Cyber security growing problem for small business

From T-shirt makers, medical offices and wine shops, to sporting goods stores, dog kennels and non-profits, small businesses are falling victim to data theft and other types of “cybercrimes” at a high rate.

But whatever you call it, the problem is growing for small businesses of all kinds. From T-shirt makers, medical offices and wine shops, to sporting goods stores, dog kennels and non-profits, small businesses are falling victim to data theft and other types of “cybercrimes” at a high rate.

Some experts are even calling it an epidemic, with small merchants as the easiest targets.

Business owners tend to think of computer or data security as a problem that mostly involves hackers who indiscriminately target different businesses. But that’s only one part of it. Disgruntled vendors have been known to steal data in order to hurt a business that dumped them. Ex-employees sometimes steal data to turn a profit, and of course thieves sometimes make off with desktop computers, laptops and mobile devices.

According to the National Small Business Association, 44 percent of small businesses say they’ve been victimized by a cybercrime of some kind at least once. And the cost of those crimes averaged nearly $9,000 each to rectify. Part of the cost is notifying customers of a data theft that might compromise their personal credit or other information. Nearly every state now requires businesses to tell customers if personal data has been lost or stolen.

But that cost can pale in comparison to the other damage a data breach can inflict. When a small business has been hit, customers can stop shopping there, or post bad reviews on social media. Your reputation can take a big hit.

One problem is that some business owners or employees use company computers to access sites and networks that can secretly infect the computers with viruses and malware. Other businesses simply don’t keep anti-virus software current because it’s too much trouble.

Sourse: azcentral.com