Small business owners often fall under the wishful, misguided notion that cybercriminals are only interested in large enterprises. But the truth is that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have become cybercriminals’ favorite target.
A recent survey of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across the US and UK published found that 61% of respondents reported being successfully hit with a cyber attack in the past year.
Cybercriminals view SMBs as easy prey because they generally have fewer digital security resources than large enterprises along with often-laxed security measures. Fortunately, there are concrete steps businesses of all kinds can take to protect themselves without investing in enterprise-level protections.
One of the easiest principles for a SMB to implement–and one of the easiest to lay by the wayside–is the necessity of fortifying and safeguarding every single employee.
Every. Single. One.
You’ve heard the phrase “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link”? This is especially apt when it comes to securing your business against cyber threats. Just one unwitting employee clicking on a malicious email could trigger a chain reaction leading to devastating consequences for your business—financial losses, reputation damages, and regulatory penalties.
Just one unwitting employee clicking on a malicious email could trigger a chain reaction leading to devastating consequences for your business—financial losses, reputation damages, and regulatory penalties.
Every employee, freelancer, or vendor using internet-connected devices without adequate cyber protections is essentially leaving a door open for criminals to access your systems. Hackers can exploit these unprotected devices and use them as a gateway to infiltrate your network, gain access to confidential data, disrupt your operations, or even hold your entire business to ransom.
Here are three key steps for fortifying your entire team:
Securing your human resources can feel like a daunting task on top of all the other things necessary to keep a business running. The good news is that implementing a robust cyber protection policy across your team isn’t as challenging—or as expensive—as you might suspect.
Upfort Shield delivers a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity services specifically designed for small businesses. It’s so proven and easy-to-use that cyber insurance carriers include it as a free service for their customers to use.
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Upfort Shield provides SMBs with enterprise-strength cyber protections (but without enterprise-level costs). Even better? It can be set-up in minutes with little technical expertise and works seamlessly with the security tools you already have in place.
Shield includes multiple lines of defense that employees can be easily activated right in their browser including:
Investing in cybersecurity and ensuring every employee is adequately protected no longer remains optional in today's digitally interconnected ecosystem. It’s a strategic and necessary move to safeguard your business, maintain your reputation, and secure your peace of mind. Remember, cybersecurity is not the responsibility of IT alone but a collective effort that requires collaboration across the organization. Secure employees mean a secure business.
In closing, take a moment to consider the true cost of an unprotected employee. When viewed against the price of potential data breaches, financial losses or irreparable reputation damage, the value of comprehensive cybersecurity for every employee becomes glaringly apparent.
Don’t be the next victim. Encrypt, secure, protect, and gear up your team against the cyber threats of today, and tomorrow.
