The Small Business Administration estimates that small businesses create about two out of three new jobs in the U.S each year and more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business. Furthermore, small businesses play a key role in the economic well-being of our nation – that’s pretty important! Small businesses are increasingly reliant on information technology to store their data, process transactions, manufacture products, and communicate with customers and vendors. Think about the most common business operations and processes – how many of them are dependent on technology? Could a business be run today without its technology or without its data?
Cyber criminals, and sometimes unfortunate
technological glitches, pose a continuously growing risk for small business
owners. According to Michael Kaiser, Executive Director of the National Cyber
Security Alliance, about half of all cyber attacks target small businesses.
Small businesses have valuable information, such as customer data and payment
information. A loss or breach of that data can cause business interruptions and
a loss of reputation.
But here is the good news - you don’t have to be a technology expert to secure
your business! Some simple steps and a general level of awareness can help reduce risk significantly.
This month, we are very excited to host the first Small Business Information Security Workshop in downtown Emporia! Topics include avoiding phishing scams and ransomware, creating strong passwords, backing up data, choosing Antivirus protection for your business and much more. Our goal is to raise awareness about information security in the community and provide business owners with the tools and resources they need to protect their business technology environment.
Visit www.emporiamainstreet.com/cyber-security-workshop for more information and to reserve your spot!
