As a business owner, one of your foremost concerns is keeping your company, your assets, your employees, and your customers safe—and in today’s world, part of that job entails investing in cybersecurity.
For a lot of leaders and executives, though, that word is a little daunting—not just because it involves technical knowledge, but because cyber-threats grow more sophisticated and insidious all the time.
Seeking cybersecurity literacy is important—and to help you get started, here are just a few big-picture facts and figures.
What Business Owners Should Know About Cybersecurity
- Cyber-attacks can prove costly. The first thing to understand is that this is a serious matter for your business; it’s projected that the annual cost of cybercrime will hit the $6 trillion mark by 2021.
- It’s possible that you’ll endure a cyber-attack, but it’s much more likely that you’ll fall prey to simple human error. The overwhelming majority of cybersecurity breaches come from employees opening emails they shouldn’t, connecting to unsecure networks, etc.
- The biggest threat of all is phishing scams. More than 400 businesses are hit by phishing scams every single day—a specific example of how cybersecurity breaches typically start with people, not with technology.
- Fighting cybercrime can be costly. Global spending on cybersecurity protocols is set to surpass $1 trillion within the next few years.
- The simplest, most effective, and most affordable solution is education. Simply teaching your employees some cybersecurity basics can help mitigate much, though not all, of your risk.
The bottom line for your business? Cybercrimes are real, and they can take a toll—and there’s much you might do to combat them. Start with awareness raising. Make IT literacy a hallmark of your entire organization—and if you have any questions, contact Salient Networks today.