Cybersecurity Threats Facing Small Businesses Today

Your biggest cybersecurity threat might not be your employees — it might be your coffee machine. Everyone’s worried about employees clicking phishing emails… …but who’s worried about the smart thermostat leaking your sensitive data? (You should be.) When we talk about human cyber risk, it’s not just laptops and emails. It’s the people who plug in devices they don’t understand — or don’t think about — that open the backdoor. The truth is: The Internet of Things (IoT) is your weakest (and most ignored) security link. 📺 Smart TVs. 🏅 Fitness trackers. ☕ Coffee machines. 🔔 Video doorbells. 💡 Smart lighting. 🌡️ Even that “harmless” Wi-Fi-enabled fish tank thermometer in your lobby. (Yes, that actually happened to a casino in 2019 where the whole high roller database was exfiltrated through an IoT connected fish tank thermometer. Ouch.) If it connects to the internet, it can connect a threat actor to you. ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS: ✔️ Audit your IoT Devices: List everything in your business and home that’s internet-connected. If you don’t track it, you can’t protect it. ✔️ Segregate Networks: Keep IoT devices on a separate Wi-Fi network from business operations and sensitive information. ✔️ Change Default Credentials: Most IoT breaches happen because devices are left on factory settings. Change all passwords — immediately. ✔️ Update Firmware: Your smart devices need updates just like your computer does. Patch regularly or retire them if they’re no longer supported. ✔️ Train Your People: If they’re plugging it in, they’re opening a portal. Awareness matters. Train users to think before they connect. Bottom line: Human risk isn’t just about bad passwords and phishing clicks. It’s about our instinct to trust technology we don’t fully understand. If you employ humans, if you use IoT, you have risk. Manage your humans. Manage your tech. Or someone else will. #HumanRisk #Cybersecurity #IoTSecurity #InsiderThreat #CyberHygiene #Leadership #SecurityAwareness

Stop Blaming Employees: The Real Reason SMBs Are So Vulnerable to Cyberattacks The narrative that employee negligence is the main cause of cyber breaches in SMBs oversimplifies the issue. While human error certainly plays a role, the real problem lies deeper within the company’s cybersecurity culture. Here’s why blaming employees isn’t the full picture: → Limited Resources = Increased Vulnerability Many SMBs operate on tight budgets and lack dedicated IT staff, leaving them exposed to cyberattacks. Security often takes a backseat to operational priorities. → Lack of Awareness SMB owners often believe they’re too small to be targeted by cybercriminals, underestimating their risk. Employees also often receive little to no cybersecurity training, increasing the chances of breaches. → Technical Barriers Cybersecurity is complex. Without the necessary expertise, SMBs struggle to implement effective measures and can fall victim to third-party vendors offering incomplete solutions. → Complacency and Overconfidence When businesses fail to regularly update their security measures or create formal cybersecurity policies, they open the door to threats. A security-first culture is crucial, but many SMBs lack this mindset. → The Need for Comprehensive Solutions To truly protect against cyber threats, SMBs must invest in training, policies, and technology. Cybersecurity must be prioritized at every level—management included—and treated as a shared responsibility across the organization. The takeaway? Instead of blaming employees, let’s tackle the systemic issues that leave SMBs vulnerable. Prioritize comprehensive cybersecurity solutions and create a culture of continuous learning and vigilance.

