Cyberattacks against large enterprises usually provide the material for headlines, but that doesn’t mean small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) are any less vulnerable. As a matter of fact, a new report from NordVPN suggests SMBs are the “sweet spot” for criminals, for a number of reasons.
For one, SMBs don’t often believe they are an attractive target. Many SMB decision-makers believe criminals are more focused on large enterprises, making them complacent about cybersecurity practices. For example, a third of North American SMBs said they don’t have dedicated in-house cyber security staff.
Secondly, they are reluctant to invest in reliable digital protection. Just 40 percent have implemented a cybersecurity policy, it was said, with budget constraints restricting the level to which SMBs can invest in security.
Despite perceptions, criminals find SMBs highly attractive targets. In some cases, they perceive them as a gateway to the systems of larger organizations, for instance via supply chains.
In order to stay secure, especially with Covid-19 forcing staff to work remotely, SMBs should take a few of key steps:
- Establish a secure connection
- Raise awareness about social engineering
- Ensure privacy and confidentiality
To ensure employees remain secure, NordVPN says they should change their default router passwords, regularly update the firmware to their devices, as well as the software they use, and make sure they use an antivirus solution.
They should also be wary of potential phishing and other scams in their email inboxes, and make sure they don’t share their work devices, or passwords, with other members of their family (or anyone else, for that matter).
