Keeping up to date against the latest security threats often feels like fighting the many-headed hydra of Greek mythology. For every one cybersecurity threat that you slay, three more spring up in their place.
If you want some help facing this many-headed beast as a small business owner, knowing which heads you might have to attack can be crucial. This is especially true as more and more of our work becomes remote or online thanks to the ongoing pandemic.
Here are some of the most common security threats that small businesses need to watch out for.
Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are on a meteoric rise. What are phishing scams? They are attacks where scammers use what seems to be a legitimate ID for emails or text messages, then steals user information when they go to a login page or payment page. An unfortunate side effect of COVID-19 and all its new legislation and restrictions is that many of these got communicated to businesses online.
This was a field day for would-be hackers and phishers as they set up official-looking government or corporate emails. They made sure their by-line appeared like an official email on mobile, with frightening claims. Some claimed businesses violated new standards. Others, that they were behind on bills supposed to be in deferment.
Even agencies as large as the WHO became scapegoats for phishers, especially during the pandemic. We expect phishing to continue its rise into the new year, as while we hope the pandemic will soon end, it seems to be raging on.
Malware and Ransomware
Did you know that 46% of small businesses have been the targets of a ransomware attack? Keeping your system clean from malware and ransomware has never been more important. This is especially true as more of your business moves online.
These attacks most often happen to small businesses because they do not have a specialized anti-malware program. Alternatively, they do not keep their systems updated with all the latest security protocols. This also means keeping passwords up to date to account for the latest security threats.
Data Exposure and Breach
Database exposures and breaches can cost your business more than money. They can cost you trust, reputation, and even the entire business’s existence. The terrifying thing is that the most common source of database exposure is not some program or bot.
It’s social engineering. It’s people pretending to be on the inside of the company but confused as to why their logins don’t work. It’s people feigning like they’re down on their luck, and you’re really helping them out if you just give them account access without the proper credentials.
The best way to prevent these is by having appropriate training. Make sure your people know how to spot a social engineering attack when they see one.
So, What Now?
Now that you’ve seen some of the biggest security threats you should worry about in the coming year, what are you going to do about them? If your answer is anything other than ‘nothing’, we here at Pegasus Technologies have IT Solutions for all your security needs. Reach out to us today and see what we can do for you!
Pegasus Technologies is the IT Team for organizations that don’t need a full-time IT department. Our technology experts build you a technology plan to keep your business running at its best. We have offices in Kennett Square, PA, Media, PA, and Wayne, PA to provide better computer support and IT services to you.
