Although it is a relatively new term to read and hear, and a very recent arrival in terms of types of crime, cyber hacking is something that is increasingly becoming the primary fear of a number of business owners. That’s not a big surprise – the standard data breach is capable of causing losses in the millions for even small and medium enterprises – and so it is beneficial to know as much as possible about how and why cybercrime happens, and what you can do about it.
There are plenty of facts and figures out there now on exactly how damaging cybercrime can be, who it is likely to happen to, why it happens and more besides. There’s a certain amount you yourself can do to stay protected from the worst of cyber attacks, but it is also worth knowing what cybersecurity services can do for you – so let’s take a look at some of the most salient facts about cybercrime.
You Can be Hacked at Any Time, from Anywhere
Your business is liable to be more vulnerable in the evening, when there is nobody around, but part of the problem with hacking is that it is not always going to come from an expected avenue. Famously, large scale attacks on American and other global targets have originated in spots like Russia, North Korea and a few other countries. So while you’re sleeping, your cyber protection can’t be.
The Pandemic has Not Slowed the Cybercrime Industry
Along with the many advantages of working from home, there have inevitably been some drawbacks, and one overlooked issue has been the greater vulnerability of home-based workers using company software that was intended for use on the business network. Home users are easier to hack, and during the pandemic there were over 12,000 attacks recorded by the FBI in the first half of 2020; a 300% year-on-year increase.
Some Industries are at Greater Risk than Others
Hackers tend to target specific types of business and institutions above others. This doesn’t mean they’ll look for easy targets – in fact, the majority of breaches have happened to generally well-protected bodies such as government departments, ecommerce retailers and tech companies. The reason? These are the most likely businesses to carry a lot of valuable personal data on people, which is valuable to any hacker. Cybercriminals are also, increasingly, targeting health providers.
The Vast Majority of Attacks Result from Human Error
Appealing though it is to think of hackers as some kind of unstoppable force with superhuman knowledge, the truth of the matter is that, like with most crime, the bulk of their breaches are opportunistic. An ill-chosen password, a VPN not used when working outside the office, or some other failure of cybersecurity protocol is all that’s needed to breach the walls – and why would a hacker go to the effort of hours of surveillance and in-depth code-breaking when they could just stroll through a metaphorical open door in your network?
Any business can fall victim to cybercrime, and you don’t need to be a particularly big name or in a target industry to run afoul of hackers. Implement all the security protocols you can, and call in the experts if there are any doubts – what you could lose is worth far more than the price of strong security.