If you are under the impression that only larger
corporations need to be concerned about being targeted by cybercriminals, it
might be time to rethink your online security. The fact is that every year,
instances of cybercrime continue to rise, and their targets may be much broader
than you suspect. As high-profile cases appear more and more in the headlines,
it’s easy to dismiss the actions of many cyber criminals as nothing more than
mischief. That is to underestimate the damage that can be caused in a cyber
attack. If you’re unsure of just who is at risk from online attacks, here’s
what you need to know.
Small Business Vulnerability
As one of the most commonly attacked victims,
cybercriminals certainly place great stock in the potential benefits of
targeting small businesses. While an SME might not have huge amounts of money,
they are always trying to strike a balance between online security and cost.
That’s why cybercriminals are always interested in the security setup of the
latest SME, and why your small business needs to have a firm focus on online security.
Ideally, every SME should have:
- Email security and phishing scam
updates – Make sure your team are aware of the need for constant online
vigilance.
- Endpoint security – Endpoint security is
more important than ever, especially as more people are using cloud services
and the IoT becomes even more prolific. Make sure that you look for more information about this often neglected
cybersecurity factor.
- Two Factor Authentication across
every account and platform.
The Healthcare Industry
After small businesses, healthcare is a very coveted target by hackers. Largely,
this is not so much about how much money can be stolen, but rather how much
data can be. Data is becoming just as valuable a resource as hard cash, and
medical records contain some of the most detailed information about our lives.
It’s not simply medical institutions that are at risk either. Even phone apps
with a medical focus have been targeted by cybercriminals.
Law Companies
Like healthcare, lawyers are attacked online because
of the data that they store. This is one of the targets that seem especially at
risk, as law firms are becoming one of the more popular targets of online
criminals. Recent attacks have shown the vulnerability of law businesses of
all sizes, and it’s imperative that law firms focus their attentions on online
security much faster than they have been. When the data of their clients is on
the line, lawyers certainly need to start showing signs of improvement.
You
There’s no getting around the fact that it’s not only
businesses that need to be concerned about their online security. Now that
pretty much everyone has a personal computer in their pocket, and a variety of
laptops, tablets, and even smart TVs, hackers have learned that private
citizens are just as likely to have something to steal as businesses. Just as
businesses are needing to ensure that they have a robust awareness of the finer
details regarding cybersecurity, so too does the average
phone owner in 2019. Make sure that you know
the best ways to protect your vulnerable devices from malicious intent.
If you’re still thinking that a cyber attack is a rare
event, think again. The best attitude to adopt in the modern age is being aware
that it’s a case of when, not if. Make sure that you understand just how to
better protect both yourself and your business, and your future will be much
more secure.
