Think Cybersecurity Breaches Only Happen within Large Corporations? Think again.

When you think of data or security breaches, do you automatically think of the biggest ones? Starwood Hotels, Facebook, Equifax, Target, etc.? That’s because, of course, we hear about those most often. They are the breaches that make the news and get everyone talking. This leads to the misconception that breaches only occur within large corporations. This, however, couldn’t be further from the truth.

Believe it or not, small businesses account for the majority of security breaches with two-thirds having suffered from an attack in the last year. Data breaches and security threats can affect any and all businesses, regardless of size or industry. And, the costs associated are staggering. According to a recent study conducted by Ponemon Institute, the average cost from damage or theft of IT assets and infrastructure is $1,027,053 and the average cost of the disruption to normal operations is $1,207,965.

The truth is, the “big guys” can often recover from even some of the most detrimental security breaches. Those large companies we mentioned? They are all still in business, some better than ever. As a small business owner, would the same be true if you were the victim of an attack? Would you be able to recover from a breach costing your business upwards of $2.5 million?

Enhancing security within your small business

Reading some of these statistics may have you feel overwhelmed but know you don’t have to fix or safeguard absolutely everything all at once. What you shouldn’t do is nothing. Though it may be easy in the short term, it can be absolutely detrimental to your organization in the long term. If you’re reading this with absolutely no security measures in place, start today. Work with an experienced cybersecurity services provider to get the appropriate measures in place and continuously educate yourself and your employees on best practices such as safe password policies, mobile device guidelines, and backup/recovery procedures. By being proactive, rather than reactive, you’ll have the peace of mind needed to focus on what matters most – running your business.

Ready to safeguard your business? Contact us.