From Our Sponsor: Top 4 Cyber Threats Businesses Must Be Aware

Cybersecurity has become a hot topic in recent times, with businesses of all sizes facing the threat of hacking and cybercrime. But while the news headlines might be more likely to focus on the attacks on larger, well-known businesses that shock the world, small and medium businesses are often the bigger targets because hackers are well aware that they do not often have the tools required to protect themselves and often lack knowledge of their level at risk. If you run a small or medium company, here are some of the biggest cybersecurity threats to be aware of.

Social Engineering:

MerrittGroup specializes in marketing for modern cybersecurity companies, and social engineering attacks are often shown in marketing campaigns simply because of how common they can be. Social engineering is a tactic used by hackers to try and fool somebody in the company into handing sensitive information over, for example, by posing as the bank or a trusted member of staff. They may be able to successfully coerce the employee into trusting they are who they say, or in some cases, use software to gain login credential information entered after the employee clicks on a link in the phishing email.

Ransomware:

Data being held to ransom by a cybercriminal or hacker is one of the most uncommon attack types, but it’s always important to be prepared for the event that it might happen. When a business is attacked with ransomware, they often are faced with no choice other than to pay the sum of money that has been demanded, with no guarantee that it’s even going to make a difference when it comes to whether the data is leaked.

Data Breaches:

Since the data that businesses collect today is the most valuable asset they own, it’s no surprise that this is what cybercriminals want to get their hands on. Data is more valuable than gold these days, so if you collect any data on customers that you provide a product or service to, keeping it stored securely and restricting access on a ‘need to know’ basis is absolutely crucial for reducing the likelihood of a breach.

Human Error:

Last but not least, it’s often the smaller mistakes that small and medium companies need to be aware of when it comes to protecting their business from cybercrime. Human error is still one of the biggest risks that many businesses face today when it comes to hacking attacks and data breaches, and often it only takes one small mistake for things to go horribly wrong. Because of this, the best way to improve cybersecurity in your business is to create a culture that revolves around it. Ensure that employees are educated in order to help them avoid making honest mistakes and that everybody knows what to look out for and report.

Today, businesses of all sizes are faced with the looming threat of cybercrime. Small businesses are often the biggest target, so understanding the various cybersecurity risks and how to mitigate them is more important than ever before.

More From BrandlandUSA

Belcrest, New Jersey Maker of China, and the Nescafe Mug Store Visit: JCPenney Tuned Up for Shopping Campbell’s Soup Can Gets Careful Redesign, Goes Back to Basics Banana Republic Goes North Africa, Back to Beginnings, in Fall 2021 Redo Pac Sun Leverages Brand Promotions This Season | Brand Scout Carroll Reed Vintage Finds in New England What Happened to the Mongol, America’s Most Popular Pencil? Pepsi Hits Orange Juice in News of $3.3 Billion Tropicana Sale Discontinued Noxzema Shave Now Up to $150 a Can in U.S. Dillard’s Adds ‘Capsule’ Brands from Kimberly Whitman, Emily Hertz Lasko Promotes USA-Made Fans at Walmart Tampa’s Tamiami Repair & Rebuild Corridor