Cyber Attackers Size Up SMEs

THE THREAT: From viruses to criminally minded efforts to steal valuable private data that can be ransomed, sold or otherwise employed for gain, cyber attacks are on the rise. Among the most prevalent are spearphishing campaigns—malicious emails to employees that appear to be from a known contact—which increased 55% in 2015.

What’s more, attackers are increasingly setting their sights on small and medium-size businesses, presumably because larger firms tend to have stronger shields in place, according to Symentec’s 2016 Internet Security Threat Report. Data suggests that targeted companies often face as many as four attempts per year.

“The attackers only have to succeed once, whereas the businesses must thwart each and every attack to remain secure,” warns the report. “Businesses should already be thinking about what to do when (not if) such a breach occurs.”