Combat the Risks of Cyber Attacks In Your Business
Home 9 Business Financials & Strategy 9 Combat the Risks of Cyber Attacks In Your Business

The best approach to cybersecurity is for businesses to approach the topic with good information, and an understanding of the risks to not taking a proactive approach to cybersecurity.

Consider for a moment that 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses. (source: Symantec)

So, Why do nearly half of all cyberattacks target small businesses?

  • Small business owners are more likely to pay ransoms
  • Small businesses have access to valuable data
  • Small businesses provide hackers access into larger enterprises and many other small businesses
  • Small businesses often lack adequate cyber-defenses
  • It is likely a lot easier to get away with hacking a small business than a large enterprise

    Watch Justin’s Presentation on What Science Fiction Can Teach Us About Technology >


A few more statistics to consider

  • Only 14% of small businesses rate their ability to mitigate cyber risks, vulnerabilities, and attacks as highly effective (source: 2016 State of Cybersecurity in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses)
  • 60% of small businesses go out of businesses within six months of a cyberattack (source: US National Cyber Security Alliance)
  • 70% of cyberattacks enter a system through email

Now consider the questions

  • Have you been, or do you know if you’ve been hacked before?
  • Does your business rely on IT architecture that is running on a Windows XP or earlier operating system?
  • How many days can your business operate without access to your network or IT systems?

Who should be paying attention

Generally, every business needs to be paying attention to cybersecurity at some level, however certain sectors are already seeing a trend toward standard cybersecurity requirements to be part of the supply chain. Among others, businesses which supply to the following sectors either must now be NIST 800-171 cyber compliant or soon will be mandated to do so:

  • Defense contracts
  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Medical device

OMEP, PNDC, and GCAP have partnered to bring this informative discussion on cyber security to Portland. During the day, our presenters will equip the audience with what they need to know about cyber security generally and everything they need to know to get started toward NIST 800-171 compliance. We look forward to seeing you there and getting you connected to the right resources.

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Author

  • Justin Gradek

    As OMEP's Senior Consultant, Justin Gradek is responsible for helping manufacturers make technology work for their businesses. Whether navigating the modern threats of cybersecurity with clients, implementing ERP systems, or assisting with industrial automation upgrades, Justin applies the lean philosophy of waste reduction to increase capacity on his projects. With a background in lean manufacturing, Justin has experience analyzing systems and business processes within many types of organizations. He brings his analysis skillset to all client work, drawing on his dual master's degrees in economics and international relations. Before accepting the position at OMEP, Justin was a Process Improvement Engineer at Moventas Inc., a Portland-based manufacturer of Wind Turbine Gearboxes, as well as a Project Lead at Ikerd Consulting. Additionally, Justin spent several years in Washington D.C. as a policy analyst.

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