Here’s a statistic that should frighten the owners of small businesses. According to a recent story by Entrepreneur Magazine – the magazine cited data from tech security company Symantec – companies with one to 250 employees were the victim of 30 percent of all cyber crimes in 2012. What makes this statistic important? It provides proof that small businesses who don’t create a cybersecurity plan are putting themselves at risk of suffering their own cyber attacks.

 

Anti-Virus Software Matters

Fortunately, the cybersecurity plan that Entrepreneur lays out is an easy one to implement. First, the magazine advises that you immediately install anti-virus software on your business’ computers. No anti-virus software will stop every virus. But computers left unprotected are very easy targets for cyber criminals.

 

E-mail Mistakes

Many hacks start with employees inadvertently opening suspicious e-mail messages. Because of this, Entrepreneur suggests that small business owners regularly remind their employees to delete any suspicious e-mail messages, even when they may be supposedly originating from people they know. Businesses need to emphasize to employees, to not click links that they find after opening suspicious e-mail messages.

 

You Need Firewalls

Finally, Entrepreneur says that businesses can protect themselves by using firewalls. A firewall will protect business’ incoming and outgoing traffic. Firewalls can also prevent employees from viewing certain Web sites. That can protect your business, as well — many viruses come from unsafe sites.