News reports of hacking attempts, cyber-attacks and security breaches are hitting the headlines more and more often. We often hear about attacks on larger, household name brands, but the truth is that businesses of any industries and all sizes have fallen victim to cybercrime.

And, cyberattacks don’t just happen to big companies. Smaller businesses are often the most prominent targets because hackers do not expect them to become identical stringent security measures in place compared to the larger brands. If you own a small business, here are some key things to know about cybersecurity.

1. Expert Support is Worth It | Small Business Cyber Security

Cybersecurity and IT experts cost a lot to hire in-house. But the right story is that you can access expert support and resources in a much more affordable way by outsourcing to a managed IT services provider.

Many of these companies are designed to work closely with small businesses and take on the bulk of the work for you. They’re dedicated to acting proactively and ensuring that your business is well-protected while you can get on with running things.

2. Know as Little as Possible

Most hackers are after one thing: data. The more data a business collects and stores, the more attractive a target they will be to cybercriminals. But hackers can’t steal something that you don’t have.

Protect yourself by only collecting information that you need, and only storing it for as long as you have a legitimate business need.

3. Ensure Strong Data Protection

Of course, taking steps to reduce the amount of data you collect and hold is just one part of your strategy to protect your business against cybercrime. There is always going to be data that your business will need to store on a network. In this case, data protection should be taken too seriously.

Along with increasing the risk of a cyberattack, being careless with data could also get your business into trouble with the Federal Trade Commission.

Ensure that only authorized individuals can access the data that you store and use strong authentication methods, including unique passwords and two-step authentication for extra protection.

Bear in mind that hackers use software to guess passwords with ordinary words quickly, so using complex passwords is the best way to defend against breaches.

4. Provide Employee Education | Small Business Cyber Security

Finally, while you might be taking as many steps as possible to reduce the risk of cybercrime in your small business, understand that many attacks occur due to simple human error.

Phishing attacks, for example, can easily be made to look like emails sent from a trusted source, so it’s essential to ensure that all employees are given access to regular training on cybersecurity, how to recognize a potential attack, and what to do if they suspect cybercrime in any situation.

Today, cyberattacks are happening on a more frequent basis, and it’s often small businesses that are targeted due to their lack of strong security measures. If you run a small business, never assume that a cyberattack won’t happen to you because your brand is local and not as well-known as others.