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Just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean cyber criminals will ignore you. Cyber attacks and small businesses are a mixture that is increasingly becoming more common. The culprit, for many organizations, is email.

The instances of employees who get deceived via an email scam are endless. However, the ones that make headlines are those that hit large companies and corporations. For example, last year, a “phisher” in Lithuania was able to scam Facebook and Google out of $100 million using fake invoices. If they can be fooled, so can a small business. So how can you protect yourself?

1. Layered Security
The cyber scams might seem complex, but most are designed to crack the most common types of security measures, which means small businesses that take a multi-layered approach have a far less chance of getting hit.

For example, do you have internal email filtering? Something as basic as that can thwart many threats because it blocks any email that is made to appear as though it came from the inside but is actually external.

2. Authentication
Email is susceptible to being spoofed. When you make your authentication protocol more rigorous, you can avoid spoof senders and phishing schemes that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Domain-based Message Authentication, Domain Keys Identified Mail and Sender Policy Framework are just a few examples of authentication processes that can be used to tighten up security.

3. Education
Perhaps one of the most overlooked areas regarding cyber attacks and small businesses is in regard to education. When your employees don’t know what to look for, they won’t recognize a threat when they see it.

The threats evolve, which means you have to continually clue your people into what’s out there, what to avoid, and how to spot something suspicious.

4. Third Party Assistance
Cyber attacks and small businesses can be a tricky, complex issue. However, tapping into outside resources could help you avoid being scammed. For small businesses, where resources are often already spread thin, having someone on staff that is an IT expert isn’t always going to be possible.

Look into finding a managed services provider that can help you with top cyber security solutions and can scale to your needs. No two businesses are alike, which means you deserve a provider that will look at your business and put you in touch with the perfect solutions to keep your system and your data protected.

Xceptional offers top-notch managed services for technologies that can prevent the worst from happing to your organization. Contact us today and let us assist you in finding the right solution for your business. When you partner with us, we will connect you with a worry-free IT experience.