A panel held at the University of Dayton Thursday aimed to warn Miami Valley business owners they could be targeted by cybertargets while also giving them the tools they need to protect themselves.
For small businesses, even a minor setback can turn major, making it now more important than ever to practice cybersecurity skills as these attacks are only increasing.
The panel, hosted by Secretary of State Frank LaRose, provided information about issues such as phishing, hacking and spyware that small businesses could face on a daily basis.
Important cybersecurity topics, including data backups, password protection and phishing, were discussed.
Panel experts agreed that bad actors are targeting small businesses for one simple thing: money.
While they could target a bigger corporation, smaller businesses allow them to try and extort a person new to business.
And especially if you are dealing with customer information, protection is key.
“What we really want to try to do is impress on these individuals how devastating it could be,” said LaRose. “First of all, it’s a loss of reputation. If you have sensitive information about your customers…if you compromised the data of the people that you serve, then you can be liable for that. You can be sued for it. You can lose your reputation.”
The panel also covered other topics of emerging interest, such as artificial intelligence. Organizers said that they hope that these small businesses now have the tools to protect their future.
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