How Small Businesses Avoid Evolving Cyber-Threats During Times of Change 

Shanna Utgard, Defendify’s Success Manager, recently presented at a virtual event hosted by SCORE Maine, a nonprofit association that offers free small business mentorship and workshops, on how small businesses can avoid cyber-threats in times of change.

The number of cyberattacks making headlines has surged in the past year, especially since the advent of COVID-19. News outlets are consistently running stories about costly breaches at large corporations and government entities, such as the cryptocurrency scam hack that targeted influential celebrities on Twitter earlier this week.

However, these headlines paint a misleading picture—it’s not just the large corporations or organizations who are suffering.

Research shows that almost half of all cyber-attacks target small businesses, and around 68% of small businesses report experiencing a cyberattack within the last 12 months. For large corporations and small businesses alike, the damaging effects of these attacks span far beyond initial estimates. From unanticipated downtime to a deteriorating reputation, the cost to both companies and customers is staggering.

In this webinar, Shanna discussed how cybersecurity threats have and continue to evolve, especially since the advent of the COVID-19. Adversaries often take advantage of tumultuous times to craft convincing phishing emails, and now we are seeing an increase in phishing attacks targeting small businesses.

Shanna also addressed what small businesses can do to minimize the risk of a breach. Check out some tangible steps you can take to protect your company and customers from phishing in our blog post, Avoiding COVID-19/Coronavirus Phishing Attacks.

A Layered Approach

Throughout this webinar, Shanna reiterated that developing a strong cybersecurity posture is a layered approach. At Defendify, we have all you need to strengthen and manage your organization’s cybersecurity; everything we do is centered around three key layers— Foundation, Culture, and Technology.

• A foundation of policies, procedures, and plans.
• A culture of employee awareness and institutional knowledge.
• Technology that goes beyond traditional antivirus and firewalls.

The more knowledgeable you are about cyber-threats, the better you can prepare and defend your organization against them.