Through media reporting, it is safe to assume that Wall Street has a bigger problem than Main Street; however, like all media content – you need to parse it to gain access to the facts. And the facts are Main Street small businesses are three times more likely to be targeted than Wall Street’s darlings. Small businesses make up approximately 80% of the end user pool.
Last year, Malware jumped 11% (YoY). Encrypted threats punched above their weight and came in at 177% YoY increase, and cryptojacking’s meteoric rise went to 659% YoY. This data, along with other data sets have shown that threat actors on cyber attack on small business continue to use proven strategies, where new forms of malware and related scripting have declined. On the surface, it appears to be “similar, but different” and it is; however, more vehicles are used, such as Microsoft’s OneNote. While the OneNote malware bundle rose to fame quickly, it died just as quickly (Microsoft’s ability to combat the threat action) but was the #1 attack vector in 2023. Other forms of attack continue to live large, such as QR code phishing attempts and “you have won …” phishing attempts, to name two.
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) climbed to a whopping 28,834 announcements/actions made in 2023, which is a 15% increase over FY22. Cyber crime especially cyber attack on small business is not slowing down and this is where IT Managed Services comes into play. These CVEs are routinely released by hardware and software providers so that technicians can implement them in the appropriate amount of time, whether it is a Zero-Day flaw or one that needs to happen out of band.
Direct intrusion attempts are up 20%, YoY. Over the last 10 years, the number of intrusions has risen 613%. And this is what all small businesses need to defend. Do you have correctly configured security barriers, reporting, recording, and tracking mechanisms? If not, we understand – THEY ARE EXPENSIVE to purchase and maintain proficiency. Are your systems patched regularly? Do you ever get a call from your IT partners that tell you they have to patch your “systems” tonight – what time can I start? If not, contact ION Technology Group today at 1.856.719.1818 to make sure you are well protected.
