- What are the costs and benefits of developing cybersecurity programs in business?
- How can you tell if your computer is safe?
- Since there has been a rise in cybersecurity awareness in America, many business have now developed their own cybersecurity programs and taken steps towards protecting their information. Yet, there are still many small businesses that either are not aware they need to have cybersecurity protection or just do not have the budget for it. However, the costs of not having a cybersecurity program is much higher than spending the money to protect the information a company has. Today a company can loose “$20,752 per attack” (“The Impact of Cybersecurity on Small Business”), but money is not the only cost that comes along with a cyber attack. When a business is attacked their reputation is on the line and these attacks can follow with loss of employee and customer trust which leads to a loss of customers. Not only can a business lose money, trust, and their customers, but also the information that is needed to run the business itself, which can hurt the day-to-day running of the business. All of these costs are severe, but having a cybersecurity program in place can protect the business from these adverse consequences and even have benefits. Some of the benefits that are included in having a secure and protected business include your customers/employees having faith that their information is protected, less worry about loosing money, and even if an attack does happen there are instructions in place to deal with it. For big and small businesses alike, it is worth the cost to set up a cybersecurity program and in the end will save you money when an attack does happen.
- Although there is no guarantee that your computer will stay safe, there are several ways to see if your computer is safe and how to keep it that way. There are several warning signs to look out for that will indicate that your computer has been hacked or infected with some type of malware, some are more subtle than others, but it is important to check for all of the signs. These signs can include missing data, slow start-up or shut down, emails sending out that you have not written, new applications downloading, weird pop-up websites, and any spyware or anti-viral programs you have become slow/stop working (Williams). All of these are signs that your computer is not safe and that you should take action to eradicate the problem. Yet, there are ways to be confident that your computer is secure and preventative measures to stop cyber attacks from happening. One important preventative measure is to install a firewall and antivirus protection. These two applications will help keep your computer secure and let you know if there is something going on within your systems. Another way to make sure your computer stays secure is to update all of the software that your computer has, this includes any firewalls, applications, browsers, and anything else on your computer. Lastly, but maybe most importantly, keep all passwords secure and make sure they are strong (Microsoft). Without this first line of defense it would make it much easier for hackers to gain access to your systems. When is comes to telling if your computer safe and secure keep an eye out for the warning signs and follow all of the preventative measures necessary to stop cyber attacks in their tracks.
SBIR. “The Impact of Cybersecurity on Small Business.” https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YokA-b8nQZtx88aZFXuSEF2Zfo5ZuL6Y/view.”
Williams Alice. “How to Tell If Your Computer Has a Virus and What to Do About It.” National Cybersecurity Alliance, 6 Jun 2019, https://staysafeonline.org/blog/how-to-tell-if-your-computer-has-a-virus-what-to-do-about-it/.
Microsoft. “Keep Your Computer Secure at Home.” Microsoft Security, https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/keep-your-computer-secure-at-home-c348f24f-a4f0-de5d-9e4a-e0fc156ab221.