With fewer resources than large firms, small businesses are especially at risk for cyberattacks.
According to a 2013 Small Business Technology Survey by the National Small Business Association, 44 percent of small businesses reported being the victim of a cyberattack, with an average cost of $9,000 per attack.
Maria Contreras-Sweet, SBA administrator, offers five steps to take today to make your business more cybersecure:
1. Make sure all your organization’s computers are equipped with antivirus software and antispyware and updated regularly. Configure all software to install updates automatically.
2. Use an Internet firewall and encrypting information. To secure and hide your Wi-Fi network, set up your wireless router so it does not broadcast the network name, known as the Service Set Identifier (SSID). Password-protect access to the router and change it regularly.
3. Hold employees accountable to your Internet security policies and procedures. Educate them about online threats and how to protect your organization’s data, including safe use of social networking sites. Inform them about how to post online in a way that does not reveal trade secrets.
4. Consider implementing multifactor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry. Check with your financial institutions to see if they offer it for your account.
5. Isolate payment systems from other, less secure programs and don’t use the same computer to process payments and surf the Internet.
Check out the Federal Communications Commission’s free Small Biz Cyber Planner (www.fcc.gov/cyberplanner) to help you create a customized guide to protect your small business.
If your firm is the victim of a cybersecurity attack, take the following steps immediately:
- Inform local law enforcement or the state attorney general.
- Report stolen finances or identities and other cybercrimes to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
- Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at www.onguardonline.gov/file-complaint.
- Report computer or network vulnerabilities to US-CERT via the hotline: 1-888-282-0870 or www.us-cert.gov.
While no one can guarantee your safety from a cyberattack, appropriate planning makes a big difference.
For more information: www.sba.gov/blogs/your-business-cybersecure-five-steps-find-out
