by Jasmine Dyoco | Educator Labs
Has your business been targeted by the latest phishing or email scams? Well, even if you haven’t noticed them, chances are that your business has been threatened by one of these attacks. Because phishing attempts and email schemes are growing trends that continue to impact both large corporations and small businesses. So, how can you ensure your business is safe? By taking these simple steps to guard your data and protect the future of your business.
BE AWARE OF CURRENT PHISHING SCAMS AND CYBER THREATS
New security threats are popping up all of the time for businesses and having a detailed data breach response plan outlined is a great way to protect your small business. Even with this plan, preventing breaches before they happen should be your top priority, and that means being aware of the latest scams and schemes. You can start by using the FTC website to up your knowledge of how phishing scams work and how cybercriminals use these scams to target small businesses. These scams are designed to shock or scare email subscribers into handing over sensitive information, such as passwords and financial data, so that information can be used to access even more private online info or even trigger a massive data breach. Some of the most recent phishing scams aimed at businesses also include the use of fake phone calls to connect with company employees and gain their trust so that they will open phishing emails. If your business uses smartphones, it’s also important to recognize botnet infections, malware, and credential theft that can leave younger employees particularly vulnerable to security threats.
BE MINDFUL OF DATA BREACH & RECOVERY COSTS FOR BUSINESSES
So why should small businesses put in all this effort? Well every single year, businesses of all sizes are targeted by security breaches and phishing scams that can seriously eat into their profit margins. For small businesses, the average cost of falling prey to a phishing scam is around $86,500 and any attempts to recover from an attack will only drive those expenses up. In fact, many businesses end up folding altogether after a successful cyber attack. Those are some grim statistics to consider but the good news is that preventing attacks before they happen may be complicated but it doesn’t have to be extremely costly. You can take some of the simple steps mentioned in this guide, but you can also make sure that all employees have the same knowledge and best practice information as well, especially since over 40 percent of all information leaks or breaches are the result of negligent email or internet use by employees.
Small businesses depend on information to grow and thrive. When that information is breached by phishing scams or email attacks, however, your business’s data can become more of a liability. So, take the steps needed to prevent these common attacks, but also take the steps needed to ensure that your business can survive a cyberattack.
BE PROACTIVE WITH DATA BREACH RESPONSE PLANNING
You don’t want to wait until a breach affects your business to formulate your response plan. So before your business is targeted by the next phishing scam or cyber attack trend, make sure you are connected with expert technical support.
DON’T WORRY…ASK US FOR HELP!
XTN Cognitive Security Platform® protects your business from phishing attacks and malware.
