Why hackers target small businesses

Why hackers target small businesses

One of the assumptions of small-to-medium business owners is that they fly under the radar of most hackers. It's easy to assume that hackers are looking for the biggest payout by targeting the biggest companies. There are several reasons this is simply not the case:

Corporations are getting their acts together

Spending on business security has more than doubled in the last decade.

While a corporation's size is still a factor in their likelihood of being a target, any company with web-facing infrastructure is a target.

Hackers are diverse and can multitask

There are as many different types of hackers as there are vulnerabilities. Some target specific industries, while others target specific systems.

When considering whether to lock the door to the Internet, it is best to assume the threat is already there knocking. Lock it down!

Small businesses, small budget

Small businesses are assumed to have smaller budgets, and therefore less effective cybersecurity solutions.

Plus, there are just more of us, which would explain why 71% of ransomware targets in 2018 were small businesses. It's for this reason that we test and reevaluate our security solutions to verify they offer the best value for the protection they provide.

Weaker infrastructure provides greater incentive to comply

We don't need a source for this claim. We know from experience that companies who lack basic security measures like offsite backups are more likely to pay ransomware charges to retrieve their data.

They have no other option.

The reason this is not only an expensive solution, but a very risky one, is that people who pay ransoms can't always retrieve their data.

There is no silver bullet

As we like to often reiterate, there is no single solution to cybersecurity. Just as there are many steps you can take to improve your health, there are many ways to improve the security of your network.

Team Technology can review the greatest risks and the most practical solutions. We'll help you limit your exposure to external and internal threats. No one can promise a vulnerability-free network.

What we can promise is to be in your corner. We'll work within your means and help you make the best cybersecurity decisions for your company.