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Computer network hackers have made the news recently by penetrating some of the largest companies’ networks. One of the more serious breaches targeted Sony Corporation recently. Customer information including credit card numbers and personal information were exposed causing a public relations nightmare and potential litigation risks for Sony. However in the last year or so, hackers have found much easier prey in unprotected, or at least under protected small business systems.

Examples such as malware planted on retail cash registers that send customer credit card numbers to Russia, and bank accounts compromised in order to create fictitious payroll accounts in which large sums of cash could be transferred, illustrate the breadth of exposure possible to small businesses. Hackers are interested in any business that stores electronic data, and small businesses are the most vulnerable due often to having only recently moved to computerized records. Even a small restaurant has names, addresses, and credit card numbers that criminals would like to get their hands on.

The biggest problem is that most small businesses have limited funds and little or no IT staff to speak of. The result? Small businesses more often than not have weak network security, and the criminals have noticed. Computer attacks have increased six-fold in the last year, with nearly two-thirds being small businesses with less than one hundred employees. Credit card companies estimate 95% of fraudulent access is at the expense of its smallest business customers, and the FBI believes it’s going to get quite a bit worse before things get better.

 Hackers can sneak into dozens of small businesses with little chance of being caught in the time it might take to launch a complicated, multileveled attack on a major, multinational corporation with sophisticated intrusion detection equipment. Such complicated systems substantially raise the risk intruders will be detected and caught.

Since there are so many types of security threats, most small firms find it difficult to protect themselves. Penetration of network systems causing data loss and downtime, point of sale systems that could be breached exposing customer data, and bank accounts illegally accessed with criminals stealing thousands of dollars in cash, are just a few of the possible outcomes due to the explosive growth of cyber-attacks on small businesses. Business owners often mistakenly rely on products no more sophisticated than what homeowners might use for the family computer. As an alternative, many small firms often rely on outside IT partners skilled at recommending security solutions designed to protect just such types of businesses. While there is no such thing as a silver bullet, with professional help, even the smallest of enterprises may enjoy the peace of mind from which some of the largest corporations benefit.