Why Startups Must Take Cybercrime Seriously

We live in interesting times. It’s never been so easy to start a business. The internet has made it possible to create a virtual business front in minutes and at a low cost. Digital marketing has made it easy to get your business message out there.

There’s also never been a riskier time for startups. Dealing with market volatility is one thing, but running a business today means dealing with cunning cybercriminals as well. With cybercriminals making off with $445 billion dollars in 2018, it’s a huge concern for startups.

And, while you might not think that you’re a prime target, hackers think differently. 43% of attacks are aimed at small and medium businesses for a simple reason – they’re softer targets. Think of it this way – if you were planning a robbery, would you rather try the corner store or a bank?

You might only get away with a couple of hundred dollars and some groceries at the corner store. With the bank, you could access a lot more cash. The problem is that the bank knows that it’s a prime target, so it has more safeguards in place.

Considering the firepower, the amount of planning, and the risk of being caught with a bank heist, the corner store starts looking better and better. The same is true when it comes to hacking a small business or hacking a big corporation.

The consequences for a startup can be catastrophic. You’ve just started building trust with your clients and prospects. A data breach could shatter that trust fast.

That’s why, as a startup, you need to take cybersecurity seriously from day one. To that end, we’ve got the infographic below to get you started. You’ll learn:

• More about cybercrime statistics in general
• How cybercrime impacts small businesses
• How you can better protect your business
• What you can do to protect your personal data
• And quite a bit more besides