How can smaller companies protect themselves from cyberattacks?

Today, many cybercriminals are frequently targeting websites owned by small businesses. As a result, SiteLock insists that smaller companies must take proactive steps to protect themselves from cyberattacks.

No website is too small to hide from cyberattacks

Cybercriminals are now focusing on targeting independent websites and smaller businesses. As a result of these attacks, many businesses report losing revenue and traffic as well as gaining reputational damage.

As SiteLock observes, no website is too small to avoid a sophisticated cyberattack. Nevertheless, there are also "easy and effective ways" that enable website owners to protect their sites and reduce the risk of attack.

First and foremost, recognising the threat is the initial step to creating a safe and secure website. With this in mind, SiteLock's Jessica Ortega insists that cybersecurity experts often advise businesses to assume that they will experience an attack at some point.

Attacks are on the rise

“It’s a safe assumption to make, given that the average website experienced a shocking 50 attacks per day on average in Q1 2018," Ortega noted. During Q2 2018, however, this number rose to 58 attacks per day.

On average, that amounts to a cyberattack every 25 minutes. Moreover, bots automate 61% of all internet traffic, which means that "attacks do not discriminate based on the size or popularity of a website."

During Q2 2018, SiteLock analysed over 6 million websites protected by web application firewalls and malware scanners. In this period, the research found that the average number of attacks experienced per day increased by 16%.

"These attacks are becoming increasingly sneaky and difficult to detect," however. Increases in Javascript files used to deploy cryptominers increased by 16%, while the number of "symptomless malicious cryptominers" doubled.

Proactive protection is necessary

Although website attacks are becoming increasingly more frequent and complex, there are measures that can mitigate the risk of attack. According to SiteLock, taking proactive steps is absolutely crucial to reducing major security vulnerabilities.

Using a malware scanner, updating website applications, and filtering traffic with a WAF are all effective protection measures. “As cyberattacks become more sophisticated, small businesses will need to keep up by taking a proactive, holistic approach to website security,” Ortega said.

“Unfortunately there’s no such thing as a no-risk website – it’s inherently risky," she added. However, "with the right precautions in place, like implementing a WAF to keep out malicious traffic and creating a response plan, it is easy to protect your website from cybercriminals. Being aware of the risks and potential for attacks is just the beginning.”

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