Hey You, Get Off the Public Cloud
November 22, 2020
(The statistics in this section are findings from this article)
It seems like businesses in Australia are uniquely behind the times when it comes to managing cybercrime and security.
2019 was an exceptionally challenging year. Throughout the country, atleast 23,000 Australian businesses dealt with some manner of a cybersecurityemergency.
In fact, the first half of last year saw 9.2 million recorded malwaredetections from businesses. While the average cost paid to cyber extortionistswas $36,295. On the high end of these crimes, there have even been paymentsmade that have reached $250,000.
The eventual toll 2019 took on Australia is $19 million in cybercrime. This year, the number is projected to jump 27%—and another 52% by 2022.
It’s integral for you, as a business owner, to commit to halting these crimes by complying with security measures and protecting your data.
(The statistics in this section are findings from this report)
The biggest problem facing Australian businesses is their own inaction.With more room to roam freely and launch malicious attacks on businesses acrossthe country, it’s only possible for cybercriminals to grow bolder and stronger.
Part of that inaction is not having a firm plan or strategy in place tohandle these threats.
Such a strategy can only be formed and executed if businesses areproactive and align themselves with an MSP willing to collaborate on aneffective solution.
Sadly, there’s a disconnect throughout the country with small businessesand their MSPs. 90% of MSPs are “very concerned” about the ransomware threat,while only 24% of their small business clients feel the same.
Meaning, businesses aren’t listening to their MSPs—who clearly aren’tdoing a good enough job conveying that information.
It’s incredible to think that in 2020, businesses would get bilked byphishing emails out of highly sensitive information.
However, these scams have become increasingly more deceptive and intricateas the years have gone by. Even the savviest of individuals can end up gettinghooked by a phishing scam.
MSPs throughout Australia rank phishing emails as the leading cause ofsuccessful attacks, with 73% of small businesses falling victim to these scams.
Another issue ranked by Australian MSPs as a leading cause of maliciouscyberattacks is a lack of education on these matters.
33% report a lack of cybersecurity training directly leading to attacks.
Understandably, businesses fall victim to this lack of education. Ownersare so laser-focused on their products and services, and matters of securityare overwhelming and all-encompassing. It’s incredibly challenging to remaininformed on these issues.
Still, it’s crucial to stay informed and ready for these risks, which ismuch easier when you’re working with a top-notch MSP.
It becomes effortless for hackers to invade your email inbox and procuresensitive information when they don’t actually have to hack.
39% of small businesses have weak passwords, according to MSPs. Thisstatistic is highly likely due to the lack of education on cybersecurity forthese businesses.
In 2019, ransomware was as prevalent as ever as a malware threat to yoursystem. To elaborate, 89% of MSPs report this malicious software as the mostcommon malware threat to SMBs.
Furthermore, 64% of MSPs reported attacks against clients during the first half of last year, alone. On top of that, the aftermath of a ransomware attack is devastating. Almost 50% of MSPs report victimized clients experiencing levels of downtime that threatened their business.
Throughout this blog, it’s been made clear that a lot of these issuesresult from an educational gap. And, of course, they occur due to a disconnectwith MSP and IT teams.
Well, you can’t communicate with your MSP if you haven’t hired one tohelp with such services.
Tech these days is so sophisticated that it’s not something you canreally DIY. You have your own discipline, and digital technology is its ownfulltime job. There isn’t any possible way you can dedicate the necessary timeto matters such as cybersecurity when you’re focused on other aspects of yourbusiness.
If there is one take away from this article, it is to at least have a conversation with your IT provider around cyber security.
