As the world shifts to doing most things online, there has been an increase in cyber attacks. But what has happened that has seen such a change?
Business is Changing
Across the world, even the smallest businesses are switching to an online presence. And in many ways, this is a wonderful thing. When a business switches to a prominent online presence, they open themselves up to more sales, more customers, and more money. Unfortunately, this can also mean more chances of being attacked by cyber criminals.
With this in mind, if you bring any part of your business online, you need to be prepared to defend yourself.
What is a Cyber Attack?
A cyber attack is defined as an attempt to get unauthorized access to a computer. So, anyone who tries to access your network without permission is considered a cyber criminal. When a cyber attack gets access to your computer, they can change or delete whatever they want.
Most of the time, when a criminal gets access to your system, especially a small business, they will steal your data, erase your hard drive, and ransom your information back to you. This can be costly, and ransoms are often asked for thousands of dollars to get your information back.
Why is Missouri Being Targeted?
Cyber attacks have been happening since the internet was created. In 1979, a 16 year old Kevin Mitnick, launched his first successful cyber attack on The Ark and copied the software. Since then, the world has been subject to online attacks and attempts to stop them.
Most major businesses have comprehensive software and security systems to prevent these attacks from being successful. But smaller businesses do not have these systems because they believe that it will not happen to them. This positive attitude is not enough to protect a business from being attacked.
Also, Missouri is one of the top states to be attacked. Businesses with a New York address know that they need cyber security, unfortunately for business owners in Missouri, it is an afterthought.
How to Protect Your Small Business
One of the most important things to remember is, if you have a small business then there is a chance you can get hacked, even in Missouri. Hackers and cyber criminals do not care about where your business is, all they want to do is exploit it. So, it is important to cultivate a mindset that your business is important and that it matters, because it does.
If you are not sure about what type of cyber security you will need, you should speak to an IT specialist who can give you the support and answers that you need. If you conduct any part of your business online, you should consider having an IT support group that can help you. This way, you know your business will be in good hands and you can get back to the important job of running your business.
