Small businesses don’t typically make the headlines when it comes to cyber security. Fortunately for small businesses, those stories remain the domain of large enterprises. However, cyber security for small businesses has the attention of hackers, insurers and the government.
While large enterprises may be the ultimate treasure, small businesses often represent easier targets, and compromising enough small business can add up quickly.
A recent Business Journals article citing a National Small Business Association survey reported that half of small business report that they’ve been a victim of a cyber-attack and that the average amount of money stolen through those attacks rose to $19,948 by the end of 2014.
The tools that have become so critical to small business success also create multiple points of vulnerability. Laptops, tablets, and smartphones continue to proliferate and with BYOD becoming a reality, the ability to control and manage access to data and applications has become overwhelming for many small and medium sized businesses.
Clearly, a comprehensive security review is essential for all companies and in many cases a good starting point is evaluating and addressing the risk of attack through the range of devices connected to a company’s systems.
Whether your business has its own IT department or works with a Managed Service Provider, be sure to spend time during Small Business Week 2015 to address the following vulnerabilities:
Mobile devices:
The ability to easily authorize and de-authorize mobile devices for specific applications and data sources, even BYOD, is critical. Your mobile device management system should allow for complete reporting of all connected devices, who they belong to and what they can access. This not only saves time as new employees come on board, it allows instant removal of access when an employee leaves. In the event a device is lost or stolen, locking and/or wiping of the device can be managed quickly and effectively.
Identity and password management:
Employees simply have too many passwords to remember and resort to repeatedly using the same password or writing them down on post-it notes. To make matters worse, when passwords are forgotten, employees call support which reduces their efficiency and increases costs to a small business. Single sign on with multi factor authentication and easy integration with Office 365 is an essential security component and will help protect systems, reduce costs and improve employee efficiency.
Not all attacks simply take information
They may also delete or remove critical business data. It’s essential that a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery system is implemented to ensure that your operations can continue even in the event of a natural…or un-natural disaster.
Small business cyber security doesn’t require huge budgets or even a dedicated IT department. MSPs like those that work with AVG Business can help evaluate your systems and recommend a set of security measures that will help your company to operate effectively and efficiently, even in the face of uncertain attackers.
For more information on keeping your business secure check out our AVG Small Business Digital Policy Guide
