Half of all cyber attacks are targeted at small businesses
Based on research from Cybint Solutions.
Small business owners often don’t take the time to properly think of cyber security. Majority adopt the mindset of “we’re just a small business so no one would want to hack us” which is precisely what makes them the perfect target. From DDoS attacks, Malware, and even phishing attacks, small business owners are extremely vulnerable.
What This Means For Business
Hackers can gain access to important data and steal consumer information, which may include personal details, credit card numbers, and social security numbers. Businesses that store customer data, or worse, process credit card payments directly on their site, need to take additional steps to secure their customer’s information. According to Juniper research, small businesses make up to 13% of the entire cyber security market, yet surprisingly small businesses invest less than $500 in cyber security annually.
SSL Certificates & Encryption
Google’s Chrome browser will explicitly warn users on pages that aren’t encrypted with a SSL certificate. According to a recent research surveys, 82% of respondents would leave a site if they saw this “Not Secure” warning.
You’ve likely seen these on most sites you use daily. An SSL certificate is a method of encryption that makes it difficult for hackers to intercept data as it’s sent between the browser and the server. You know a site is secured using SSL when you see a small lock icon (or a green address bar) in the browser. If you don’t see this when you visit your site, your customer data is absolutely at risk.
If you want to learn more about the technical side of SSL and how they work, this article explains it very well using carrier pigeons. https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/https-explained-with-carrier-pigeons-7029d2193351/
Benefits of SSL
Not only will having a SSL certificate help protect your customers and their data, they have other benefits that help make the investment even better for small business owners.
Increased Customer Trust
When customers see a site is secure, or they see the green address bar, they know they’re dealing with a reputable business and are more likely to complete their transactions.
Rank Higher In Search
Google has announced that part of their effort to promote a safe and secure web, secure sites will begin to outrank sites that are not SSL enabled.
HTTPS Sites are Faster
Upgrading your site to SSL even makes your site load faster. Don’t believe us? Try it yourself here!
Process Credit Cards Directly
If your company relies on PayPal or Stripe, a SSL certificate is required to embed the payment form in a custom site to keep visitors interacting with your brand. Without SSL, your customers will be sent to a third party site to complete payment. This has major implications for branding as well as PCI/DSS requirements.
So… Is Your Website Secure?
Don’t panic if it’s not. We can help! The team at The Marketects have years of experience helping clients with all their website needs, including security, malware protection and removal and more. Simply contact us and we’ll do everything we can to help. You’ll even receive a free website audit.