In our ongoing efforts to keep you safe, we want to take a few minutes to remind you of the importance of cybersecurity vigilance. 2021 was a record-breaking year for cyberattacks, and Forbes estimates that cybercrime cost global economies over $6 trillion last year. To put that into perspective, that’s more than twice the amount the U.S. government spent on the response to COVID-19 in 2021 (usaspending.gov).

The biggest impact was on small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), who saw a 424 percent increase in cyberattacks, translating to 47 percent of ALL SMBs being hit by an attack. What’s more, the average cost of a successful attack surpassed $200,000 per incident. This increase in the number and cost of cyberattacks has also led to a rise in expenses such as cyber liability insurance, which saw deductibles increase fivefold.

What you can do to stay safe and not become a statistic

Often, a vulnerability can arise due to a simple lapse in vigilance. What may seem trivial actually could turn into a catastrophe. Hackers probe computers connected to the internet 2,244 times per day, simply looking for any possible way past security (a study found from the University of Maryland).

Therefore, it’s crucial to keep cybersecurity top of mind and work with your tca SynerTech team to reduce the risk of a severe incident.

Pay attention to the cybersecurity basics:

Use your tca SynerTech IT team. We welcome questions, comments, or concerns and will happily address them with you.
Make sure to have multiple layers of security in place. From firewalls to web security, email security, and antivirus, all layers play an important role in keeping you as safe as possible.
Back up your systems often and verify the data is recoverable in the event of ransomware, a successful attack, disaster, or other loss.
Use encryption, especially email encryption, to keep sensitive data safe.
Take advantage of cybersecurity training offered by tca SynerTech.

Cybersecurity is constantly evolving, and if you haven’t upgraded your security lately, be sure to contact tca SynerTech to ensure you have the latest security packages, learn more about data backup verification solutions, and take advantage of cybersecurity training.

Protect your passwords

According to IBM and the Ponemon Institute, 44 percent of all data breaches occur because of stolen credentials such as username/email and password. Often the credentials are obtained through phishing, so it’s vital employees know how to spot a phishing attempt.

Microsoft found there are 579 password attacks every second – that’s 40 times more than a hummingbird flaps its wings! Passwords tend to be the weakest link in any cybersecurity solution, so make sure to protect your login credentials.

There are several other ways to combat credential theft, including:

Always use two-factor authentication. Often the only way to combat a breach if credentials are stolen is by using two-factor authentication. The most infamous attack of 2021 against the Colonial Pipeline, which caused a gasoline shortage and cost millions of dollars, could have been prevented if their network had required two-factor authentication.
Require a strong password and use a password manager. Use a unique, strong password for every site. To make remembering passwords easier, use a secure password manager and never store passwords in a browser.
Consider moving to passwordless authentication such as biometrics or FIDO2 keys.
Limit access to sensitive data. Only grant access to data (drives, files, folders, etc.) necessary for that specific employee. This will prevent a hacker from obtaining complete company-wide access if credentials are stolen.

If you are not using two-factor authentication or a password manager, please contact tca SynterTech to explore your options.

You have the right team behind you

With tca SynerTech on your side, you can rest assured we will stay on top of potential emerging threats and help protect your IT systems before there is a major issue. Please reach out to tca SynerTech if you have any questions.