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A survey by the National Small Business Association, 61% of small businesses reported being victims of a cyber-crime within the past 12 months. The average cost to recover from a cyber-attack skyrocketed from $8,699 per attack in 2013 to $20,752 per attack. And, of the businesses targeted, 68% said they’d been hacked more than once. Experts agree, as cyber crooks become ever more sophisticated, the threat to small businesses is going to get worse before it gets better…  So what can you do to beat these bad guys? Here are three common ploys used by hackers and how you can fend them off: Phishing – A really legitimate-looking e-mail urges you to click a link or open a file that triggers a malware installation on your computer. Best Defense: Don’t let anyone in your company open files or click links in an e-mail unless they’re certain who it came from. Cracking Your Password – Hackers can run programs 24/7 testing password combinations. The easier your password is t...

Welcome to the brave new world of cyber-warfare. Gone are the days when software patches were just for nifty little feature add-ons or updates. Today, a software update notice could mean your whole computer network is suddenly at risk. Dangers include data theft, crippling malware attacks and mischief you may not discover for months, or even years… As with graffiti on your garage door, if you don’t pay attention and clamp down on bad behavior, your problems have likely just begun… And, like those who hire a professional security firm to keep thieves out of the warehouse, thousands of CEO's and business owners are now waking up to the fact that it’s absolutely imperative to hire a pro when it comes to securing your data network. Here’s why you need a professional handling this for you: #1: Speed is of the essence. “If you didn’t update to version 7.32 within seven hours, you should assume you’ve been hacked.” That’s what software maker Drupal told millions of its customers arou...

Whether it’s opening an attachment infected by a virus, or a phishing scam where you unknowingly give up your login to a critical web site, e-mail still remains the most popular and reliable way digital thieves can rob you blind, steal your identity and wreak havoc on your network. Worst of all? You’re inviting them in! While there are a number of things you need to do to protect yourself, here are five pieces of information you (and your team) should never put in an e-mail.     1. Your social security number. Think of this as your “bank account” number with the government. You should never e-mail this to anyone because it can be used to open credit cards and steal your identity. 2. Banking information. Your bank account numbers, routing number and online banking login credentials should never be e-mailed. Further, avoid sending a voided, blank check as an attachment to an e-mail. 3. Your credit and/or debit card information. Never update a credit card via an...

Your bank often can not reclaim money stolen from your bank account due to fraud or cyber-crime. That means if money gets drafted from your business bank account from a hacker, phishing attack, identity theft or by any other means, you have little to no chance of getting it back. This often comes as a surprise to businesses who think the FDIC will “save” them from getting their accounts wiped out, and can get the money back once taken. The reality is that the FDIC insurance is to protect you from bank failure, NOT fraud. So if your debit card or account information gets accessed by a hacker and you don’t notice it within the same day, you can pretty much kiss that money goodbye. Recent studies have shown that 83% of small businesses take no formal measures against cyber threats even though almost half of all attacks are aimed at them. Here are 5 essential steps you can take right now to protect your business: Enforce A Strict Company Password Policy. This is a simple step, but ...

If your server suddenly crashed and ALL your data was erased, how long would it take before your business was back up and running as usual? If you aren’t sure, or if you think it would only be a short period of time, read on. Below are a few common, costly misunderstandings most business owners have about their data backup that give them a false sense of security: Misunderstanding #1: Relying On An Inexpensive, Automated Online Backup Provider To Backup Your Company Data. Tread carefully here and make sure that you’ve really done your homework on your chosen solution. Here are a few questions to ask of any offsite backup provider before you trust your company data with them: Ask if you have the option to have your initial backup performed through a hard copy. With the amount of data on most company’s servers, an initial backup performed over the web can take months to complete. Make sure that database files can be stored and recovered easily. Many cheap online backup ser...