Many small business owners have likely seen a lot of the fallout from the recent hacking attack that exposed a large amount of rather embarrassing emails, and ultimately played a role in the partial cancelation of a film’s release. And these entrepreneurs should keep in mind that if such a thing can happen to a company like Sony, it can certainly happen to smaller ones.
It doesn’t really matter about the size of a company or the industry in which it operates, every business and individual is in some way vulnerable to a hacking attack, according to a report from the Washington Post. Sony spends a lot of money on IT security and it was hacked with relative ease, meaning that companies which spend far less money on this kind of thing will be even more vulnerable. For this reason, it might be wise for owners to do a little more to make sure there companies are better protected.
What can they do?
For one thing, small business owners need to make sure that they and their employees are fully aware of potential indicators of incoming hacking attacks, the report said. That could include strange emails or activity on their networks, which would signal potential problems. The more education that can be given out in this regard, the better off all involved are going to be when it comes to protecting individual devices or whole systems.
Moreover, owners should also make sure they’re investing in the security tools that might be needed for them to stay safe and actively guard against system intrusions, the report said. That should include virus scanning software as well as firewall programs that will potentially help them spot any unwanted attacks as they happen. The more proactive they can be in terms of getting out in front of these issues, the more likely they are to stop such attacks before major damage is done.
It might also be wise for owners to make sure their companies have the kind of small business insurance coverage that can insulate them against the cost of a data breach when and if such an incident occurs. This kind of plan is known as tech insurance, and can be vital in keeping a company afloat after it suffers a breach, and potentially saving tens of thousands of dollars or more.
