FBI Recommends Home & Small Business Owners to Reboot Their Routers

As news has broken about the FBI’s warning to consumers and small business owners about rebooting their routers, many have reached out to Axiom to ask what do they need to do. Our advice to them is what the FBI has recommened: if you have one a cable modem or router at home, do a quick unplug/replug of the router (D-Link, NetGear, etc). The good news is the FBI has taken control of the domain that was harvesting the information so even if you were infected, the FBI is just collecting information to find how widespread the infection was (500,000 devices are suspected to be infected).

What is VPNFilter?

VPNFilter is a malware, that contains a killswitch for routers (meaning it can permanently shutdown your device) and it also could steal usernames and passwords. The infection appears to be hitting Ukraine hard but has been found in 54 countries.

Good News?

There is some good news for some users. If you have kept on top of firmware updates and changed the default credentials on your devices, you may be protected. But as we know, most of us never log in and update our cable modem’s firmware.

Axiom’s customers are protected from VPNFilter through a combination of rules that restrict access to our devices as well as addition of the known bad addresses to our blocklists.

5 Cybersecurity Obstacles Small Businesses Face

5 Cybersecurity Obstacles Small Businesses Face

I have spoken to hundreds of small business owners and general managers over the last few months about cybersecurity. Many present one or more of the following five reasons as to why they don’t have data protection in place.

Ultimately, they don’t think their data is worth stealing.

Ironically, this is exactly the attitude most bad actors hope for. With systems that are minimally secure, cybercriminals can have a heyday with your company bank accounts, confidential employee information and customer files. Roughly 50% of all small businesses who suffer a cyberattack go out of business within six months. We don’t want you to be one of them.

Let’s look at these hinderances and discover ways to overcome them.

 

Five Most Common Stumbling Blocks to Cybersecurity

 

“We have no money.”

Small or large, this is the number one hindrance I see moving forward. Most decision makers think cybersecurity solutions cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. They already set in mental motion either severe budget cuts in other areas or an unbudgeted approval by management needs to occur. Neither position is attractive, so nothing happens.

Cybersecurity doesn’t have to be expensive. Our SecureAmerica solution starts at $299 per month – giving your business the protection it needs 24/7!

 

“We backup our data regularly, so there’s no risk.”

Really? How regularly – every transaction, once a day or a few times per month? Regular backups will allow your business to limp along after you install new operating systems, applications and put new passcodes on everything. This can take days, if not weeks to complete.

But the fact is, your data has been stolen and encrypted. Depending on the number of records and sensitivity of that information, you may have to pay ransomware to get the records back, which will also impact your budget.

Our solution monitors your network for any vulnerabilities, phishing or scraping attempts, and stops ransomware attempts before they happen.

 

“We have malware protection on each device, so we’re covered.”

While this is certainly important, it isn’t enough. Bad actors are smart and constantly trying to find ways to enter your system. In addition, many of them roam around your servers for days or months before they retrieve anything, which makes your systems all that more vulnerable. Malware protection is a piece, but it isn’t the entire solution.

We offer complete protection of your entire network, down to the device level.

 

“We’re too small to be hacked.”

87% of small businesses don’t think they will ever be hacked, yet 50% of them are. No one is too small. If you have a business that interacts with clients, vendors and employees, you can be a victim.

Bottom line: Every business needs cybersecurity.

 

“Our IT guy is handling our cyber protection.”

Is he really? How much has he been trained on cybersecurity? How will he be able to detect a breach? How soon can he detect it? These are the hard questions you should be asking. IT “guys” are good at installing and managing your systems, but without the proper tools, they can be in the dark about a data breach as much as you are.

 

Axiom Cyber Solutions Has You Covered

Our SecureAmerica Threat Defense Platform takes in multiple open and closed source threat feeds daily. It is built on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to not only parse the latest threats but predict future ones as well.

