Business owners who are not paying attention to the security of their corporate network will most likely suffer the consequences of this negligence. Instead of fixing the problems afterwards, it’s best to take adequate measures and prevent them. One of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to protect your business and not get blindsided by an attack is to hire a tech professional like Samantha Foss. The right tech consultant will highlight opportunities to further protect your data and futureproof your business.
It’s normal to make certain cyber security mistakes if you’re trying to handle the issue yourself. In 2023, this is a huge business for both hackers and IT companies trying to prevent it. Hiring the right company to protect you is essential.
Thinking that you don’t need something like this means you will likely be attacked. To show you the seriousness behind the issue, we’re sharing 10 essential cyber security facts. Follow up and see why you must protect yourself from hacking.
1. 95% of all data breaches are due to human error
When we think about hacking, we’re thinking about a person on the other side of the world going through the code of your website, trying to manipulate and gain something for them. The truth is that these are people who are psychologically advanced and know how to take advantage of your employees. Staggering 95% of all data breaches are due to your employees clicking links through the email that allow hackers to intrude.
2. There’s a cyber attack every 39 seconds
With so many hackers around the world, it’s clear that you must stay protected. One attack happens every 39 seconds, which proves that no one is immune to this. If you don’t hire someone to set appropriate defences, you’ll be a victim too.
3. Malware viruses intrude through the email in 94% of the cases
Malware viruses are not just wandering through the internet and getting inside your network. Your employees invite them. This happens through email almost every single time. 9.4 times out of 10, someone clicks on a link in the email and infects your network.
4. Every second, hackers steal around 44 documents and files
Around 4 million files are stolen by hackers daily, which makes 44 docs and files stolen every second. Not all of these files are essential for your company’s work, but there’s certainly something that you wouldn’t want competitors to get their hands on.
5. Around 10% of all hacking is espionage
When the competitors get their hands on your files, they learn about your plans, success stories, and methods. This is a big deal in the corporate world, so companies pay huge amounts to hackers to provide information about the competition. Imagine preparing a product for months or years, and the competition reveals an identical product days before your big launch. Disaster!
6. Hackers target small businesses in 43% of the cases
Most small business owners think they need to be bigger fish for hackers to bother hacking them. The truth is that nearly half of all hacking attempts target small businesses. Many of these cases are to get ransom from the owners in return for releasing data, passwords, and other things.
7. During the Covid-19 pandemic, hacking increased by 300%
With people working from home and anti-hacking methods lowered to a minimum, hacking grew 300% during this period. When you’re in the office, companies will most likely at least have an anti-virus and anti-malware program, but at home, no one watches over your actions, which is why hackers took advantage.
8. It takes companies around six months to realize they’ve been hacked
It sounds unbelievable, but it’s true. It takes companies nearly half a year to realize they’ve been hacked. When hackers intrude and steal information, no one notices. They’ll simply copy the files and continue with their work. They might copy the passwords and wait for the right time to attack, leaving companies clueless about their actions.
9. Only 5% of companies are properly protected against hackers
Only a small portion of businesses globally are entirely ready to respond to hacking attacks. Only 5% of them hired 24/7 hacking protection, which is the only way to do it. Without a team of people monitoring activities non-stop, there’s no other way to stay protected.
10. The average cost of being hacked is $3.9 million
Most companies will install anti-hacking programs, but this is simply not enough. As we discussed, most hacking issues come from human mistakes. The average cost of companies facing a hacking attack is a staggering $3.9 million. Bigger companies will face much higher costs.
Conclusion
These are the ten most interesting and valuable hacking facts you should know. If you’re running a company, you now know where the main threat comes from. Educate your employees about what they should and shouldn’t open through their corporate and personal emails, hire an IT protection company, and run regular scans. This is the only way to stay protected and grow your business without interruptions.
Caroline is doing her graduation in IT from the University of South California but keens to work as a freelance blogger. She loves to write on the latest information about IoT, technology, and business. She has innovative ideas and shares her experience with her readers.