PROTECT YOUR DATA
What kind of businesses do Cybermonsters target online?
Imagine you open your computer and you see a message saying: your computer is not available, you must pay the ransom to access your files, your email, and your customer information. What would you do?
You may be thinking, “This could never happen to me!” but in my 20+ years in the Cybersecurity industry, I have witnessed that cyber threats are not only there for the rich, the famous, or the big companies.
From a small local brick and mortar store, a multinational company, or a solo entrepreneur, any business can be at risk! I’ve seen cases involving all industries and incomes. Cybercrime can happen to any size, type, and class of business.
Did you know that a ransom attack occurs every 14 seconds?
Did you know that the estimated damage cost for 2019 was at $11.5 billion?
Did you know that 43% of data breaches occurred to small business and within 6 months 60% of them were out of business?
If your business is online, your business is a target for those looking to threaten your livelihood. I call them Cybermonsters™, because monsters are mythical creatures and many don’t believe in them. Cybermonsters™ are like the monster under the bed or in the closet: elusive, dangerous, and nearly invisible, but these are very real!
Cybermonsters™ have many motivations. Here are a few:
- Money. Scammers want to make a profit or some financial gain.
- Hackers want to disrupt or bring attention to a specific cause, and desire to embarrass and humiliate your business.
- Negatively affect your organization or business operation by misusing the access to your essential data.
- All hackers, scammers, and Cybermonsters™ will try to steal these types of valuable information to further their agenda and benefit themselves:
- Your customers’ information, like their SSN, ID information, address, phone, email, etc.
- Your employees’ financial information, such as retirement plans, 401k, tax records, and other confidential data.
- Your business’ intellectual property or trade secrets, which they can use to sell to your competition, or even duplicate your business model!
When I teach businesses, I assure professionals that navigating the vast cyber sea starts with knowing the why, who, and what of cybersecurity. Together, we identify the sensitive information that needs protection, analyze how Cybermonsters™ work, and implement simple steps to improve their business’ cybersecurity and data privacy.
What do YOU do to keep your business safe from cyberthreats? I look forward to teaching you more ways you can safeguard your business against hackers, scammers, and Cybermonsters™.
