Never too small to be held to ransom
Ransomware attacks affect businesses of all sizes, and although it’s usually the big names that make it into the media reports an increasing number of SMEs are falling prey to cybercrime and being held to ransom.
As a small business owner, online security needs to be one of your biggest priorities. Here’s why ransomware attacks are something that could affect your enterprise directly – and what you can do to reduce your chances of losing crucial information to cybercriminals.
Ransomware is on the rise and our alertness should be too
Recent reports indicate that ransomware attacks against South African businesses have increased sharply over the past year and this trend shows no sign of reversing.
Large cyberattacks on retail giants like Shoprite and banks such as Absa may give the impression that only large corporations are being targeted by criminals, but this isn’t necessarily the case.
- SMEs are easy pickings for cybercriminals and particularly vulnerable to being held to ransom
- Many SMEs believe that their small business is not worth targeting, and consequently, haven’t made the necessary preparations to protect themselves against a ransomware attack
- A typical South African SME may have invested in antivirus software, a firewall or basic email security, but these measures may not be enough to keep a ransomware attack from happening – especially if they haven’t been updated recently.
Cybersecurity awareness may be lower in small businesses that don’t have a dedicated IT department. This can cause employees to be lax when it comes to their online behaviour, opening the door for a cyberattack.
Secure your business against online threats
SMEs make up almost 98% of business in South Africa and employ nearly 60% of our workforce. With the Covid lockdown companies moved to remote working, which came at a big cost to small businesses. Many have opted to keep a hybrid model which opens them up to an additional range of cybersecurity issues and makes them particularly vulnerable to ransom attacks.
To reduce the risk of a ransomware attack, small businesses should ensure that they have the following security measures in place.
- A high-quality up-to-date firewall
- Commercial grade antivirus software
- Encrypted secure cloud storage
- A comprehensive data security policy with training for employees
- A communications policy that is designed to prevent unintended data leaks, including sensitive information like passwords.
No matter what size your business is, secure cloud storage is one of the best first tips you can take to keep your data safe. Get started with cloud backup today by browsing one of our packages for enterprise users.