. Other factors such as data loss due to hardware failures, proper backup procedures and disaster recovery, are also often overlooked.
In other cases, management views information security as a cost that can be cut during difficult financial times, only to create the potential to suffer significant losses in the long run. Brad Dinerman, founder of the National Information Security Group, states that, ?When economic circumstances look dire, it is easy to turn security into a checklist item that keeps being pushed back. However the reality is that, in such situations, security should be a primary issue. The likelihood of threats affecting your organization will probably increase and the impact can be more detrimental.?
Online technology, particularly social media, creates a myriad of challenges and problems for businesses. In small business marketing, promotion through social marketing, such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+ is becoming a huge trend. Online businesses realize the affordability and ease of use of these channels and are using them as promotional tools.
Unfortunately social networking, as well as other emerging technology such as smartphones and tablets, provide avenues of potential threats and attack. Social networking platforms provide cyber criminals with the ability to reach targets where smart phones and other devices play a large role. Businesses with employees who access corporate data using their smartphones and tablets need to have implemented security policies for these devices to avoid making them prone to social engineering attacks.
Ensuring the security of business networks while utilizing the benefits of social networks and mobile technology becomes a challenge for business owners.
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Tags: cyber security training, ethical hacker training, penetration test training
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