Threat of cybercrime heightened for Main Street

As the data breaches at Target, Neiman Marcus and now potentially Michaels have unfolded, large retailers naturally are paying more attention to securing data, but the threat may be heightened for small to midsized businesses.

Smaller ventures are particularly vulnerable because cybercriminals know they likely spend less to protect their digital information and infrastructure. Cheaper security measures also tend to be static, meaning those systems don’t evolve to keep up with criminals’ newest tricks.

It’s not like small businesses haven’t already felt the wrath of breaches before. Last year, 31 percent of all attacks were aimed at companies with less than 250 employees, according to Symantec’s 2013 Internet Security Threat Report. Data breaches “already are happening among smaller employers. It’s not happening with any lower frequency than the Targets you’re reading about,” said John Rose, a security expert and senior partner at The Boston Consulting Group.

“Security is a dynamic environment,” said Pat Calhoun, senior vice president at McAfee, which is part of Intel and offers security solutions. “It’s not just a single firewall and you leave it alone.” Less ambitious, fixed security measures in turn attract cyberthieves because those stagnant systems allow criminals to more easily nab personal data — then slip away undetected for as long as possible.

So how can upstarts protect themselves against crime? A regular monitoring of online security is a start.

Los Angeles-based Art of Tea is a tea importer and wholesaler with a staff of 25 in the U.S., plus additional support in Asia and India. The team includes two people who are dedicated to security as the bulk of its business is done online, said business owner and Chief Executive Steve Schwartz.

Art of Tea’s online security system costs roughly $100 a month, plus an additional charge per online transaction, Schwartz said. The system alerts the small business when there’s suspicious activity, just the way a consumer is alerted to an odd credit or debit card transaction.

Schwartz said security is a priority because cybercriminals don’t discriminate based on business size. “We’re just as sensitive and susceptible to what’s happening with Neiman Marcus,” he said.

Sourse: nbcnews.com