Small Business Owners: Wake Up About Your Cybersecurity
Do you own a small business?
Well, according to a new Manta poll of 1,420 of your small business owners (SBOs) peers, 87 percent of you do not feel at risk of experiencing a data breach. If you count yourself a member of this group, it's time to wake up.
Just 69 percent of you have controls in place to prevent hacks-meaning 1 in 3 small business owners have no safeguards whatsoever.
Of the small business owners who have IT security controls in place, according to Manta, the most frequently cited tactic was antivirus software, which is used by 17 percent of respondents.
Here is how current data defense is approached in small businesses:
Antivirus software: 17 percent
Firewalls: 16 percent
Anti-malware software: 14 percent
Spam filters: 14 percent
Regular vulnerability scans: 12 percent
Automated software updates: 11 percent
Data encryption: 10 percent
Outsourced security operations: 6 percent
With these extremely weak numbers to look at, SBOs must consider doing more to protect themselves against cyberattacks. Not only will aspects like brand reputation and revenue be impacted, but also channels like search engine rankings (Google doesn't want to expose its users to a hacked site) and social media (just think of all the social complaints flooding the airwaves).
For ways to protect your business, check out the infographic below (originally published here):
Well, according to a new Manta poll of 1,420 of your small business owners (SBOs) peers, 87 percent of you do not feel at risk of experiencing a data breach. If you count yourself a member of this group, it's time to wake up.
Just 69 percent of you have controls in place to prevent hacks-meaning 1 in 3 small business owners have no safeguards whatsoever.
Of the small business owners who have IT security controls in place, according to Manta, the most frequently cited tactic was antivirus software, which is used by 17 percent of respondents.
Here is how current data defense is approached in small businesses:
Antivirus software: 17 percent
Firewalls: 16 percent
Anti-malware software: 14 percent
Spam filters: 14 percent
Regular vulnerability scans: 12 percent
Automated software updates: 11 percent
Data encryption: 10 percent
Outsourced security operations: 6 percent
With these extremely weak numbers to look at, SBOs must consider doing more to protect themselves against cyberattacks. Not only will aspects like brand reputation and revenue be impacted, but also channels like search engine rankings (Google doesn't want to expose its users to a hacked site) and social media (just think of all the social complaints flooding the airwaves).
For ways to protect your business, check out the infographic below (originally published here):
