Cyber Corner: Company Size Doesn’t Matter

Do you think hackers only target large corporations for their cyberattacks? Think again! If you are an employee of a small to medium-sized organization, you may be even more at risk of being targeted for cyberattacks.

Cybercriminals target smaller organizations because they assume that these organizations have fewer defenses in place to prevent cyberattacks. According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, one in five small organizations falls victim to cybercrime each year, and 60 percent of these small organizations go out of business within six months of the attack.

Remember these tips to stay safe:

• Never share your password with anyone. Additionally, use complex passwords, and use different passwords for each of your online accounts or services.
• Look for red flags in emails such as a sense of urgency or a request for sensitive information. Carefully check the domain of the sender’s email address and remember that any domain can be spoofed.
• Don’t click on links or open email attachments if you don’t know who sent them, why you received them, or what they contain.
• When you’re in doubt, follow your organization’s process for reporting suspicious emails. If you’re not sure how to report the email, ask a supervisor.

Remember, you are the last line of defense to prevent a cyberattack. You are the key to keeping your organization’s “human firewall” strong whether your organization is big or small.