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A cybersecurity attack can devastate even the largest company with the most extensive resources. So you can only imagine how much it could impact a small to medium-sized business that may not have millions of dollars to spend combating these threats.
This makes it critically important to implement effective network monitoring security to ensure your business is able to remain proactive to any potential threats to your system.
At Blueshift Cybersecurity, we are here to provide you with information regarding the top cybersecurity risks to small to medium-sized businesses and how our products are the perfect solution for mitigating some of the most preventable threats that businesses across the country face.
There are several types of threats that continue to impact the stabilities of businesses across the United States. Here is a list of the top six threats that cause the most damage to small to medium-sized businesses.
This type of attack generally involves a hacker attempting to trick a person into providing them with sensitive information. In many cases, the hacker will pretend to be someone that they know. They may also pretend to be a person representing the company that they work for. Most hackers utilize social media in an attempt to gain knowledge and information from others. Some send messages to people that contain malware that is effective for stealing their personal information.
Unfortunately, small to medium-sized businesses are especially vulnerable to this type of attack. Statistics show that employees of small businesses were subjected to approximately 350% more social engineering attacks when compared to employees at large enterprises. This alarming statistic highlights the critical importance of having strong network monitoring security in place to protect your business from disaster.
The ransomware attack is one of the most prevalent types of cybersecurity threats that small to medium-sized businesses face. These attacks are generally orchestrated through email, with approximately 48% of total attacks being made through Microsoft Office files attached to emails. Once an attack is made, it works by encrypting the data and information of the company that the attacker has access to. The hacker will then try to extort money from the victim and hold the system and information hostage until they receive their payout.
Many companies end up paying the demanded money to the attacker due to lacking the time and resources that are needed to recover from these unimaginable attacks. Regrettably, the average cost of a ransomware attack on a business is around $133,000. Given the drastic impact this type of attack can have on a small business, network monitoring security is imperative.
This type of attack is usually conducted on small to medium-sized businesses through email. Hackers will typically attack an infected file to the email that works by infiltrating the computer system once it is opened. Without adequate network monitoring security, there may be other ways for malware to get into a system. However, once inside, the results can be dramatic.
Malware has the ability to change settings and permissions on digital files, block programs from running, and install spyware on the computer or network to monitor the activity of users.
Data theft is another major cybersecurity risk to small businesses across the country, especially those with no adequate network monitoring security. This type of attack involves a hacker stealing personal information from employees. Data theft is usually orchestrated by a hacker using trickery or other dishonest practices to access the information.
More often than not, data theft involves a person accessing an employee’s email account. Once they make access, they are able to spread ransomware, engage in phishing attacks, and even conduct pharming attacks on the network of the business.
Unfortunately, employees may also threaten the financial security of companies by engaging in activities that directly impact the security of the business. We see countless instances where employees leave data behind on USB drives, allowing others to easily access it and steal the information.
In other instances, employees who use the same password on both work and personal accounts may fall victim to a phishing scheme that places their employer at risk. Regrettably, approximately 95% of total cybersecurity breaches are known to have been caused by human errors. This makes network monitoring security critical for preventing these types of costly mistakes from having a drastic impact on a business.
Without a doubt, phishing is one of the most popular cyber threats that small and medium-sized businesses face. This type of threat is also the biggest one sweeping across the country.
Phishing threats work by tricking users into providing the hacker with their personal information. It is generally done by sending a person an email that appears to come from a trusted person, source, or website. The user then clicks the link and provides the sender with the information, whether directly or indirectly.
Unfortunately, businesses are far from immune to these devastating attacks. In fact, the information of more than 20,000 federal agency employees fell victim to a phishing attack after a hacker posed as a company executive and sent an infected email to the workers.
When it comes to combating these cybersecurity threats, small to medium sized businesses are generally not financially equipped to overcome the challenges that each type of attack can cause. For this reason, it is important that they consider network monitoring security as a safeguard against future attacks.
There are various things that you should look out for when monitoring your small business’s network for suspicious activity. These include:
Small businesses that have fewer network monitoring security measures in place may first notice the effects of suspicious activities like pop-up notifications, slow devices, slow networks, unusual antivirus notifications, and unauthorized toolbars.
In some instances, small business workers may notice user abuse or abnormal activities on the database as hackers try to breach the system. This usually indicates that they are trying to gain access to cardholder information or the personal information of workers or customers that may be stored on the system.
Any type of suspicious activity could indicate a cybersecurity threat to your business. Regrettably, small to medium-sized businesses tend to be more vulnerable to destructive threats.
It is undeniable that small to medium-sized businesses are especially vulnerable to being targeted by bad actors. Of the total businesses surveyed, approximately 27% of small businesses that store customers’ credit card information admit that they have no network monitoring security in place. This significantly increases the vulnerability of already susceptible businesses.
Recent studies have shown that small to medium-sized businesses were especially vulnerable to being threatened by bad actors. When it comes to cybersecurity threats to these businesses, the results can be devastating. Alarmingly, recent statistics show the following:
Unfortunately, more than 87% of small businesses have confidential customer data that could be compromised if they were victimized by a cybersecurity attack.
Since the early days of the pandemic, we have seen companies across the country turn to remote work in order to stay afloat. Although this provided companies with the ability to avoid complete operation disruptions, it also placed them at an increased risk of being vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.
When workers are not in the office, they are more likely to utilize social media, check their personal email on work computers, and visit webpages that they should probably avoid. This leaves them more vulnerable to being hit by an attacker, especially if they lack adequate network monitoring security.
If the computers or equipment used by remote workers are not properly secured or encrypted, they may be compromised. Unfortunately, remote workers are more likely to cut corners and approach their workload with ease, thus increasing the chances of engaging in their work without taking the steps needed to protect themselves.
Statistics from 2019 demonstrate that around 76% of all businesses in the United States experienced some type of hack. Approximately 60% of small businesses reported failed within six months of the breach.
These devastating statistics make it critically important for company owners to utilize network monitoring security measures as soon as possible to prevent this type of destruction from affecting their businesses. Thankfully, there are some steps that you can take personally to decrease the chances of being targeted.
As we continue to see advancements in information technology, the risk of cybersecurity threats increases as well. Unfortunately, these threats are rapidly becoming more complex and harder for individuals and businesses to mitigate.
When it comes to protecting your business, there are a few steps that you can take. These include:
Finally, you can highly benefit from seeking assistance from Blueshift Cybersecurity when it comes to handling your network monitoring security needs.
Recognizing the unique challenges that small to medium-sized businesses face is a critical component of determining the most effective solutions. When it comes to the function of businesses, we are now seeing companies with data that lives in more places. As more businesses are using mobile devices, the cloud, and on-premises systems, the chances of accidental and malicious data loss or leaks drastically increases.
In order to combat the growing cybersecurity challenges that businesses are facing, Blueshift Cybersecurity offers enterprise-grade securities for small and medium-sized businesses at an affordable price. Some of the benefits that we provide business owners who utilize our services for network monitoring security include:
Blueshift is committed to providing one-stop-shop compliance solutions for small to medium-sized business owners. Our network monitoring security solutions are designed to drastically lower the risks that your organization faces and allow you to meet many complex compliance challenges. These include:
All of the cybersecurity measures we offer for network monitoring security are specifically designed to cover the unique needs of small to medium-sized businesses. By fusing together managed security operations with leading technology, our team is committed to actively protecting businesses as they navigate the rapidly-evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats.
If you are interested in seeing how our network monitoring security solutions can help protect your business, feel free to reach out to our team as soon as possible. We are fully committed to helping your business stay safe against cybersecurity threats that can disrupt your business.