IIAV - Is There Anything Scarier Than Poor Cyber Security?

October is cyber security awareness month. But what does that mean exactly?

Over the course of October, IIAV will be discussing what it means to have good cyber security, as well as the terrifying consequences that can follow when you don't. In the modern era a lot of truly terrifying things are lurking in the murky depths of the online world.

Cyber Security awareness month is an effort headed by the United States agency the CISA, or the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency for the month of October they encourage Americans to take a look at their digital habits and evaluate any risks they might be taking.

The FTC provides some great tips that our members should know. But perhaps one of the most valuable that they include is to have a plan. You never want to be left scrambling after a cyber security attack. And considering that in 2021 more than half of all small businesses were subject to a cyber security breach, and the average ransom paid to hackers in order to avoid a publicized data breach was $181,000.

From NPR, "According to the Ransomware Taskforce, businesses with fewer than 500 employees were hit by 70 percent of the attacks in 2021. The blueprint is designed "to remove a critical barrier" for small and medium businesses "with limited cybersecurity expertise in defending against ransomware," concluded the authors of the report."

10% of small businesses and companies are forced to shut down within six months of a cyber attack or data breach.

Be smart, take precautions, and have a plan in place. IIAV has resources to help safeguard your data and business, and we also offer classes focused specifically on cyber security.