Small Businesses Shouldn’t Worry About Cybersecurity, Right?

It seems like any time you visit a news site lately; you’re bound to see a report covering some sort of cybersecurity attack or misuse of data. Most of us nonchalantly brush off these headlines because who could possibly want to attack a small business?

“That will never happen to us.”

Far too often do we hear from small businesses who had a similar mindset only to find themselves falling victim to a cybersecurity crisis. More and more reports are being released showing small businesses that don’t prioritize IT security are being targeted by cybercriminals. Rather than use a massive amount of energy to breach a large corporation, these attackers are focusing on easier targets. High risk, high reward vs. Low risk, low reward.

Small Business Data Breach - Creative Network Innovations

Needless to say, these attacks are devastating. It’s much harder for a small business to recover from a cybersecurity attack because of the following reasons:

  • Downtime
  • Financial Loss
  • Diminished Reputation

Because small businesses are the heart of their communities, we find that it’s our responsibility to share some insight into this topic. Here’s 4 cybersecurity statistics that every small business owner should know of when considering IT security improvements.

47% of Small Businesses Experienced a Cybersecurity Attack

Turns out, size doesn’t matter. Nearly half of all small businesses reported experiencing some form of a cybersecurity attack within the past year. These attacks include data breaches, malware, phishing, and much more. We’ve seen these attacks grow from widespread to very specific, targeted attacks that cause much more damage. If you’re lucky enough to have not experienced an attack in the past 12 months, it’s time to start developing a security strategy because the odds are stacked against you.

94% of Malware was Delivered by Email

As we mentioned above, small businesses are prime targets for malware attacks. But how do these businesses become infected? The answer is email. According to Verizon’s 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report, nearly all malware attacks take advantage of the inbox. Email is an opportunity to directly reach any employee inside your business. The most vulnerable exploit to any network is, unfortunately, your employees.

From emails with malicious files to emails that impersonate other employees, security awareness is crucial for small businesses to maintain.

75% of Small Businesses Feel Personnel is Unprepared

Human Error - Small Business Cybersecurity - Creative Network Innovations
To click or not to click…

Do you trust your employees? Nearly 3 out of 4 small businesses believe that their employees are not sufficiently prepared to handle a cybersecurity attack. This large majority of small businesses recognize that there is a lack of security management to actively maintain processes and protocols. This is what cybercriminals have identified and what motivates them to set their targets.

Human error is the most complex network vulnerability to hurdle. This is why security awareness training is beneficial for companies of all sizes.

82% of Small Businesses Report Malware Bypassed Antivirus

“We’ve got antivirus running so we’re protected.”


Not necessarily… According to the 2018 State of Cybersecurity in Small & Medium Size Businesses report, a vast majority of malware bypassed antivirus software. These software programs are very much needed, but they are not the “silver bullet” solution to keeping businesses secure.

Attackers are becoming much craftier each day. By analyzing these antivirus software programs, they are able to identify and test exploits to break through. Sometimes these exploits can go unnoticed for a substantial amount of time before the antivirus software company can issue an update.


Small businesses shouldn’t worry about cybersecurity, right? Wrong! Cybersecurity should be a priority no matter the size of your business. Although these statistics make it seem futile to defend against attackers, there is still hope! As we mentioned earlier, we believe that it’s our responsibility to help small businesses defend themselves in any way that we can.

When should you outsource IT?

Over the past 22 years, we’ve helped small businesses defend and recover when the odds were against them. It’s amazing what some preventative and proactive security measures can accomplish.

Feel like your small business could benefit from a managed IT security solution? Reach out to Creative Network Innovations today, and we’ll work alongside your business to develop a tailored, in-depth security strategy guaranteed to protect your business. We work with an array of businesses in the Central Florida region with our services including:

IT Security Consulting

Security Awareness Trainings

Data Backups

Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Plans

Email Security

Network Management

24/7 Support

& so much more!

Reach out today to transform the way your business defends itself!

www.CNIweb.net