I firmly believe that cybercrime is the #1 biggest threat to business. As I say that, I can hear protests about how hard it is to find, hire, and retain good people; how critical it is to maintain proper cash flow; the challenge of gaining market share, etc. But those are internal problems, management problems, strategy problems. And I'm not a business coach, so I won't even try to speak on those subjects. But as far as the world we live in, the outside threats we have no direct control over, the one subject that demands our absolute attention is cybercrime.
You've likely seen the news headlines of the hospitals and other organizations that have been hit recently. I won't continue to embarrass them by mentioning their names, but in one case they had to pay $17,000 in ransom to the cyber-thugs who encrypted and effectively shut down their entire network. But the true cost is much more than that; specifically the fact that their name was smeared all over the news. We all want our 15 minutes of fame, but this probably isn't what any of us have in mind. Imagine the embarrassment of having your business all over the news as the latest victim of a cyber-attack.
Here's the scary part: if a hospital with vast resources is unable to protect against a cyber-attack, how do the rest of us have any hope? Let me break it down with an intentionally oversimplified 2-step approach:
- Keep your hardware and software up to date and properly maintained
- Train your staff
In almost every case of headline-news-making ransomware and other cyber attacks, it was this simple. The computer systems were out of date or poorly maintained, and/or the staff made simple mistakes because they weren't properly trained on computer security best practices.
Now, I did say that this was intentionally oversimplified. Because the reality is that neither of these two concepts are simple. Proper maintenance is complicated and requires a lot of time and some very expensive and complicated tools. Proper training is a moving target as the threat landscape constantly shifts and evolves.
That's the bad news. The good news is that we can take care of both of these problems for you without breaking the bank. We have several cybersecurity plans that cover every type of business and every budget. And every single one of our network security/maintenance plans addresses both of these critical measures for protecting your business, your intellectual property, your bank accounts, your staff, and even your family from the overwhelming threat of cybercrime.
Don't wait until your name is making the 5:00 news. As the saying goes, "You cannot get un-hacked!" Contact us today for a free consultation and let us show you at least a half-dozen ways you are likely at risk this very moment, and what you need to do now to protect yourself.
