{"id":23757,"date":"2021-10-19T12:31:53","date_gmt":"2021-10-19T12:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heartinternet.uk\/blog\/?p=23757"},"modified":"2021-10-19T12:31:53","modified_gmt":"2021-10-19T12:31:53","slug":"is-your-small-business-a-cyber-security-kindergarten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heartinternet.uk\/blog\/is-your-small-business-a-cyber-security-kindergarten\/","title":{"rendered":"Is your small business a \u2018cyber security kindergarten\u2019?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week the head of cybersecurity for the US Airforce resigned, explaining to the press that the USA looks like a kindergarten<\/a>\u00a0compared to China when it comes to its readiness for internet warfare.<\/p>\n

It may be a cutting term but it\u2019s one that really sums up a cybersecurity landscape that goes beyond the US Airforce and even America itself.<\/p>\n

There are industries and sectors around the world where cybersecurity measures aren\u2019t always up to scratch.<\/p>\n

One of these sectors is the arena of small to medium businesses.<\/p>\n

So, in the next in our series of blogs marking Cyber Security Month, we look at the stats that suggest many small to medium businesses have Achilles\u2019 heels when it comes to cyber security.<\/p>\n

Then we offer up a range of resources that can help them step up their cyber protection efforts.<\/p>\n

The state of cyber security in small to medium businesses<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to the\u00a0UK Government<\/a>, only 13% of small businesses train their staff on cyber security and only 19% have tested staff using mock phishing exercises.<\/p>\n

The same research suggests that fewer small businesses have up to date malware protection than in 2020 \u2013 the figures are down from 87% in 2020 to 83% in 2021.<\/p>\n

On top of this, only 77% of small businesses have firewalls, only 33% use a VPN for remote working, and 47% allow staff to use personal devices for work purposes.<\/p>\n

Cyber criminals continue to target small businesses, too. The Government reports that 38% of small businesses identified security breaches or attacks in 2021.<\/p>\n

The same data revealed that the average cost of a cyber attack on a small business is \u00a38,170 \u2013 with this cost taking lost data and assets into consideration.<\/p>\n

6 signs your small business has a kindergarten approach to cybersecurity<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. You backup your data less than once a week<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Successful cyber attacks can affect everything from customer contact details to critical financial information.<\/p>\n

    Ideally, you should backup your data every 24 hours \u2013 whether that\u2019s by backing everything up onto a separate server, hard drive or the cloud.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. You put off software updates<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Software updates are inconvenient, but essential. However, more than 90% are there to patch security vulnerabilities in programs.<\/p>\n

      Ensure your staff know this figure and the importance of updates.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. You have no plan for lost devices<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Surveys suggest that 2.3% of laptops assigned to employees get lost every year.<\/p>\n

        A lost laptop can easily fall into the wrong hands, so ensure your devices can be tracked, remotely locked or remotely wiped if necessary.<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. You don\u2019t use two-factor authentication<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          You might think setting up two factor authentication is beyond the budget of your company, but prices can start from as little as \u00a32, per employee, per month.<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. You take a reactive rather than proactive approach to cyber security<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            It\u2019s harder to fix a cyber attack than it is to prevent one.<\/p>\n

            If you want to elevate your business\u2019s cyber security efforts beyond the kindergarten level, you should look do four things as soon as possible:<\/p>\n