KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — A new statewide effort to combat cyber-attacks on small businesses has just been launched with the help of a $190,000 grant from the Small Business Administration and the Small Business Development Center in Michigan.
Western Michigan University business information professor Steven Rae says the number of small businesses that have been attacked in the past year has gone up from 48 percent to over 60 percent, and the situation gets more intense during the holidays.
It all starts with a visit to their website.
Small business owners can do a self-assessment at the website to determine just how safe and secure their systems are. Also at the website are a variety of resources, webinars, training videos, articles on best practices and other issues involved in cyber security for small businesses.
Dr. Rae says smaller businesses are not immune. In fact, he says they may be more vulnerable because they’re small, adding that any business that takes credit cards can be targeted.
– John McNeill
