Research published in SME Today revealed that half of all UK SMEs experienced a cyber attack in 2022. It also found that two-thirds of the companies that suffered an attack saw an increase in malicious incidents in the following months.
Cyber attacks can harm businesses in various ways. From damaging public trust and taking your business offline, to putting your sensitive company data in harm’s way, cyber attacks can impact your corporate image, your visibility and your bottom line. So, how can you defend your SME against cyber attacks? Keep reading to find out.
Your employees are your first line of defence against cyber attacks. This is why cyber security training is important for all new hires. Good training will help your team spot malicious emails and ensure they know the warning signs of an attempted attack. If employees can block these attacks before they can do any damage, it will save your business time, energy and money.
The consequences of a cyber attack can be severe and long term. More often than not, an attack will cause your business to be disrupted, leading to reduced – or in some cases zero – productivity. Opening the wrong phishing email can cost you thousands of pounds, far more than the GDPR fine. If your business data is maliciously encrypted, the cost could be even higher.
Being aware of these consequences will reinforce the importance of cyber security and underscore how investment in appropriate training could pay dividends in the long run.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European initiative designed to protect customer data from malicious attacks. All businesses operating in the UK and Europe have to take ‘appropriate’ action – such as encryption or other technical measures – to secure this data and prevent it falling into the wrong hands.
Becoming GDPR compliant will help ensure your business treats its customers’ data carefully. It will also prevent you receiving a GDPR fine and keep your cyber security systems up-to-date.
Hiring a professional IT company to train your team, or take over your cyber security protocols, could help you repel attacks and keep your company, and its customers, safe. To find out more about what cyber security training is, or learn how to train employees on cyber security, get in touch with a member of our team or Download the Ultimate Guide To Defending Your SME Against Cyber Attacks.
Image Source: Canva
