What must you be aware of as a business owner? Protecting your brand as we mobilize our workforce.

Building a strong cybersecurity defense does not need to be complex or expensive.

By George Klimis

By now you have heard of "cyber criminals", "cyber threats" and "cyber attacks". Every business leader should know this. The criminals, made up of individuals, crime syndicates and state-funded terrorism are all focused on one thing: Disrupting and attacking America's business continuity. Whether making money by holding data hostage, or the threat of destroying a person's reputation, to complete take-over of plants and utilities, the threat is real.

With the impact of Coronavirus, it is specifically critical to understand that according to a 2018 report by Coveware, 84.5% of Q4 2018 ransomware infections were initiated via Remote Access by employees. So with the mass deployment of a remote staff, that threat level has grown exponentially. Add that on top that, according to another report by Ponemon, two-thirds of SMBs have been attacked. The reason is as large enterprises have the funds to invest in its data defense, and continue to strengthen it. Thus SMBs become the easy target because of the costs seems daunting. Or they believe a simple security application meant for personal use will protect the business. And worse, "why would a small business be a target? Cyber attackers only go after government or large corporations."

The aforementioned beliefs or reasons for not being concerned is false.

Hollywood typically paints a picture of high-tech, dark enemies of the state using cutting edge tools to penetrate any firewall, including the US government. The reality is less glitz and glamour. Most attacks come via ransomware and other viruses by emails given access by employees of all levels. It's lack of knowledge or innocent human error by users that can financially and fatefully impact companies. These attacks often spreads throughout IT systems, and possibly other B2B or B2C partners.

So everyone, from owner, CEO, president to reception, delivery or accounts payable must understand what exactly cybersecurity looks like? Cyber criminals do not need strong hacking skills to penetrate networks. All they need to know is how to trick employees into opening unsecure email attachments and links. Thus, employees become major targets for cybercriminals since they are postured as the gateway into an organization's network.

The good news is that these can be prevented with simple solutions. There are numerous actions you can take. From a simple risk assessments, vCISO executive consultation, employee education to software solutions, audits and penetration testing, you can protect your data and protect your brand. For the future of your business, reach out to a cyber security vendor for assessments, attend cyber awareness educational seminars, and make it a top priority at your company.

For more infomation, contact George Klimis at [email protected] or at 727-243-1724