With a low monthly subscription cost, you can have a complete cybersecurity package. Give us a call at (800) 519-5070 or send an email to info@axiomcyber.com for more information.

 

Why Hackers Target SMEs and Why You Need to Take Threats to Your Business Seriously

Why Hackers Target SMEs and Why You Need to Take Threats to Your Business Seriously

Between tight budgets and simply having too many other things to worry about, SME owners often overlook cybersecurity. The thought is that because the company is so small, no hacker would waste his or her time trying to gain access to the information you possess.

This logic is simply wrong. Around half of the cyber attacks that occur each year are on small businesses, and this number is expected to grow in the future. Ignoring cybersecurity is taking on an unnecessary risk for your business that could cost you big time down the road.

But why do hackers target SMEs? It is true they have a lot less information, and hacking into a large corporation stands to be a lot more lucrative. Well, the simple answer is that they are just easier targets. They know that a lot of small businesses don’t consider themselves worthy of hackers’ attention, and they know they have a better chance of stealing information and getting away with it. To hack into a larger company, hackers would need to bypass much more advanced security measures. They are often unsuccessful in doing this, so going after SMEs ends up being the better move.

Plus, just because your business is small doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have valuable information. Credit card data, identification numbers, mobile phone numbers, etc. are all worth something, and if a hacker can steal this information from enough companies, they can sell it and make a fair bit of money. So perhaps the real question is why wouldn’t hackers target SMEs?

If this isn’t enough to convince you to take cybersecurity seriously, consider the consequences that this decision can have on your business.

Reputation damage

Often times, one of the things that helps a small business stand out from the competition is its reputation and relationship with customers. People are more likely to trust small companies, and are usually more loyal to them because of this.

However, if you lose people’s data and expose them to unnecessary cybersecurity threats, this trust will be gone in no time, and you may not be able to convince them to come back to you. This damage to your reputation could be the eventual downfall of your entire business.

Recovery is expensive

Beyond just the damage a cyber attack would do to your reputation, you will also be facing a steep financial hill. You may need to pay retributions to customers for lost data, and there is a chance you will face lawsuits, which are always expensive.

This alone could be enough to send your business under, and that is not even counting all the time and resources you’ll have to dedicate to cleaning up from an attack. Diverting energy away from core business functions can run you into the ground quickly. It is no wonder 60 percent of all small businesses fail within six months of a cyber attack.

Lost value

There may come a day when you decide to sell your business. And when determining the value of your company, investors will look at how well you account for and mitigate risks. If you’ve been the victim of a cyber attack, or if you do not have a good plan in place for them, this will reflect negatively on the value of your business, causing investors to give you a much lower valuation, or perhaps even walk away without making an offer.

It just makes good business sense

It really comes down to this. You wouldn’t leave the front door of your home or office unlocked so that anyone who wants to steal from you can just walk in whenever they want. So why would you leave your business unprotected from cyber threats? It may require some extra time and a little investment, but this is well worth it considering the alternative may mean going out of business and losing everything.

About the author: Jock is an entrepreneur who has built and sold several online businesses throughout his career, including a website dedicated to home and business internet security. Connect with Jock on LinkedIn here.

Axiom Cyber Solutions Wins Runner-Up for Launching Las Vegas Award

Dr. Samir Pancholi and the Launching Las Vegas Committee are proud to announce the winner of the third annual Launching Las Vegas award, Wedspire. Launching Las Vegas was created in 2015 to celebrate those who work hard to build up Vegas and support our community. The annual contest has awarded $2,500 to local businesses since its inception.

Hundreds of votes were cast as community members came out in full force to recognize their favorite of three nominated startup companies: Wedspire, Axiom Cyber Solutions, and Fuelixer. All companies were chosen for their dedication and contributions to the Las Vegas entrepreneurial community—and they epitomize the hard work and passion Las Vegans are known for.

