In October, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month brings into focus three undisputable truths about the internet. One, it is an incredible resource that offers a universe of opportunities to connect, transact and be entertained, and learn. Two, pursuing these activities comes with the risk of falling victim to digital delinquents who are intent on separating you from your personal information, privacy and money. Three, the methods are increasingly more sophisticated and persistent, so you must be even more determined to thwart their efforts at every step.
The good news is that you don’t have to defend your digital realm on your own. Most internet services now offer tools that can detect and deter potential fraud and scams before you even know they’re happening. Today, internet safety is truly a team effort. You do your part on the homefront, and your provider protects you on the network. Together, you’re a substantial security force against online threats and schemes. But the fact remains that cybersecurity awareness isn’t just a one-month deal, because hackers never sleep.
Sixty percent of small businesses fold within six months of a cyberattack, and you don’t want to be another statistic. That’s why getting serious about cybersecurity is important in October and the other 11 months of the year.
Many small businesses are under the misconception that because they’re small, they don’t have anything worth stealing. The truth is that between login credentials that might be useful for getting into other accounts, personal information about your customers or employees, and your payroll, there is already a lot of value for any would-be attacker (without even getting into the specifics of your industry).
With more and more attacks leveled at small businesses, cybersecurity has come to the forefront. A single data breach can put your business out of commission, so it’s vitally important to take steps now to make sure that doesn’t happen. The important thing to remember is that cybersecurity doesn’t happen in isolation – you need your entire team to understand what’s at stake and what they can do about it to succeed.
• Use industry best practices for passwords to make sure you’re not an easy target.
• Commit to a device patching and upgrading schedule, or get help.
• Improve your cybersecurity training to make sure your team is up to date.
• Consider getting help from a managed information technology services provider.
Even more simple than the steps above is simply maintaining vigilance. Creating a security system that is completely impervious to human engineering techniques might be close to impossible, but helping people know what to look for and what to do about it can greatly reduce your chances of getting caught out. When the average data breach costs a small business around $200,000, it’s worth it to take the time to train your employees to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.
Don’t just recognize Cybersecurity Awareness Month – observe it by mobilizing your internet safety team and driving awareness among your teams.
Eddie Jenkins is vice president of Cox Business in the Northeast. Cox Business is the commercial division of Cox Communications Inc. Louis P. DiPalma is a Democratic state senator from Middletown.
(Update: an earlier version of this op-ed did not include Louis P. DiPalma as one of the authors.)
