Cybersecurity wasn’t at the top of my list of things to worry about. I was pretty certain this was a topic for governments, big business and financial institutions; that was until Steve Wilson of Hexigent Consulting spoke at our June Business Breakfast.
Steve, an expert in digital forensics, cyber security, economic crime and risk mitigation solutions, helps a variety of businesses recover from a cybercrime or better yet, prevent it from happening in the first place. Before his session, he told me that 60% of small businesses don’t survive a cybersecurity incident past 6 months and everyone is a potential target. Not only is your business at risk, so is your reputation. That’s pretty sobering information!
So, as an individual and/or small business owner, what can you do to protect yourself and your business? Here is some advice:
These are just some of the highlights from the presentation. The message that resonated for me was just get started. There are lots of little things you can do to ensure your information and devices are safe. You first step can be tuning into the Microsoft webinar Cybersecurity for Your Business that features Steve Wilson.
Be safe out there!
Written by Alison Kirkland, Director, Communications and Client Services, Women’s Enterprise Centre of Manitoba