Why Small Businesses Are a Hacker’s Favourite Snack (And How Not to Be One)
Small businesses. The backbone of the economy. The heart of local communities. And, unfortunately, the low-hanging fruit of the cybercrime world.
You might think, "Hackers won’t bother with me. I’m just a small business!" Cute. That’s precisely why they love you. Big companies have cybersecurity teams, firewalls that could stop a tank, and policies longer than the average Shakespeare play. You? You’re out here still using ‘password123’.
Hackers don’t waste time battering down Fort Knox when they can stroll through an unlocked front door. If you’re a small business without proper security, guess what? That’s you.
Why You’re a Walking Target
First off, you underestimate yourself. You think, "I’m too small to be interesting." Wrong. Cybercriminals aren’t looking for “interesting.” They’re looking for easy. If you don’t think you’re a target, you probably haven’t bothered with proper security. Congratulations, you just made their job effortless.
Then there’s your data. You might not be handling nuclear launch codes, but you do have customer details, payment information, supplier records. That’s gold in the wrong hands. Stolen data gets sold, misused, and weaponised against you faster than you can say, “But I thought we were too small to hack.”
And let’s not forget your staff. They are lovely people, no doubt. But give them a slightly dodgy email with a fake invoice attachment, and half of them will click it faster than a Black Friday deal. Boom. Ransomware, stolen credentials, or worse, your business is suddenly on life support.
How to Avoid Being a Cyber Criminal’s Next Meal
First, get Cyber Essentials. It’s a government-backed scheme that puts basic security in place. It won’t make you MI5, but it will stop the equivalent of chancers rattling your digital doorknob.
Next, could you sort out your password? If you’re still using the same login across multiple accounts, you might as well hand your keys to the burglars and invite them for tea. Use a password manager. Turn on multi-factor authentication. And for the love of all things holy, stop using “admin” as your admin password.
Then, train your staff. Barry, in accounts, is a liability. He doesn’t mean to be, but he’s one dodgy email away from compromising your entire system. Give your team regular cyber awareness training so they know what not to click on.
And finally, back up your data. If you get hit with ransomware, do you really want to be at the mercy of some hacker demanding Bitcoin? No? Good. Have a proper backup strategy. If disaster strikes, you can restore everything and tell the hackers where to shove it.
Final Thought
Hackers love an easy life, and too many small businesses are practically begging to be hacked. Don’t be one of them. Get Cyber Essentials, train your team, secure your systems, and stop being the low-hanging fruit.
Because the alternative? That’s you, featured in next month’s headlines under “Small Business Loses Everything in Cyber Attack” except nobody will feel sorry for you because, well, you were warned.
That work better? More punch, no dashes, and straight to the point.
