Posted by Molly Nelson - I know "Shark Week" is over, but this
article on cybercrime from Inc. Technology is just as scary. According to the article, sophisticated gangs of cyber criminals aren't just targeting big businesses, they are out to get your small business, too.
Money quote:
'Organized cybercriminals are after two things that every company, large and small, has. The first is computers, which, if vulnerable, can be used as part of a botnet, sending out spam or performing other tasks without their users’ knowledge. The second is personally identifiable information, such as credit card or Social Security numbers, but also log-ins and passwords that could give the cybercriminals access to users’ accounts.
In fact, organized cybercrime often targets small companies rather than larger corporations. "It’s just too easy to exploit small or medium-sized businesses," says Ron Plesco, president and CEO of the National Cyber Forensics & Training Alliance. "Large corporations have more funds to remediate and mitigate. Small businesses don’t, and the bad guys know it. They’re concentrating on small businesses, and have been for the past year."'
Yikes! What's a small business owner to do? The article recommends buying the best security you can afford, and paying attention to the patterns of your network and your customers (that way, you'll notice if something seems unusual).
Has your business ever been affected by cyber crime? Feel free to share any lessons learned or other security advice in the comments!