In the past, when technology wasn’t as advanced as it is now, it would’ve been understandable for them to be taken by surprise when hackers got into their systems to obtain valuable data.
Actually, the hacking sector has a long and vast history, but it became more serious around the 1950s, with the rise of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and the different IBM computer systems.
However, nowadays, solutions for protecting companies and computers from malicious actors have developed, with the main challenge, of course, being human will.
While entrepreneurs recognize the importance of cybersecurity, they often fail to implement it properly. In addition, employees can create vulnerabilities due to inadequate training.
Thus, the number of organizations unprepared for cyberattacks is much higher than reports show us, posing a serious risk to their brand image. So, let’s explore some of the errors that definitely should not happen in companies prioritizing cybersecurity.
Poor password hygiene methods
While “password hygiene” might sound odd, it is part of cyber hygiene, a set of practices that enable companies to protect their systems effectively.
Its wording makes it sound more relatable, given that humans rule over businesses, and it prioritizes long, complex passwords, using a password manager for business, and never reusing passwords across accounts.
However, employees and even management are guilty of using weak passwords, repeating them to avoid forgetting them, and connecting to unsecured networks while working remotely. Most are unaware of the danger they expose the company data to, as hackers can easily break these passwords through:
- The dictionary attack relies on people’s habit of using basic words for their passwords, usually including terms relevant to them, such as pet names, last names, or even birthdays;
- Credential stuffing happens when hackers take advantage of old passwords leaked on different websites, which have never been changed;
- The keyloggers, malicious software, track keystrokes and report them to hackers who manage to make users download malicious content;
Lack of awareness of hacking risks
Another huge mistake is believing your company will not get hacked. The real issue is that most of these occurrences cannot be seen immediately, and their effects tend to be long-term. But only because it never happened before, it doesn’t mean your small business isn’t in danger.
Hackers tend to take their time when entering a company’s system, and the signs can sometimes be overlooked. Suspicious network traffic, unusual account activity, and devices acting strangely might pass out as nugs or other errors, but they are telltale signs of real danger.
That’s why small businesses should have in place a software for protection, and it doesn’t even need to be fancy. However, it should include a system that reports these weird occurrences and helps assess an incident response plan in case of a breach.
Overlooking employee training
Since employees are responsible for so much data and information, their responsibility is huge, but often overlooked. Knowing each employee’s level of knowledge can be difficult to match to different tasks, which is why training should be provided to everyone entering a new company.
Still, many entrepreneurs fail to see how important training is, especially when it comes to the younger generation.
Therefore, they put their entire business at risk only because of their lack of awareness. Knowing that human error is the primary cause of cyberattacks and errors is a good start for prioritizing cybersecurity.
Cyber training should also be updated frequently, considering the fast-changing technologies, software, and tools used in the business industry. Appointing someone responsible for updating training is an efficient way to delegate responsibility, especially as a small business grows.
Not having an incident response planning
If you thought many companies lack cybersecurity knowledge, be assured that even more of them don’t have an incident response plan to help them manage a cybersecurity attack and minimize its effects. And even if they have a plan, they fail to update it regularly.
The benefit of an incident response plan is that it can save the company time, money, and stress by helping it navigate the aftermath of a cyberattack. In addition, it can help save the reputations of small businesses, which we already know are frail due to competition.
An incident response plan has six phases:
- Preparing the employees for various responsibilities and developing all possible scenarios;
- Identifying the type of attack and understanding how it has affected operations;
- Containing the attack so it doesn’t spread further;
- Eradicating the attack by removing hardware, applying updates, and patching systems;
- Recovering the business environment and understanding the long-term effects;
- Reviewing the happenings and developing a better incident response plan based on experience;
Not having data backups
Data backups are non-negotiable for small businesses, and they include copies of the information from the primary source to a secondary one where it can be protected.
Companies can choose between cloud backup solutions, software, and external hard drives, but since every option has its ups and downs, researching the best solution might take time.
In addition, not all data might be worth keeping in a secondary place. Information your small business couldn’t function without is prioritized, whether it’s in the form of contracts, documents, or calendars. The data should also be kept in remote locations so that not everyone can access it.
Sometimes, working with service providers might be best for everyone, especially since you can find collaborators with well-priced options.
Finally, implementing a regular backup schedule will strengthen the company’s security measures, as it eliminates the risk of human error through automation.
Conclusion
Small businesses are essential to the local community, but they’re often targets of cybercriminals. Hackers will take advantage of a lack of strategic cyber resilience and exploit brand vulnerabilities to gain access to systems and steal data, affecting brands forever.
Luckily, small businesses can minimize these occurrences by avoiding some of the most obvious errors, such as using short passwords, failing to train employees, and not having an incident response plan tailored to their business needs. Overall, healthy cyber hygiene is well-appreciated rather than a lack of awareness.