Small Business A Prime Data Breach Candidate

Has the news reached your computer?  Small business is a prime candidate for hackers looking to capitalize on an unprepared target.  What do I have to loose you might think, but think again.  You may have financial assets, bank accounts, intellectual property, credit cards, protected personal information, or even your business reputation at risk.

While you may believe that none of this matters, the turmoil created by a breach is a nightmare to remediate taking months or longer to recover from.  Some incidents carry on undetected for years and end in court cases with the compromised business as a defendant fighting lawsuits and regulatory fines. Not withstanding the legal challenges you may find your business suffering from reputational harm or an inability to recover funds from a financial hack.

When business magazines such as Forbes and Inc. are writing about small business being targets you know things have reached a tipping point.  For further information check out the list of identified firms compromised so far this year at the Identify Theft Resource Center.

So why is small business a prime candidate for data breaches, the answer is simple.  Small businesses typically have weak information security programs.  The technology deployments are limited and improperly configured; management and employees are not security aware; the ability to detect most compromises early on is non-existent; and the business is information and asset rich to a would be attacker.  Business owners compound the problems being technology averse, believing that it’s all too complex and all too costly to manage.  So the task gets delegated, underfunded, or left to chance, none of which are viable in the long term.

Pragmatic solutions are available that won’t disrupt business operations or strain company budgets.  Employees and management can become better stewards and learn simple security best practices and the reasoning behind them.  A robust program integrates technology, business practices, operational procedures and point insurance products.  A well-crafted security program protects the business from financial, reputational, legal and regulatory issues.  Integrated within the business operation the security program is generally simple to maintain and effective in its objectives.

Ensuring that you engage the appropriate resources, as part of your security strategy is key.  Most small companies don’t have the internal resources to commit to develop and maintain the security program and hiring such resources can be costly.  Utilizing a managed service provider is an excellent cost affective approach to identify business requirements, develop solutions and maintain the program ongoing.

About Network Management Solutions

Network Management Solutions (NMS) has been helping companies address their business and technology issues since 1996.  We are currently serving a variety of customers within New Jersey, New York, and the surrounding metro areas of New York and Philadelphia.

Please contact NMS to schedule a no obligation, consultation to discuss your concerns.  We will provide expert advice in simple business terms on how to best meet your business needs.  NMS can be reached by phone or email at 908-232-0100 or info@nmscorp.com.  More information on Network Management Solutions can be found at www.nmscorp.com.

Speak Your Mind

*