Axiom Cyber Solutions was awarded second place and a $250 cash prize. Axiom Cyber Solutions is a Las Vegas cyber security company focused on providing holistic, enterprise-class cyber security solutions to small-to-medium businesses. They’re dedicated to protecting businesses most at-risk of attack by providing a firewall backed by the SecureAmerica Threat Defense Platform, antivirus, and Endpoint Detection and Response for a low monthly subscription cost.

“We are honored to have been selected as one of the Launching Las Vegas finalists,” responds Troy Wilkinson, CEO of Axiom Cyber Solutions. “We would like to thank Dr. Pancholi for establishing the award and recognizing the startup businesses of Las Vegas. Thank you to all of our supporters for their votes.”

About Dr. Pancholi & Launching Las Vegas: Dr. Samir Pancholi is a Las Vegas-based cosmetic surgeon and owner and director of a thriving practice. As a local business owner himself, Dr. Pancholi understands the challenges and rewards of starting your own company—and he created the annual Launching Las Vegas award in 2015 to celebrate, honor, and support fellow entrepreneurs and the Las Vegas business community as it expands. Visit drpancholi.com or call 702.363.0240 to learn more about Launching Las Vegas. Dr. Pancholi is available for interview upon request.

Axiom Cyber Solutions Nominated for Launching Las Vegas Award

For the third year in a row, the Launching Las Vegas award is celebrating Vegas-based startup companies—and voting for the 2017 contest is officially open for public voting. Launching Las Vegas, was created to honor the hard work local startups and entrepreneurs devote to helping Vegas shine as a hub for business.

Axiom Cyber Solutions is honored to have been nominated along with two other Las Vegas start-ups for the third annual award.

“I’m proud to see Launching Las Vegas grow and evolve as our business community diversifies,” says Dr. Samir Pancholi, creator of the award. “I am continually inspired by our local entrepreneurs, and it has been an honor to spotlight and support these stellar businesses over the last few years.”

The winner of the 2017 Launching Las Vegas award will be chosen via an online voting system, Tuesday, October 17, 2017 through Thursday, November 2nd, 2017. Users will be able to vote for their favorite startup company once per day through the duration of the contest.

“Our voters will have a difficult time choosing from our talented group of nominees this year. I encourage everyone to spread the word, vote every day, and help support local business,” emphasizes Dr. Pancholi. “I wish our nominees the best of luck and look forward to continually finding new ways to support and elevate our incredible community.”

Axiom Cyber Solutions Prevents Cyber Attack on Local Business Within Hours of its Opening

Axiom Cyber Solutions Prevents Cyber Attack on Local Business Within Hours of its Opening

Kangamoo Indoor Playground Faced Hacker Attack On Opening Day, Reinforcing Risk to Small Businesses

Las Vegas—When Kangamoo Indoor Playground opened for business recently, one of the last things owners Mimi and Shawn Wachter expected to face on opening day was a cyber attack.  But after having their network online for just a couple of hours, the small business was targeted by hackers looking to access sensitive customer information.

“We’re a small, independent indoor playground—we didn’t expect to face an attempted data breach ever, let alone just hours after opening our doors to the public,” said Mimi.  “You hear about this kind of thing happening to large corporations with millions of customers; it was really off our radar that a tiny, new business like ours would be targeted.”

Fortunately for the Wachters, they had enlisted Axiom Cyber Solutions’ services prior to opening, so the attack was detected by Axiom and thwarted.

“Small business owners think they’re immune to these types of attacks—the perception is that hackers only target systems with millions of people’s personal information, but it doesn’t work that way,” said Troy Wilkinson, CEO of Axiom Cyber Solutions.  “Hackers don’t see company names—they see numbers, and they don’t discriminate.  Kangamoo wasn’t a name to these attackers, it was merely a potential goldmine of sensitive customer information.”

Wilkinson, who runs Axiom Cyber Solutions with his wife Shannon Wilkinson, said that 60 percent of businesses close within six months of experiencing a cyber breach.

