Your NYC Business Needs Competent IT Solutions 

No matter what size your New York business is, it is at risk from a cyber attack. It’s tempting to think that because your business may not be a Fortune 500 company that it is safe from these security breaches because it’s not a large target. That would be a mistake, however, as over 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses, and that percentage is growing. Of that 43% of attacked businesses, 60% never fully recover and go out of business within 6 months. What’s even more alarming is that almost 50% of small businesses have no idea how to protect themselves from these malicious attacks and have set up little or no defenses.

Your small business needs IT solutions like the ones provided by Five Nines Consulting. Most small businesses believe they don’t have the resources to employ an IT service, but with Five Nines Consulting, it’s more possible than you realize to protect yourself from these major cyber security threats.

Phishing

The most common and damaging cyber threat comes in the form of phishing, accounting for nine out of 10 security breaches that businesses face. Phishing is a malicious attempt by someone to appear to be a trusted contact and use that disguise to gain access to sensitive information. This can happen through providing a malicious link or a download file in an email, or simply through asking for sensitive data. 

Phishing is difficult to defend yourself against, since it largely preys on people’s willingness to trust others, rather than a technological flaw in a system. Defense is difficult, but not impossible. Five Nines Consulting can institute secure email gateways that help to prevent phishing emails from even reaching the inboxes of yourself and your employees, and also allows users to report suspicious looking messages and files. Five Nines is also happy to help educate employees through security awareness training, further enabling your employees to spot suspicious contacts.

Malware (Malicious Code)

Malware is the term used for malicious code developed by hackers to gain access to personal business networks to steal or destroy company data. When you hear terms like “trojans” and “viruses,” that is malware. Most of the time, malware finds its way into your computer network through illegitimate website downloads, spam email, or interfacing with other infected devices.

Malware can utterly cripple computer systems and digital devices, and can be extremely costly to small businesses, both in repair costs to their equipment and the losses that could occur from data breaches. Small businesses whose employees use their own devices and equipment can be especially at risk, since personal devices are much more likely to encounter malware through unsafe downloads. IT providers like Five Nines Consulting can implement security gates that stop unsafe downloads in their tracks, and protect your small business.

Ransomware

Similar to malware, ransomware attacks businesses to literally take their sensitive data hostage. These malicious programs can encrypt sensitive data, rendering it unusable and inaccessible unless the business pays a ransom to unlock their own data. As much as 71% of ransomware attacks target small businesses, and random demands can exceed $100,000. 

Cloud backup systems provided by Five Nines can effectively protect businesses from these types of attacks, as well as other measures to prevent them from happening in the first place.

Insufficient Password Protection

If, God forbid, your password is “password” or “1234567” then it is time to seriously reconsider your cyber security standards. Weak, easily guessed passwords pose a serious threat to small businesses in regards to their cyber security. Having sequential, easily guessed passwords, especially if they are used to access multiple accounts or cloud services, is like practically leaving the door open for a data breach. 

To circumvent these password woes, IT solutions companies like Five Nines can implement password management systems that create unique and regularly changed passwords for employees, making password security incredibly strong. We can also implement authentication measures to further ensure that the person accessing sensitive data is who they say they are. Multi-factor authentication further prevents attackers from accessing important data, even if they do happen to correctly guess a password. 

Insider Threats to Security

An insider threat to security is not necessarily an employee who is out to take down their own company, but rather employees that are either ignorant or careless with their own access to sensitive information. These types of insider threats constitute as much as a quarter of all data breaches in small businesses. 

This behavior can be prevented by ensuring that your whole company community has a culture centered around technological security awareness. Preventing breaches from occurring by accident or through ignorance, as well as training employees to recognize security risks from others who may be trying to take advantage of your business, will significantly reduce the likelihood of an insider attack.

IT Solutions & Protection for Your New York Business

Your small business may not be able to afford to employ an on-site IT team, but we’re confident that Five Nines Consulting can provide an IT solution that fits your budget and keeps your data secure. Cyber threats are real, and your business is not immune. Protect yourself and your employees by contacting Five Nines Consulting in New York today, and we’ll get started setting up your defenses.

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