Click here to get this post in PDF
Being a small business owner is rarely a walk in the park. There’s an endless outpouring of costs, non-stop emails and phone calls, and mountains of paperwork to take care of.
However, there’s a far more severe threat to your business, and it’s far less obvious than the traditional issues that come with running a company. Hidden online, there’s a staggering volume of viruses, malware and other malicious programmes, as this infographic highlights, that are specifically designed to steal your personal data and cash.
Across England and Wales in 2016, roughly 1 in 10 of us were targeted by hackers. Most people who lack an understanding of the technical side of IT often don’t know there is anything wrong, at least until they check the state of their finances. Be it credit card numbers, passwords, technical designs and even (potentially) Presidential elections, often nothing is spared from being plundered.
Even big corporations who can afford top of the range defences suffer breaches. Global statistics estimate that hacking last year wiped around $4 million off each individual big business, and whilst they are the most appetising targets, no-one is too small to escape a possible attack.
There are ways though to defend against these threats. Naturally, take care on what sites you click on and avoid going anywhere near suspicious looking emails and their attachments. Do your research and acquire the best anti-virus software you can, as this is not an area you want to under-invest in.
Overall, it would be dishonest to say small companies have nothing to fear from hackers. They can do tremendous damage, and make off with their prizes without leaving the slightest trace. Whilst your level of cyber security can never be 100%, you’re from defenceless. Take extra care to read up around the issue, and spend where you need to for that extra piece of mind.
Also read: How to Build Your Online Security
About the Author
Cheeky Munkey offers a complete range of standard and bespoke IT Support packages tailored to suit your company’s objectives, size and budget.
