Fight the Phish for Businesses!

Our goal this week is to talk about the challenges that businesses can face in dealing with cyber security issues. 

These run the gamut from business identity theft, to the vulnerabilities posed by a teleworking staff, to the need to create employees who are security aware, and how to deal with the additional security demands of the holiday season, just to name a few. 

Business Identity Theft

Individuals aren’t the only ones who can experience identity theft.  Businesses can also fall victim to what’s called “business identity theft,” where criminals steal your sensitive information to commit various crimes, including: tax or credit card fraud, taking out loans in the name of the business, holding websites and business trademarks for ransom, changing business registration information, and a whole host of other exploits that can have huge financial impacts on small & medium-sized businesses.  In the webinar linked below, the National Cybersecurity Alliance’s partners at Generali Global Assistance provide an overview of what Business Identity Theft is and provide tips on how you can prevent this from happening to your business.

Teleworking

Teleworking has increasingly become an option of choice in the workplace for years.  The spread of COVID-19 has accelerated its adoption as a valuable option for both employers and employees.  However, with this comes a whole new suite of problems. The New Reality of Everyday Teleworking: Make it Safe discusses what you need to know to make sure that your organization is equipped to handle the cybersecurity risks that come with teleworking.

Employee Training

You are only as strong as your weakest link. Training your employees and teaching them to be wary of emails, text messages, or chat boxes that come from a stranger or someone they were not expecting is critical. 

Security Awareness Episode 4,: Phishing and Ransomware

Holiday Season Security

The holiday season will soon be upon us.  Taking security actions to protect yourself and your customers is good business especially with more individuals shopping online these days.  Be sure to build security into your online e-commerce capabilities.  The Holiday Season Security Tips for Small Merchants offers you tips for protecting yourself and your customer data from cyber criminals.  

Additional Resources

• COVID-19 Scams – a brief video from the Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer Protection about How to Avoid COVID-19 Scams that have arisen during the pandemic.
• Eight Tips on How to Avoid Coronavirus Scams
• 8 Important Cybersecurity Tips for Small Businesses
• Business Travel Security Tips from staysafeonline.org. This tip sheet warns about the dangers of providing too much information, recommends that you limit the number of devices that you take with you, warns about the dangers of using public Wi-Fi hotspots, and more.  

 Phishing is the number one gateway to cyberattacks, including ransomware.  Don’t hesitate to report it!