Why is cybersecurity so scary for small businesses?

I have just survived another Halloween without getting hit by any zombies or vampires (hopefully you did too) which got me to thinking about Cybersecurity. Why, like those vampires and zombies, is cybersecurity so scary?

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One reason is that the data shows that cyberattacks are growing at an alarming rate and will very soon affect everyone...yes you too. You have been able to avoid those zombies and vampires for a long time, but they are coming for you, me, and the rest of us, and they want blood. According to Cisco, 43% of all cyberattacks now target small businesses with successful breaches growing at a rate of 150% year over year. Yet 51% of small businesses have no cyber security measures in place at all (Source: Strong DM), and 46% of small businesses say that they don’t know where to turn to improve their cybersecurity (Source: Verizon State of Small Business Survey).

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Not only is getting attacked scary, but unfortunately protecting yourself has been a scary endeavor as well. Most cyber solutions out in the marketplace are not designed or appropriate for smaller businesses. They are too technical and complicated, too expensive, and too time intensive. They are usually “point” solutions that solve one part of the cybersecurity puzzle for a smaller business, but do not go far enough in solving all of them. Often, small businesses turn to hiring dedicated resources, either in house, or from the outside to help them find and implement these protections costing them precious money that they can barely afford.

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Why is this? Much of the cyber security industry has been built around intentional obscurity, confusion, and complexity for the customer. It’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. The industry wants you to believe that these are hyper complex and hyper technical problems that only their hyper complex and hyper technical products can solve for you. The reality is that smaller businesses really need to do just a few basic things consistently and do them well to avoid the majority of cyberattacks and keep these bad actors at bay.

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Getting cybersecure shouldn’t have to, and doesn’t have to, be like a scene from a scary movie where you are terrified and want to run away. But until now, there really hasn’t been a cost effective, comprehensive, and easy way for small businesses to protect themselves. Atro was built to help you, the small business owner, to accomplish real cybersecurity… effectively, inexpensively, and comprehensively. If you are over the thought of the scary monsters and the nightmares and craving a good night’s sleep, let us know. We’d love to help you.