It’s Cyber Security Month. Here are 7 deadly cyber security myths that can harm your small business.
7 Deadly Cyber Security Myths
I hear these cyber security myths from small business owners. If you want to protect your business you need to know these are myths.
1. I don’t have anything worth protecting. Yes, you do. It could be your client information. When Ferrari was hacked earlier this year the attackers were only interested in Ferrari client info and credit card details. Your individual devices are also worth money hackers even if your business may not be of interest.
2. Apple devices don’t need security updates.
I still hear this one. About 20 years ago Apple ran a marketing campaign about how Apple devices don’t get hacked. It wasn’t true then and it still isn’t true. You need the latest updates for your Apple phone, computer, tablet to be secure. Further, like any other network device, it can be used to hack other devices on your work network.
3. Anti-Virus software will protect my business. Nope. The best protection is regular patching. See my Patch Primer for Small Business. Antivirus catches specific bugs, patching closes the vulnerability the virus exploits.
4. My VPN will protect my business. Not true. A VPN protects your online privacy only. It does not protect against ransomware or phishing attacks or viruses. Most cloud services (Google Docs for example) already encrypt your data in transit and at rest so a VPN isn’t necessary. 
5. Phishing scams are easy to spot. Nope. Hackers excel in crafting emails you want to open. They have a new tool in AI for copying writing styles.
6. I use complex passwords. Unless you have paired your complex password with multi-factor authentication this will only slow down hackers. Hackers can crack a complex 8 character password in just over 5 minutes with the help of AI and fancy hardware.
7. I will know if something bad happens to my computer. Definitely a myth. Hackers love to linger on corporate networks infecting to gather data and infect every computer before their presence is known (usually a ransomware demand).
Want to protect your business? Invest in regular maintenance and patching, antivirus router/edge protection and employee education. Avoid the 7 deadly cyber security myths.
