Cybersecurity is a must for businesses of all types and sizes. However, in a lot of cases, non-tech companies seem to be falling behind in this regard.
In 2023, cases of phishing, smishing, and business e-mail compromise (BEC) were widespread in the US. These types of cyber attacks made up around 18 percent of the total cyber attacks in the country that year. Among the victims of these attacks, many were non-tech companies.
That’s the thing – cyber criminals don’t ignore non-tech corporations or businesses. If you run such a company, you too are at risk of cyber attacks. If so, you must know how to beef up your cybersecurity measures as a non-tech company.
Start by Taking a Hard Look at What You’re Protecting
A lot of non-tech companies make the mistake of assuming they don’t have much that a hacker would want. But think about it – do you store customer payment information? Do you have employee social security numbers on file? Do you keep confidential business plans or supplier contracts?
All of that is valuable. Cybercriminals aren’t just looking for giant data warehouses; they’re happy to exploit smaller businesses that have weaker defenses.
Take some time to look at where you’re keeping sensitive information, how it’s stored, and who has access to it.
Are your files protected by strong passwords? Are you relying on outdated software to run your operations? Are your employees trained on how to spot phishing scams?
These are basic questions, but answering them honestly can give you a good starting point for beefing up your cybersecurity.
Work with a Local Cybersecurity Company
You don’t have to do all of this alone, and frankly, you probably shouldn’t. Working with cybersecurity experts in your area means you get advice and support tailored to your specific business needs. They can actually come to your office, check out your current systems, and show you exactly where you’re vulnerable.
Even if you’ve already suffered a cyber attack, a local cybersecurity company can help you rebuild stronger than before. Take last year’s cyber attack on Halliburton – one of the largest oil field services companies in the world – as an example. The attack on this Houston-based company disrupted the company’s operations and global connectivity.
Now, Halliburton did run internal investigations after the attack. They could also have called in a Houston cybersecurity company to do the same. Cybersecurity service providers know how to respond quickly to data breaches and fight off cybersecurity threats before they cause even more damage. They’ll work with you to install fresh cybersecurity solutions that make your company much harder to crack.
According to Texas Cyber Solutions, the best cyber security companies can handle everything from proactive threat modeling to rigorous penetration testing. Their primary objective will be to ensure that such attacks can never enter your company’s cyberspace ever again.
Train Your Team Like Your Business Depends on It
You can invest in the best technology in the world. However, if your employees are falling for phishing scams or using weak passwords, your business is still at risk.
Training your team to recognize cybersecurity threats is just as important as installing the right firewalls or software patches.
Make cybersecurity training part of your company culture. Talk to your team regularly about how to handle suspicious emails, why strong passwords matter, and what to do if something doesn’t seem right.
And don’t just do it once and forget about it. Cyber threats change all the time, so your training should be ongoing. Make it normal to double-check things before clicking or downloading. When everyone on your team feels responsible for protecting your data, your whole company becomes a lot safer.
Plan for the Worst So It Never Happens
It might feel a little paranoid to plan for a cyber attack when you haven’t had one yet, but that’s exactly the point. Having a cybersecurity incident response plan can make the difference between a small inconvenience and a full-blown disaster.
Decide in advance who’s in charge if something goes wrong. Make sure you have secure backups of your critical data. Know who you’re going to call if your systems go down. If you already have a relationship with a local cybersecurity company, they can help you put together a solid, realistic action plan.
Cybersecurity isn’t just something that’s “nice to have.” For non-tech companies, it’s absolutely essential. It doesn’t matter how big you are or what industry you’re in. Cybercriminals are looking for easy targets, and if you don’t take cybersecurity seriously, you’re putting everything you’ve built at risk.
Start making cybersecurity a priority today, before you find out the hard way just how important it really is.
