Think before you click (and then don’t click) Ensure that you have protocols such that you use another form of communication to verify that these requests are legitimate. The message will make a legitimate request, such as a vendor changing bank accounts or the CEO or department head making a purchase request. Essentially the criminal will send an email that appears to come from a known source. The FBI calls Business email compromise, or Impersonation attacks one of the most financially damaging online crimes. Nearly 90% of breaches or other incidents start from a successful phish. It’s a specific type of social engineering or “human hacking.” Although these come through email, they also use other mechanisms as our email filters are getting better. Phishing is the act of sending a message to trick or lure the recipient into taking an action that they wouldn’t otherwise do. However, they are also the source of our most significant risk.

These tools are fantastic, and most businesses couldn’t function without them. That includes email, chat, voicemail, text message, video, and more. In our businesses, we need to communicate with the outside world: clients, prospects, suppliers, and partners. If your employees learn how to protect themselves at home (including the 5 steps here), they will bring those habits into work. They may also not realize the consequences of that risk. You may be aware of the risks to your business, but your employees may not. Want to download the Top 5 Ways to Protect your Data, your Business and your Reputation? Click here for the free PDF. But these 5 simple steps will bring you closer to “Fort Knox.” No security solution, product, or process is 100%.

The good news is that there are some things that you can do starting today to protect your information, your client data and build cyber resilience. More than half do not return to business after a business disrupting incident.

How can a small business with limited resources protect itself when large companies with the staff and budget cannot? Although you only hear about large companies getting breached, small businesses are very much at risk. Securing your business can be a daunting task.

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