Small businesses are easy pickings for cybercriminals. 

Whilst we hear the stories about big businesses being attacked it’s easy to forget how many small businesses are targeted. And whilst any attack will have victims, attacks on SMEs will be felt immediately by all staff. 

We recently heard about a small Southampton-based business that had their email infiltrated. Hackers set about sending demands for the payment of fictitious debts. Emails have been sent to everyone on the cybercriminals email list, which reaches around the globe. 

This attack is ongoing and threatens to be a thorn in the side of the business for some time to come.  

Rather than being able to focus on their core business, which was already under strain due to the ramifications of the pandemic, staff are now having to mitigate against the attack. 

Cybercriminals know that many small businesses do not have the necessary cyber security in place to prevent an attack – they present easy pickings. Additionally, small businesses will generally not have the resources available to really fight hard against the attack.  

Becoming familiar with cyber security is essential for all businesses, whatever their size; prevention is way better than cure. Prevention may feel like an additional burden both in time and expense, but it is nothing compared to the costs and inconvenience of an attack.  

Reputational damage is also a factor to consider; having to let your customers know about an attack is not a good look, although we fully endorse honestly as the best policy. Making customers aware, particularly where their data has been compromised, is essential in order to limit harm.  

Do you have enough vital cyber security in place? 

If you’re concerned that you could be vulnerable to attack please do ask us for advice. We liaise with associates around the world, working together for safer IT. We can also run through the advantages of our ‘Office 365 Enhanced Security’ which incorporates the Microsoft suite of software together with additional layers of vital security. 

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