In the wake of the recent U.S. strike on Iran, government agencies are warning of a heightened risk of retaliatory cyberattacks. While many assume these threats are aimed solely at large corporations or government systems, the truth is more sobering: small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are squarely in the crosshairs. Iran has a history of targeting critical infrastructure, from financial institutions to municipal utilities. In 2023, a Pennsylvania water authority was compromised. In 2021, a small U.S. logistics firm was attacked. These examples highlight a pattern: Iranian state-sponsored hackers do not discriminate by size. SMBs are increasingly attractive targets precisely because they are often underprepared. Lacking the resources of large enterprises, they are viewed as soft targets—vulnerable entry points into larger ecosystems or valuable in their own right. Now is the time to act. SMBs must adopt a layered cybersecurity strategy that includes: • Network and system assessments to identify vulnerabilities • Enhanced perimeter defenses such as firewalls and intrusion detection • Regular patching and updates • Employee training to prevent phishing and social engineering • Strong access controls and multi-factor authentication • A tested incident response plan • Participation in threat intelligence sharing As geopolitical tensions rise, SMBs need to recognize that their systems may become collateral damage in international conflicts. Defending against nation-state actors is no longer theoretical—it’s operational necessity. Cybersecurity is national security. By strengthening their own defenses, small and medium-sized businesses can help protect not just their operations, but their customers, vendors, and the broader U.S. economy. For help evaluating your organization’s cyber posture, understanding legal obligations, and preparing for advanced persistent threats, contact Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC’s Cybersecurity & Data Privacy team at cyber@bipc.com. And read our in-depth analysis here: https://lnkd.in/eXZtQGJj #cyber #cybersecurity U.S. Cyber Command Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency FBI Cyber Division Joyce Hunter Matthieu Chan Tsin, Ph.D. Alison King Kathryn Wang Chuck Brooks Dan Lohrmann Airlock Digital GuidePoint Security Atlantic Data Security, LLC

Today, we launched the 2025 Verizon Business Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). Here are some key takeaways specifically for the SMB community: - Ransomware's Grip on SMBs: A staggering 88% of breaches in SMBs involve ransomware, compared to 39% in larger enterprises. This highlights the urgent need for SMBs to prioritize ransomware protection. - Stolen Credentials Remain a Top Threat: The use of stolen credentials remains a primary hacking method for both large organizations and SMBs, emphasizing the importance of strong password policies and multi-factor authentication. - Vulnerability Exploitation is Surging: Exploitation of vulnerabilities has seen a 34% increase overall, with a focus on zero-day exploits. SMBs must ensure timely patching and robust vulnerability management. - Third-Party Risks Double: The involvement of third parties in breaches has doubled, underscoring the need for SMBs to carefully vet their supply chain and partner ecosystems. SMBs, in particular, need to strengthen their cybersecurity posture. Investing in security measures, employee training, and proactive threat mitigation is no longer optional—it's essential. To learn more about the DBIR, click here: https://lnkd.in/eXSbWS64 #Cybersecurity #DataBreach #SMBs #DBIR #Ransomware #SecurityAwareness #VerizonBusiness #SMBCybersecurity Verizon Erika Angell | John Constantino | Dave Takisaki | Chris Shank | Mark Tina | Michael Caralis

One of the biggest lies small and medium-sized businesses tell themselves is that attackers won’t be interested in them because they’re "not big enough" to attract attention. However, the reality is that most cybercriminals don’t care about size. A lot of them use automated, open-source tools to target whatever is vulnerable at that point in time. 1) Hashcat – A high-performance password cracking tool. 2) SQLMap – Automates SQL injection attacks. 3) Aircrack – Exploits vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi networks. 4) Nmap – Maps networks and finds weak spots. 5) John the Ripper – A password recovery tool. This doesn’t necessarily mean attackers are solely looking for low-hanging fruit. Instead, they often target organizations that are easier to breach within a few hours, rather than spending days or weeks trying to compromise a single, well-defended organization. This reality is further proven by initial access brokers, who buy and sell access to compromised systems on underground forums. On these platforms, tiny startups are listed right alongside Fortune 500 companies, with some buyers specifying criteria so broad that they’ll purchase access to virtually any organization. The idea that cybersecurity shouldn't be a priority for small and medium-sized businesses because of size is a myth. The only half-truth is that you might avoid highly skilled threat actors—but even that’s debatable. That said, protecting your business doesn’t mean you need to invest tens of thousands of dollars into cybersecurity or build a dedicated team. By focusing on the basics, you can improve your security posture quite a lot without it becoming a financial burden. For example, this includes: 1) Attack surface management – Identify and reduce exposed entry points. 2) Vulnerability scanning – Conduct weekly or fortnightly scans to catch vulns. 3) Email security – Implement phishing defenses, DMARC, DKIM, and SPF etc. 4) Employee awareness – Train staff to recognize social engineering attacks. 5) Access control – Enforce least privilege, use MFA, and limit user permissions. And then, you’ll be in a far better position than those who dismiss cybersecurity with, “We’re too small to matter.” A lot of misconceptions about cybersecurity for small and medium-sized businesses exist, but they don’t really align with how most cybercriminals operate.