“Most small businesses don’t have an IT department, let alone a cyber security pro,” said Shannon, President of Axiom Cyber Solutions.  “The average cost of a data breach to a business is $36,000, which is absolutely devastating to many small businesses.”

The Wachters said they were sold on Axiom’s services after talking with them while Kangamoo Indoor Playground was under construction.

 

“Axiom was incredibly affordable for us, and easy to set up with our network,” said Mimi.  “After weighing the risk of what a breach could cost our business and wanting to protect our customers as best as possible, it was a no-brainer to secure our network.  We really didn’t expect our modest investment to pay off so quickly!”

Shannon adds that recent data shows that 71% of hacks targeted small businesses.

“Small businesses don’t think they will be targeted, and they don’t think they can afford protection, and that’s why we founded Axiom,” said Shannon.  “In our one year of business, our system has prevented hundreds of attacks on small businesses and kept thousand’s of people’s sensitive information safe.”

Kangamoo Indoor Playground’s customers, of course, are among them.

“It was terrifying to think of what we would have gone through that first day if we hadn’t had Axiom protecting our network,” said Mimi.  “To think of having to announce to customers that their information had been compromised a couple hours after visiting us for the first time—who would have trusted us again?  Imagine if we had to close our doors just as we were getting them opened!  We couldn’t be more grateful to Axiom for protecting our business and our customers—we’ll never be without this service.”

Axiom Cyber Solutions

Axiom Cyber Solutions is a Las Vegas-based cyber security company responsible for some of the most unique and most capable security appliances on the market. Axiom has a proprietary Denial of Service mitigation algorithm and currently produces the world’s most powerful DDoS mitigation appliance. Axiom also has a proprietary ransomware algorithm built into every device they produce that can stop nearly 100 percent of ransomware infections. Axiom focuses mainly on providing a low cost monthly subscription to small businesses that includes a $3,000 firewall at no upfront cost. Axiom then manages, monitors and updates that firewall for the business at a cost of under $200 per month.  For more information, visit www.axiomcyber.com

Why Do Small Business Owners Need to Worry about Cyber-Security?

Why Do Small Business Owners Need to Worry about Cyber-Security?

Unfortunately, for small business owners, the thought that they are too small to be a target is simply inaccurate.

According to the US House Committee on Small Business, 71% of cyber attacks target businesses with fewer than 100 employees.
~ US House Committee on Small Business 2015

The average total cost of a cyber-security breach is $36,000 for a small business.
~ Better Business Bureau 2015

60% of small businesses that are hacked go out of business within six months due to the loss of reputation, financial repercussions, and the inability to recover from downtime.
~ National Cyber Security Alliance

Cyber criminals took an average $32,000 from small-business accounts.
~ National Small Business Association 2015

Ransomware saw a 165% rise in 2015 netting cyber-criminals a whopping $325 million in ransom.
~ McAfee Labs Threats Report & Cyber Threat Alliance 2015

The Federal Trade Commission now has the power to punish organizations that fail to invest in and deliver robust cyber-security measures.
~ Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals 2015

There are two types of companies: those who have been hacked, and those who don’t yet know they have been hacked.
~ John Chambers, CEO of Cisco

Businesses today are going to have to rely on their own resources if they want to protect themselves from cyber attacks. This is because law enforcement is limited due to both a lack of trained staff as well as the inability to prosecute criminals both in and outside of our borders.

So what are small businesses who can’t afford a trained cyber security staff supposed to do?  The keys are education, and effective multiple layers of defense.

More than 40% of cyber attacks are successful because they begin with your employees.  They take advantage of natural human curiosity, and the general desire of most employees to be helpful. A simple click on a link in a suspicious email, holding the door for a stranger to enter a secure area, or giving a login and password to someone pretending to work for the IT department can lead to devastating results to a small business’ data and computer systems.

