5 Ways Small Businesses Can Prevent Cyber Attacks
Cybersecurity breaches are becoming more common for small and medium-sized businesses.
Small businesses can protect themselves from cyber attacks with 5 easy steps.
In honor of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has created a resource called BBB Cybersecurity to educate small businesses.
BBB’s cyber defense efforts are much needed to say the least. According to a 2015 Government Cyber Security Review, 60% of executed cyber-attacks target small and medium-sized businesses.
What’s more, 60% of small businesses fail within 6 months of a cyber attack.
BBB Cybersecurity centers around a “5-Step Approach” to protecting your business:
Step 1: Identify
Take inventory of key technologies you use and know what information you need to rebuild your infrastructure from scratch. Inventory the key data you use and store and keep track of likely threats.
Step 2: Protect
Assess what protective measures you need to have in place to be as prepared as possible for a cyber incident. Put protective policies in place for technologies, data and users, and ensure that your contracts with cloud and other technology service providers include the same protections.
Step 3: Detect
Put measures in place to alert you of current or imminent threats to system integrity, or loss or compromise of data. Train your users to identify and speedily report incidents.
Step 4: Respond
Make and practice an Incidence Response Plan to contain an attack or incident and maintain business operations in the short term.
Step 5: Recover
Know what to do to return to normal business operations after an incident. Protect sensitive data and your business reputation over the long term.
More on Cyber Security Awareness Month: How ‘Spear Phishing’ Scams Reveal Your Private Information
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About the Author
Steve Karantzoulidis, Web/Senior Editor
Steven A. Karantzoulidis is the Web Editor for Security Sales & Integration. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in Communication and has a background in Film, A/V and Social Media.
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