Hackers Set Their Sights On (Small) Businesses

By Grayson Milbourne, Carbonite

The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report indicates that more than 70% of cyberattacks target small businesses. Hackers are also targeting MSPs more frequently because it gives them access to even more systems with the potential to collect bigger payouts.

Why are hackers targeting SMBs?

Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are easy targets for hackers for a few reasons. First, they’re less likely it to use a multi-layered defense that you need to protect blind spots. SMBs often think they’re protected with one layer of security, such as a firewall, antivirus or backup. The truth is that no single solution is 100% effective. The key to a robust cyber resilience strategy is to layer all these solutions to protect the business from multiple threat vectors and points of vulnerability.

Another area where businesses tend to fall short is security awareness training. The single greatest cybersecurity weakness is users. Many don’t know how to identify suspicious activity like phishing links or scams because they don’t know what to look for. What’s more, some hackers specialize in breaching specific business types or industries, refining their expertise with each new attack.