Small businesses are susceptible to website attacks, GoDaddy research confirms. Their Small Business Website Security Report was based from the research and analysis of over 65,000 infected website cleanup requests from small business customers worldwide, and a survey of 1,000 SMEs on their notions of cybersecurity. Their key finding shows that small businesses are just as vulnerable to website security hacks as are big companies.
Of the 65,000 global website cleanup requests, half involved outdated software on the most commonly used platform and tools, including plug-ins on WordPress and other popular content management systems (CMS). Their research shows that among malware attack victims, 58 percent are small businesses. The reasons can be attributed to the low priority SMEs give to cybersecurity and also their limited resources. In a press conference, Tony Perez, GoDaddy’s General Manager for Security, explained that web criminals go after the websites of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) because these are easier to attack compared to those of large businesses. In their survey of 1,000 small businesses, it shows that only 30% of operators regularly check their website security.
The common attack to small businesses’ websites is ransomware, where criminals hold electronic data hostage until payment is made. One in twenty small businesses falls victim to ransomware, costing over 300 million USD. SEO spam is also popular among hackers, where they go into a website’s keywords and add malicious links, and often, small business owners aren’t aware this is happening. Although malwares can be cleaned up, attackers can still go to the backdoors after, through hidden files already on the site or uploads in a busy file directory. 83.9% of the infected cleanup requests contained backdoors.
The research proves necessary in many Asian countries, where SME is the heart of economy. For instance, in the Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore, where over 90% of businesses are categorized under SME.
The threats to cybersecurity also cost financial loss. The GoDaddy research shows, of the 1,000 very small businesses surveyed, nearly half reported suffering a financial loss due to hacking. Three out of ten small businesses who suffered a cyber breach reported they had to inform customers and clients.
Perez says, “We refer to this as the small business website security paradox—small business owners lack the knowledge and their perceived notion of funds needed to more fully secure their website. But once the website gets hacked, it can lead to significant financial loss due to its effect on business reputation,”
Small businesses infected with malware can be affected in many ways. Companies such as Google and Norton flag an online portal as dangerous once they detect that it has been compromised. This action negatively affects traffic to a website and eventually can make it invisible online. Google blacklists more than 10,000 websites a day and getting off the black list is not easy. Worse, if malware is present on a website, it can be even easier for hackers to explore its vulnerability.
What small businesses can do
SMEs are not without a recourse. With cybersecurity top in mind, owners and operators of businesses must invest in cybersecurity.
Perez explains, “Cybersecurity is not about preventing a risk. That isn’t yet possible. It’s about reducing the risk. It’s understandable that very small business operators handle a lot and it’s hard to make website security a priority. But taking even modest steps can make a difference,”
GoDaddy recommends small business owners invest in a website security monitor service to keep an eye on any red flags or warning signs with 24/7 monitoring, deploy a website application firewall, and register with Google’s webmaster tools which alerts when there is an issue with the website before negatively impacting how it shows in search results. Businesses can also avail of GoDaddy’s services including website protection (providing SSL certificates), website security, website back-up and express malware removal.
“We are committed to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs create and grow their online presence. That’s why GoDaddy offers easy-to-use and affordable online tools to help make their websites more secure and fit into their budget. In the Philippines, we also have a 24/7 customer care support available to work with website owners to help reduce the risk of cybersecurity impacts on their websites,” says Roger Chen, GoDaddy’s Senior Vice President for APAC Region.
GoDaddy powers the world’s largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures. It caters to 18 million customers worldwide and has 77 million domain names under management.
GoDaddy also offers tips and ways on staying safer online which are as follows:
▪ Regularly install system updates
▪ Install anti-virus software
▪ Use Two- factor authentication
▪ Password protect hardware (laptops, mobile phones, tablets, etc.)
▪ Restrict physical access to systems
▪ Use reputable companies for cloud storage and online services
Behaviors:
▪ Use strong passwords
▪ Create guidelines for protecting company data; train employees on the guidelines
▪ Monitor any physical storage of data
▪ Don’t open attachments from email addresses you don’t recognize
▪ Take note of use of protected websites with a https in the url
▪ Try not to share passwords, use different accounts if needed
▪ Ensure downloads are scanned by anti-virus programs
