I think most of us have become so conditioned to it, that it doesn’t even register just how many Phishing attempts we deal with each week. Just in the last 2 days I received a:
- UPS – you missed a package, click here notice
- American Express, something about a Safety Key
- A request from a semi-familiar email address from a local company instructing to download an encrypted message (when I responded that I need to know what this is, she told me her email was hacked and to delete the message)
The last one of the week appeared like the company we use for Electronic Signatures. With the combination of having a couple signatures outstanding and me typically getting a bit punchy the last couple of hours of the work week, hell if I didn’t almost click on this one.
I don’t know what would’ve happened, if it would have downloaded a virus or led me to a place to enter personal information (the best option because I would have certainly caught on by then). However, I was pissed at myself for almost clicking on this because I consider myself super aware of this kind of thing.
I am so paranoid about this that we don’t even have Wi-Fi in our office or a Network Server. Our individual computers are nearly worthless since all of our data is hosted on servers provided by a highly regarded vendor that claims to invest in state-of-the art technologies and system monitoring to ensure security and availability – for whatever that is worth - Target, Equifax, Home Depot etc. could’ve made the same claim. However, their resources and skill set to provide Data Security will far, far outreach what we could ever do.
Cyber Attacks are a Threat for All Businesses
In the email hack example above, the entire business network was likely compromised by an accident that could’ve easily happened to anyone since Phishing emails look so true to the companies the hackers are trying to impersonate.
As an Employer it’s important to constantly remind all employees about Phishing attempts which not only come in the form of email but also Text and Phone.
One of our client’s told me, he asked their IT guy “Are we Safe?” The IT guy answered, “If you disconnect your servers, take them on a boat and drop them to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, then MAYBE you’ll be safe.”
Data Breach Protection is Vital for Small Business
If a Cyber Attack does occur, a Cyber Liability (better termed a Data Breach policy because it provides coverage for much more than just hacking) policy can save your business.
It’s been reported that 60% of small businesses go out of business within 6 months of an attack and the average cost of an attack for a Small Business in 2017 was $117,000.
Here is some more information about Data Breach Protection: Data Breach and Cyber Liability
Call (636-519-0059) or email (service@hebbeln-ins.com) today for a quotation for your Business.