How do SMBs manage outage risk?

Outages are disruptive for all businesses, regardless of size. But small and mid-sized businesses (SMB) can be especially at risk from cyberattacks which occur during and around outages.

Small businesses often find themselves in the crosshairs of hackers generally, with 46% reporting having experienced a cyberattack. Almost one in five are either forced to close or file for bankruptcy.

Hackers are on the lookout for outages, knowing advantages can be taken from the disruptions they cause. These include disabled system monitors and access controls or the exposure of key business assets and information. Compounding this, getting an SMB network back online can lead to a rushed system recovery where guards are lowered in the pressure to restore full operability.

Here are five ways prudent SMB leaders can manage their exposure from outages.
 

1. Focus on defense: Regularly updating all software and systems in use across the network is a baseline necessity, but more can be done. Focus on beefing up your network perimeter with multifactor authentication (MFA) and encryption-based tools, so your system is fully ready the moment your network comes back online.
2. Back it up: Saving all your business’s most critical files is often the best way to counter would-be ransomware attackers who use outage-based disruptions as cover for attacks. Often with SMBs, these types of hackers seek to block access to key files they find in company networks, charging an exorbitant fee. Backing up files can prevent a total operational shutdown as critical files remain accessible.
3. Practice safety drills: Every employee at an SMB should have a role to play when it comes to outages and preventing outage-based attacks. The challenge is making sure everyone understands their role. Taking time to run your team through closely monitored drills and testing the recovery of backup files makes disruption less likely if such an event occurs.
4. Incorporate network segmentation: Designing a network infrastructure that isolates your most critical systems from well-trafficked areas helps limit damage caused by an outage-based breach. Ideally, your network should be set up so potential threats in your company’s system can be identified and isolated long before they reach areas of critical concern.
5. Level up on WiFi: WiFi is a core component of nearly every successful business, regardless of size. It can also become a point of potential vulnerability as WiFi hackers target under protected systems to exploit, especially during and just after an outage. Making sure your WiFi incorporates automatic failsafe, backup and security systems is essential. So is investing in a strong network designed to counter the effects of outages as soon as they occur.