Did you know that 64% of all businesses in the US have been a victim of a cyber attack? Cyber threats are very real and lead to billions of dollars in lost funds every single year.
Not only can you lose funds directly to cyber attackers, but you can lose personal information related to your customers, which can ruin the trust you’ve built with them and lead to lawsuits.
Cyber security for business is extremely important going forward. Hackers are only getting better and better, and it’s up to you as a business owner to protect your company and your customer’s information.
Wondering what small business cyber security looks like in practice and why it’s vital for your future? Keep reading below to learn all about the importance of cyber security now.
What are Cyber Threats?
First off, what do cyber attacks look like in 2022 and beyond? Hackers continue to evolve their strategies. However, the bulk of their strategies remains the same because they continue to work.
In general, they are trying to access computers and IT networks for the purpose of accessing important accounts (like bank accounts), stealing funds, and gaining access to private information that they can either hold hostage or use to steal people’s identities.
One of the most common issues is malware. This is a software application that can be installed on a device or network without anyone realizing it. It can spy on users, record information like passwords, or even block functionality within the system.
Often, a program will take a person’s information hostage and demand a ransom payment to return it.
Phishing is also very common, thanks to how gullible the general public is. Hackers will send emails or text messages claiming to be someone from a bank or the tax department, get personal information from you, and use that to steal from you.
Many other types of cyber attacks exist and are being used on a daily basis as well. DNS tunneling, SQL injection, crypto-jacking, password attacks, and many other forms of cyber attacks are putting your business at risk right now.
Importance of Cyber Security for Business
As mentioned earlier, more than 50% of all businesses in the US have already fallen victim to cyber-attacks. It’s not a matter of if you’ll be attacked, but when.
As a business, you rely on technology. You have computers, phone systems, online communication, bank accounts, accounting software, and many other applications you rely on.
All of these digital tools are an opportunity to be targeted by hackers. Here’s why it’s imperative you take your business security seriously so that you can remain in business for many more years to come.
Day-to-Day Operations
Since your business relies on technology to run, whether you are a tech company, a hospital, or a nail salon, you rely on your systems to be functional.
Without certain websites, applications, and devices working properly, you cannot carry out normal business functions.
If you were subjected to malware attacks that blocked your ability to complete basic functions in your business, your productivity would halt, you wouldn’t be able to serve customers, and ultimately, you lose money.
Of course, you can pay to fix these problems once they arise. But all of that downtime can put a massive dent in your monthly revenue.
Build Customer Trust
When you take cyber security seriously, you’ll be able to build a higher level of trust with your customers. But if you cannot keep their personal information safe, that trust will be ruined, and they will leave and find someone else to do business with.
Investing in preventative cyber security is one of the best ways to maintain trust with customers so that they continue doing business with you.
Protect Customer Information
Hackers focus on small businesses for many reasons. For one, they have tons of valuable information. Customer information, including names, phone numbers, addresses, and credit card information, is readily available.
And two, small businesses generally have very weak cyber security, making them easy targets.
Should you fall victim to cyber-attacks and lose customer information to cyber attackers, you could be held liable. Customers can file a lawsuit against you, which would be very costly to you and ruin your reputation.
It’s vital that you protect their information at all costs. On top of cyber security, you can also buy cyber attack insurance to protect you from the cost of potential lawsuits in the future.
Cyber Attacks are Expensive to Fix
If you fall victim to a major cyber attack, you’ll need to pay experts to resolve the issues. Depending on the severity of the issues, it might be quick and easy or long and expensive.
Plus, you may have lost funds directly to hackers, which is unlikely to make its way back to you. And if you lost customer information, you may need to pay for the damages that your business caused.
Cyber attacks are costing businesses millions of dollars. You’re going to pay something. You might as well pay a lot less money to protect your business upfront rather than pay a lot more money trying to fix it all after an attack.
Keeping Your Business Safe
So how can your business avoid all of these problems? The easy answer is to hire a cybersecurity company to protect your business on your behalf.
Cyber security is complicated. And as a business owner, it’s not something that you need to learn about. Rather, you can outsource it to experts so that the weight of cyber security is on their shoulders.
Cyber security experts can ensure you have all the protection you need to prevent attacks from affecting your business operations. They can schedule maintenance for your online systems to ensure everything is updated and secure at all times.
And if a threat is detected, they can identify, remove, and repair it before any real damage is done.
This isn’t an option anymore. If you’re in business, taking personal information from customers and users, it’s a must.
How to Stay in Business
Cyber security for business is very complicated. But it’s extremely important.
Not investing in cyber security can cost you a lot of money down the line. And it can cost you your reputation as well. Don’t be another statistic. Invest in preventative cyber security today, so your business can be around for decades.
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