Smaller companies are increasingly becoming targets for cybercriminals. Due to limited cybersecurity budgets, small businesses often cannot afford leading protection solutions, use outdated software, and do not have enough funds to hire IT staff.
Moreover, due to smaller volumes of data and money, it may seem that small and home offices are of less interest to cybercriminals, but this is a mistaken impression.
One of the most common threats to small businesses is the theft of confidential data, especially banking and payment information. This can happen due to phishing or hacking of employee accounts. Cybercriminals skillfully disguise their phishing messages as official letters or messages from banks, government agencies, and other institutions, making it increasingly difficult for users to recognize these complex cyberattacks.
Moreover, attackers can target employees’ personal devices to gain access to corporate systems through them. Another common threat is the physical theft of staff devices, which, if inadequately protected, can lead to the leakage of confidential data.
Such threats are dangerous for businesses, as they can lead not only to disruptions in business operations and financial losses but also to a loss of reputation and customer trust.
How small businesses can minimize risks
Considering all the dangers, it is no less important for small offices to take care of their cybersecurity than for large enterprises. In particular, potential risks for small businesses should be minimized through a series of precautionary measures, and protection should be entrusted to leading comprehensive solutions that can timely identify and prevent threats from entering the network.
That’s why ESET specialists have prepared recommendations for small businesses:
Teach the employees. Some attacks are difficult to recognize, but that doesn’t mean that digital awareness training is unnecessary. Certain threats in cyberspace can be easily avoided by following basic rules, particularly by not opening suspicious attachments, being able to distinguish phishing emails from safe ones, and verifying received information from other sources.
Use strong passwords or passphrases to log into accounts and devices. The minimum length must be 12 characters with a wide variety of letters, special characters, uppercase and lowercase letters, and others. At the same time, the optimal solution is to use a password manager that will suggest combinations and securely store them, freeing you from the need to remember dozens of passwords.
Combine strong passwords with multi-factor authentication, which will help protect corporate accounts in case an employee’s password is compromised.
Regularly update the software. Cybercriminals often exploit previously known vulnerabilities because users do not update their software.
Divide the network into segments. For small offices, this is not a difficult task. For example, create a separate guest Wi-Fi and split the network using VLAN into two segments – private and work.
Perform data backups. In the event of data encryption or destruction, it is important to have an effective backup strategy to avoid unnecessary delays in business operations.
How to ensure comprehensive protection without significant costs
Following these recommendations will help neutralize some vectors of threat propagation, such as password guessing attacks or the use of known vulnerabilities. However, cybercriminals are constantly seeking new sophisticated ways to gain access to valuable data and funds.
Therefore, it is important for small businesses to ensure a comprehensive approach to security, particularly by identifying threats at the network penetration stage, protecting important confidential data from interception by malicious actors through encryption and the use of VPNs, and providing additional protection for online payments.
Comprehensive ESET protection for small businesses in the face of complex cyberattacks.
All these features are available in the new solution for comprehensive protection of small businesses against complex cyberattacks – ESET Small Business Security. In particular, the solution provides protection for Windows and Mac laptops and computers, mobile devices and Android smart TVs, as well as Windows Server servers.
Among the main functions are security when using online banking and browsers, protection against various types of cyber threats, including ransomware and phishing. Moreover, ESET Small Business Security helps protect data in case of device loss, encrypt valuable information, and also offers a reliable VPN and password management.
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