Therefore, it’s imperative that you make the effort to increase your employees’ awareness of the very serious and growing trend of hackers targeting small businesses. Make sure they are educated about the dangers of social engineering attacks. And in situations where they are concerned about the legitimacy of an authority figure wanting access to a computer or secure area, make sure they are given the freedom to say “No” without fear of repercussion, and have the policies in place to support that.

From a technical standpoint, most small businesses have only a limited budget that they can devote to protecting their computer systems and data.  The key, again, is defense in depth – systems and procedures that provide multiple obstacles for cyber criminals to have to traverse to get to your data.  To do this:

  • Make sure you ALWAYS keep your software and operating systems up-to-date.  It’s annoying to have to wait, to reboot, and deal with changes. But be assured, if a software company sends out an update on Tuesday, you can be sure that Tuesday night cyber criminals are researching the weaknesses those updates are correcting and are attacking on Wednesday. They know many people put off an update because it’s inconvenient. So, like a lion picking off the stragglers in a herd, they search for computers that have not yet been updated.  Hackers like to take advantage of inconvenience.
  • Use a high quality anti-virus software program that is regularly updated. In “the old days” hacking was something bored kids used to do after school for fun. Today, it’s BIG business and new viruses and malware are constantly being created to get your data. An anti-virus product that hasn’t been updated for months is nearly as useless as not having one at all. A relatively small investment in this kind of protection will pay off in unknown ways.
  • Keep your systems and data backed up regularly.  With the proliferation of ransomware, cyber criminals have found a very lucrative way of making money by encrypting your data and holding it “hostage” until you pay them to unlock it. Even the FBI is advising that you just pay the ransom as the time and money to unlock it is outrageous.  Unless you have a technical solution to prevent this from happening in the first place, your only other option is to restore your system from a healthy back-up (one that doesn’t also have ransomware in it).  Without it, you are what you’d be if you were attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis (look it up).
  • Find a provider of a managed next generation firewall solution for your business. A Managed Firewall is a firewall that is monitored, managed, and kept  up-to-date by cyber-security experts outside of your company. And a Next Generation Firewall will provide necessary multiple layers of defense to your entire computer network, not just the computer sitting on your desk.

Managed next generation firewalls offer several benefits to small business owners, such as:

  • Reduced resources and expenses
  • Compliance to various security regulations such as HIPAA and PCI DSS
  • No licensing costs
  • Understandable reporting

One such provider of a managed next generation firewall is Axiom Cyber Solutions.  At Axiom Cyber Solutions, we strive to make managed cyber-security affordable to small businesses that may not have a large IT budget. Starting at just $199 per month, with no long term obligation, Axiom Cyber Solutions provides a fully configured enterprise class next generation firewall to secure your business against today’s threats and those of tomorrow.  If you would like to know more, contact us at info@axiomcyber.com or call me at 1-800-519-5070.

Why a Managed Firewall Is Good For Small Businesses

Why a Managed Firewall Is Good For Small Businesses

Do you have a firewall at your business? Did you know that your firewall was obsolete the day you installed it? A startling statement to many… but unless you have an expert managing your security updates on a daily basis, your business is not protected against today’s threats. Think of your firewall like your antivirus. If you install it and just leave it running without updating the definitions, you are vulnerable to any new threats.

Cyber-criminals are constantly evolving and finding new ways to exploit vulnerabilities such as default username/password combinations, known security holes, and outdated security definitions. And when a new security hole is announced to the world, the bad guys race to exploit the vulnerability before organizations install updates and unfortunately, major vendors keep discovering and patching serious vulnerabilities.

Firewall management is time-intensive and requires security expertise. Firewall patches are not easy to install and require a backup in case the patch fails. Plus most firewalls require a reboot of the devices which means the business is taken offline during the update. Given these difficulties, many businesses schedule quarterly or less updates for their firewalls which leave the business open to attack through known vulnerabilities for long periods of time.

The absence of a firewall or an improperly configured firewall is a major factor in many data breaches. A robust firewall is the imperative first line of defense against intrusions and other threats for all business network. So how does a small business without an IT department much less a cyber-security expert get protected? The answer: A Managed Firewall.

