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Common small business cyber vulnerabilities

What are the common cyber risk vulnerabilities that small businesses face?

A person at a store paying by mobile
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POS system

Cash register, tablet, smart phone

If you’re taking payment from customers, you have access to their credit card numbers and other personal information – and so does a cybercriminal, if your system is hacked.

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Landline phone

Cybercriminals can call and ask for personal information, posing as someone you know.

A person using a tablet at work
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Internet of Things (IoT) items

Thermostat, networked copy machine, security systems

When you connect devices to your network, you can introduce new vulnerabilities if they are not properly secured.

A person sitting at a desk working, using a laptop and smartphone
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Employee cell phone

If your employees use their smart phones to conduct business in any way, those devices are risks too. If their phone is hacked, it can be an entry point for a cybercriminal.

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Files and papers

Data breaches are not limited to electronic data. Physical papers and files that are stolen may contain confidential or personal information that may trigger data breach reporting requirements and leave affected individuals vulnerable to identity theft.

A person sitting at a desk at work, using a laptop
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Computer

Cyber criminals often try to get into your computer system by way of an employee, by emailing a malicious link or posing as an executive and requesting confidential information.

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Server

If your server is hacked, cyber criminals may gain access to confidential business information, and personal and health information of employees or clients.

Small businesses are vulnerable to cyber attacks and exposure to cyber risk continues to grow as we rely more on digital ways of doing business.

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