Ask any IT professional about cyber security and they will likely confirm that a lot of small business owners tend to have a variety of knowledge gaps and misconceptions on the subject.
For instance, according to Essential IT, a company that provides Sydney based IT support for small businesses, small companies are often the target of cyber attacks but they don’t really understand the extent of the risk they face if their security is breached.
A common misconception amongst small businesses is that they are not worth attacking because of their size. This is just one of the beliefs that could make them more vulnerable than they realize.
Here is an overview of some of the most common misconceptions small businesses have about cyber security.
Not large enough to be targeted
Let’s start with probably the most common misconception. Far too many small business owners think that cyberattacks only impact larger organizations because they are the only ones worth targeting.
That is a dangerous line of thinking that could have severe consequences.
If a small business does not take the right IT security measures to protect its data it will soon discover that they were wrong to think they are too small to be of interest to cybercriminals.
Our in-house IT department will take care of things
When a small business decides to create an in-house IT department they might think that they have fully addressed the threat of cyber security.
Many IT departments like this will have basic cyber security measures in place. However, it is often the case that external help from experts like GuidePoint Security is needed to create the level of security protocols and settings needed to deal with a potential threat.
Nothing of enough value to be worth stealing
High-profile hacking and malware attacks tend to make the headlines when a large organization is crippled by a cyber security breach.
A dangerous belief held by a number of small businesses is that they won’t be targeted because the prize is too small to be of interest. It is worth remembering that intellectual property, sensitive customer data, and credit card details, are all valuable prizes for a successful hacker.
Businesses of all sizes need to take the threat of cyber security very seriously.
Insurance will take care of any problems with cyber security
Arranging business insurance to protect against the impact of a cyber attack is sensible, but a common misconception is that it takes care of all the problems created by such an attack.
Insurance helps mitigate the potential financial impact. It rarely covers all the costs of putting a system back to where it was before.
Proper cyber security is unaffordable for a small business
Far too many small businesses have the mistaken belief that cyber security is something they can’t really afford to invest in.
The bottom line is that the costs associated with a cyber attack can often far exceed what it costs to put good security measures in place. There is always an affordable solution available so it is a misconception to think that decent cyber security is beyond the budget of a small business.
Increased knowledge of the threat of cyber security and how to deal with the problem will put any business in a better place to combat an attack and limit any potential financial or reputational damage.