A Managed Firewall is a firewall that is monitored, managed, and kept up-to-date by cybersecurity experts.

Managed firewalls offer several benefits such as:

  • Reduce resource costs -The average salary for a cybersecurity expert is $80-120,000 per year
  • Security compliance – The business will have the protection requirements to ensure PCI DSS, FFIEC/GLBA, SOX, HIPAA, etc regulations
  • No licensing costs – The cost is fixed month to month so you can budget accordingly and not get hit with license renewal fees after a year
  • Reporting – Unless you log into your firewall, you probably don’t know what it is doing. Managed firewall services typically offer some type of threat analysis reporting

How Can We Help?

Axiom Cyber Solutions strives to make managed cybersecurity affordable to small businesses that may not have a large IT budget. Starting at just $199 per month, with no long term obligation, Axiom Cyber Solutions provides a fully configured enterprise class next generation firewall (NGFW) that is plug & play to the business and begins to monitor, manage, and update the firewall as soon as it comes online. Let our cybersecurity experts secure your business against today’s threats and those of tomorrow.

Cyber-criminals Increasingly Target Small Businesses

Small businesses historically have had the mindset that they are not a target for hackers due to their size, but never have they been so wrong.

Sarah Green, a cyber security expert and business manager for Cyber Security at Training 2000, says that one of the most dangerous phrases used by small businesses is: “It’ll never happen to us.”

 

“Small businesses may feel that they aren’t likely to be a target due to their size and that hackers couldn’t possibly be interested in what they do – but in reality the exact opposite is true,” Green adds.

 

– Source: The Guardian

Hackers are targeting small businesses on a much higher frequency than large businesses. In fact, according to the US House Committee on Small Business, 71% of cyber attacks are aimed at businesses with less than 100 employees.

Hackers know that small businesses are less inclined to invest in cyber-security so it makes them a much more attractive target. Think of it like this, as a burglar presented with two houses, would you pick the house that has the front door left open (no firewall) or the house that has an iron gate (firewall) on the front door?

In the UK, the latest Government Security Breaches Survey found that 74% of small organizations reported a security breach in 2015 and SMEs are being directly targeted by hackers.

In fact, Symantec reports that over half of spear phishing attacks are carried out against small businesses. And the ransomware trend is increasing with many small businesses suffering the consequences. Intermedia reports that 40% of ransomware attacks in 2015 targeted small businesses.

 

It seemed like just another ordinary day for staff at vehicle hire company MNH Platinum. Little did they know that the simple click of an email link was about to threaten their entire business.

 

It was early last year when the Blackburn-based firm was the victim of a virus which encrypted over 12,000 files on its company network. A ransom demand followed – the criminals would decrypt the company’s files in exchange for more than £3,000.

 

With the virus proving impossible to remove without the loss of crucial company data, the firm had no choice but to pay up.

 

“We were completely unprepared for a cyber breach simply due to a lack of awareness of the magnitude an attack of this type could have through mistakenly clicking a link in an email,” says managing director Mark Hindle. “I am thankful that we had a lucky escape, in that I was able to retrieve the documents that are crucial to the running of the business, albeit at a price.”

 

– Source: The Guardian

How can we help?

Axiom Cyber Solutions is offering a Managed Firewall, Cyber-Security Protection for Small Business starting as low as $199 per month.

We realize that most small businesses do not have a dedicated IT team and business owners may be handling their cyber security matters on their own. Let us take over and provide you with peace of mind. Axiom will provide your business a firewall and manage it so you don’t have to worry about securing your business. We will assess the security risks for your business and will help implement the right cyber security service for your business. And don’t worry, there are no upfront costs for the device and you can cancel at any time. #FightBackWithAxiom

5 Reasons Why Your Small Business is at Risk for a Cyber Attack

Fact: America’s 28 million small businesses create approximately two out of every three new jobs in the United States each year and more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business.

