In many areas of our lives there are myths that we accept as fact. There are a number of cybersecurity myths that demand debunking to keep your business safe. Here’s a couple of classics that need to be cleared up.
#1 “I’m too small to be attacked.”
Any size of business, in any industry, can be the target of a cyberattack. In fact, hackers often hit smaller businesses because they lack the necessary protection which makes them an easy target. A small business is also more likely to pay a ransom, because they are less likely to be able to recover quickly and effectively. Just image if you woke up tomorrow and you could never gain access to any of you company data again. Chances are you would become one of the 96% of businesses that wouldn’t survive a major loss of company data.
Small businesses can also be a first stepping stone in a supply-chain attack. After getting into your systems, they might send a faked invoice from you to the larger target. The enterprise client, trusting your credibility, opens the attacker’s malware. Or hackers can use your vendor credentials to gain access to the enterprise network.
#2 “Antivirus software is all I need.”
If only it were that easy. You need antivirus software (endpoint protection), but you can’t protect all your IT infrastructure with one tool. To detect and defend, you’ll need a comprehensive cybersecurity plan. Combine employee security awareness training with physical security measures, and put in place layers of network and device defense, too. And don’t forget to lock down your data which is really your crown jewels.
Then, keep everything patched and updated. That makes sure you’re leveraging what experts know about the evolving threat environment.
#3 “Cybersecurity is IT’s job, not mine.”
You may have an internal IT department you count on to handle cybersecurity. Many businesses also contract with a managed service provider (MSP) to keep them safe. These IT teams will work to secure your infrastructure and protect your data. They will put systems in place to detect threats and identify vulnerabilities. They can ensure appropriate data backup and do disaster recovery planning.
Your employees remain a weak link. They are the ones that may inadvertently download malware, fall for social engineering scams, or use easily guessed access credentials. Your business needs to educate all employees about online safety and cybersecurity threats. Then, it’s everyone’s job to be aware and work to reduce risks to your business.
Ultimately the responsibility for cyber risk remains with your decision makers, owners and management. IT experts (whether internal or external) are only one player in the battle.
#4 “Too much cybersecurity will hurt our productivity”
This won’t be true if you set up effective security policies and protocols. Add regular monitoring and authentication tools that provide security without adding friction for employees.
In fact, enhanced cybersecurity can actually help your productivity. It frees people up to work on other important business with less worry.
Avoid a false sense of security
Trusting any of these myths can leave your business vulnerable to attack. A data breach or IT downtime can be devastating. Don’t risk the worst. Instead, work with IT experts to handle your cybersecurity, backups, compliance, and more