Small and medium-sized businesses are among the organizations most frequently targeted by cybercriminals due to their lack of security when it comes to cyber attacks. These cyber-attacks and ransomware are among the most aggressive and widely used forms of digital threats. Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection, lists the 5 most common vulnerabilities and ways to avoid them for SMBs looking to protect their business against these attacks.
Small and medium-sized businesses lack the resources to equip themselves against attacks, increasing the risk of breaches they face. Many SMBs abandon two-factor authentication and cloud services, making it easier for attackers to infiltrate infrastructure and become victims of cyberattacks. Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection, lists the top 5 vulnerabilities faced by SMEs:
"one. Lack of cybersecurity awareness: One of the biggest vulnerabilities faced by any organization, regardless of scale, is a lack of awareness. Simple security measures are not enough as cyber attackers are using increasingly dangerous and undetected methods to target businesses. Social engineering, misinformation, phishing attacks, phishing calls, and fake websites are just a few of the ways attackers can use it. More than 90% of successful cyberattacks result from a mistake or breach made through social engineering. This situation can be easily reduced by correct and frequent training and informing of employees.
2. Weak cybersecurity policies: One of the most important security vulnerabilities faced by SMEs is weak and easy to guess passwords. It takes about an hour for an advanced computer to crack an eight-character password containing uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Passwords that are short or just numbers and letters are even less reliable, as computers can instantly guess such combinations.
3. Outdated software: SMBs often work with legacy software, creating vulnerabilities and inviting attackers to target known vulnerabilities. Updating the software regularly is one of the best ways to keep the business or organization safe. Outdated applications are vulnerable to well-known vulnerabilities due to the lack of security updates to protect software and hardware from the latest attacks. In order to receive these updates regularly and to keep the infrastructure fresh, all systems containing software must be connected to the Internet.
4. Lack of physical security policies: Another common vulnerability in SMBs is the lack of physical security policies. For example, Wi-Fi networks are often accessible to attackers due to weak and easily discovered passwords. Unlocked computers also make the company vulnerable because anyone entering the office can easily access valuable and confidential information.
5. Lack of secure cloud services: One of the most important vulnerabilities is the lack of secure cloud services. Many SMBs fail to secure their cloud services by reusing passwords and abandoning two-factor authentication. This makes it easier for attackers to infiltrate the infrastructure. Even using a single account for multiple employees creates an opportunity for an attacker to obtain credentials and access data stored in the cloud. Social media accounts can also allow attackers to exploit employee personal information and attack with social engineering techniques.”