Fact: Businesses with less than 20 employees make up approx 90% of the workforce according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Fact: The Small Business Association found that small employers often don’t consider themselves targets for cyberattacks due to their size or the perception that they don’t have anything worth stealing. However, this could not be any more wrong.

Small businesses have incredibly valuable information that cyber criminals want, including both employee and customer data, bank account information, access to the business’s finances, and intellectual property. Many small businesses are in communication with larger businesses, thus, providing access to larger networks to these cyber criminals. These small businesses play an important part of the nation’s supply chain, and rely on their technology to safely store and process their information. No one really wants to spend money on something before it happens but in this day and age, you can’t afford not to protect your business, your livelihood. Look at your alternative, most businesses close within 6 months of a cyber attack. Some things are worth protecting, and your data, your customer’s data, and your network are your priority.

Most small businesses do not have any sort of cybersecurity practices in place because of a lack of resources. That may be a lack in sufficient resources or personnel to dedicate to cybersecurity. Even then, we’ve seen in recent news that larger corporations with plenty of resources at hand such as Target and Sony, are having their own issues with their cybersecurity not keeping them protected. With such an abundance of small businesses who lack cybersecurity, these small employers are an incredibly attractive target for cyber criminals. Let’s go over the 5 reasons why your small business is at risk for a cyber attack.

1. No one thinks it’ll happen to them. According to a report by Symantec, this kind of thought process couldn’t be further from the truth. 60% of all target attacks struck small and medium sized organizations. Oftentimes, these cyber crimes occur before the business owner can even realize their security has been compromised.

2. Most small businesses can’t afford an IT team, let alone cybersecurity so they ignore the issue. Unfortunately, the average cost of a data breach is $36,000 for small businesses. Many small businesses do not realize that they can be fined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for not protecting their customer’s data. The reality is, you can’t NOT afford cybersecurity.

3. Many small businesses don’t encrypt their data. Encryption in its simplest terms is a method of protecting data from people you don’t want to see it. According to a survey done by Sophos, there are numerous reasons why organizations do not encrypt their data. 37% of organizations cite lack of budget as to why they do not make extensive use of encryption. 31% point to concerns about encryption’s impact on performance and 28% state they have lack of deployment knowledge, while 20% say lack of legal pressure explains why they don’t use encryption. A small business may not realize why their assets are so valuable but in any organization, data is valuable not only to a small business owner but to the cyber criminals. The damage to your brand, your customers, and your business can be insurmountable.

4. Weak passwords pose as a huge security risk. Does your business use passwords like ‘1234’ or ‘password’? As ridiculous as this password is, it has been the #1 used password for years now. Cyber criminals are banking on this. Do not be lazy and just add numbers to your weak password. For example, instead of ‘123456’, many chose ‘1234567890’. This is a basic extension, which cybercriminals can take full advantage of. You’re not being clever by doing this. Take the few minutes to come up with a unique password. That could very well make the difference in your network security.

5. Not updating their firewalls. By regularly updating and checking your firewalls, you are being proactive towards the security of your business. Manufacturers release updates to their products which usually include fixes to bugs as well as new features that will mitigate new types of threats. It is also important to review your firewall logs and check for any alerts or policy changes.

Be proactive and don’t wait until it’s too late. Read below for how Axiom Cyber Solutions can help your small business manage their cybersecurity.

How can we help?

Axiom Cyber Solutions is offering a Managed Firewall, Cyber-Security Protection for Small Business starting as low as $199 per month.

We realize that most small businesses do not have a dedicated IT team and business owners may be handling their cyber security matters on their own. Let us take over and provide you with peace of mind. Axiom will provide your business a firewall and manage it so you don’t have to worry about securing your business. We will assess the security risks for your business and will help implement the right cyber security service for your business. And don’t worry, there are no upfront costs for the device and you can cancel at any time.