These days, many cybersecurity experts say that it’s imperative for small businesses in particular to make sure they’re doing all they can to protect themselves from threats including would-be hackers. However, it seems that many are now being targeted by one of the most infamous groups in the world for just such an incident.
The terrorist group ISIS seems to now be trying to take down the websites of many small businesses across the country to spread its message, according to a report from the Christian Science Monitor. Many have had the look of their sites changed to promote the organization’s propaganda, but at this point the jury is still out as to whether the incidents led to any data being leaked.
“It was a server attack, they got in through our host from what we are told,” Phil Laboon, creator of Eyeflow, a publicity company based in Pittsburgh, told the newspaper. “It’s incredible really. I mean, what are the odds that out of all the millions of websites, ours gets hacked by ISIS? I’m more likely to win the lottery. The FBI is coming in to talk to us now.”
Who’s been hacked, and by whom?
In just a few short days, reports of all sorts of businesses and organizations across the U.S. and Canada have reported being hacked, the report said. That ranges from a race track in Ohio and a bar in Massachusetts to a condo complex on Long Island and a church in British Columbia. However, some experts say that it’s not actually ISIS that’s doing the hacking, but rather that it’s probably just some teenagers playing a prank. Nonetheless, the issue is something that needs to be taken seriously, because even if ISIS isn’t behind the attacks, they are highlighting vulnerabilities in tech infrastructure that hackers could easily exploit, and which could therefore end up costing businesses tens of thousands of dollars or more.
Indeed, owners should take this opportunity as a reminder of the importance of cybersecurity as a whole, and do everything in their power to ensure that they’re fully protecting their companies’ systems and sensitive data. They might also want to take the time to research and invest in a type of small business insurance known as tech insurance, which is designed specifically to insulate companies from the financial fallout of a data breach.
