Why Hackers Attack SMBs

Small businesses are likely to have fewer resources to devote to cybersecurity and less staff to monitor potential threats to critical IT systems, according to experts.

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Think small businesses aren't targets for cyberattacks? Think again. 

A June 2016 study, sponsored by Keeper Security and conducted by the Ponemon Institute, found that more than 50 percent of SMBs were breached in the previous 12 months. The study also found that only 14 percent of the companies surveyed rated their ability to mitigate cyberattacks as “highly effective.”

Why are small and medium-sized businesses attacked so much? Cybersecurity firm FireEye says that there are five main reasons SMBs are frequently attacked by hackers:

  1. Cyberattacks against SMBs offer both low risks and high rewards.
  2. SMBs are also easier targets, since, according to the U.N. data, 65 percent of them have no data security policy.
  3. SMBs' cybersecurity defenses are ill-equipped to deal with today’s advanced threats. 
  4. SMBs are attacked because of a lack of awareness around the importance of cybersecurity.
  5. Finally, SMBs are attacked because their information is valuable. 

To read more, check out "5 Reasons Why Small Businesses Are Targeted by Cyberattacks."

 

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