This is National Small Business Week.
Small business owners have a lot on their minds, especially now with concerns about cybersecurity. Emporia State Cybersecurity Research and Outreach Center Director Leticia Rust says the vast majority of small business owners — perhaps up to 70 percent — just aren’t ready to handle a cyberattack. That’s important because over 60 percent of cyberattacks are aimed at small- to medium-sized businesses. And Rust says small businesses typically don’t do well after they have been attacked.
Rust also says 60 percent of small businesses fail after they are attacked, in at least some measure due to the expense. It can cost anywhere from $800 to over $500,000 to retrieve data and handle other components of a cyberattack.
Rust urges business owners to avoid outdated or unsupported software. She also says business employees should avoid single-use or “admin” passwords because of the hacking risk. On the other side of the equation, Rust says business owners need to create an emergency response plan. They should also used cloud-based file storage or external hard drives for data backup purposes and should rely on multi-factor authentication. In addition, business owners should get familiar with the federal government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s website, cisa.gov, for information on various available resources and tools to avoid cyber crime.
