Introduction
Why is it that big corporations always hit the headlines whenever there’s hacking news? Why don’t we hear anything about the small businesses? Why is cyber security for business important?
Cybercriminals target big corporations because they have the money and resources. They have a large customer database that cybercriminals can take advantage of. We don’t hear hacking related news that much that targets small businesses. One reason is that it doesn’t affect many people. The threat is on a small scale only.
You will know more about this as we continue with our discussion on this article. You will know what cyber security for business is all about. You will also see the importance of why you need cyber security for business.
What Is Cyber Security For Business?
Cyber security is also known as information technology security, according to Wikipedia. Cyber security is about protecting computer systems from various threats. Cyber security for business is protecting the customer’s data from various threats. But what is a threat?
A threat does the following:
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Anything that damages data or information is a threat. A good example of this is the traditional computer virus which harms data. It attaches itself to an executable program, infects its code, and then it replicates. This viral behavior damages the host program’s data.
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Anything that steals sensitive data is also a threat. An example of this is a keylogger program. This malware records every keystroke made in your system. It looks for credit card numbers and bank account details. The keylogger will then send this data to the attacker.
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A threat can also make you do things against your judgment. Ransomware is a good example of this. It tells you to give the attacker some money so you can decrypt back your data.
Your knowledge of cyber security for business will help in protecting a customer’s data. This applies to any business whether big or small. As long as your business process any sensitive data, you can still fall victim to a threat. Your business should follow some standard security policies and procedures.
You now know what is cyber security for business. You will understand why you need cyber security for business in the next section.
Why Do You Need Cyber Security For Business?
Because your business is small does not mean you are already safe from threats. Having a small business does not exempt you from cyber attacks. An attack does not need a target to be successful.
Here are some examples of cyber security threats for small businesses:
An attacker attaches a keylogger malware to an email. A large number of recipients will receive this email. One of the recipients will download the attachment without knowing it.
The keylogger works in the background of the victim’s computing device. It records all keystrokes and sends it to the attacker. This includes the victim’s passwords, credit card numbers, and bank account details.
You might be the next person getting this malicious email. It’s important to protect your business from such a threat. You need to know about cyber security for business.
Here’s another sample scenario:
Bryan runs a small book store. Bryan uses a POS or point of sale machine in doing business transactions. Bryan feels safe because no one will ever try to hack a small book store.
A cybercriminal inserted a USB device containing malware into Bryan’s POS machine. This happened in seconds while Bryan is not looking. The attacker has stolen all the credit card numbers of Bryan’s customers.
This would not happen if Bryan knows what cyber security for business is. Bryan could have disabled the USB port in advance. Even if the attacker manages to insert the USB device, it will not function.
The scenarios above would not happen if you know about cyber security for business. Another important thing to remember is to watch out for social engineering attacks. This is another way of getting sensitive information from anyone.
Someone can extract sensitive info from you if you are not aware of it. The attacker would take advantage of your emotions at that time. The attacker will tell you an emotional story that would make you cry. You will then give your name, contact details, and address without realizing it.
The attacker can use these pieces of info to study you. The collected info is then used to create a password cracker. This is where the attacker can gain access to your sensitive data. This includes all your accounts that have a username and password.
Conclusion
You became aware of what cyber security for business is. You now also understand the importance of cyber security for business. For more information on how you can protect your business, please click here.
