When large tech companies talk about cybersecurity, compliance and risk management, it usually sounds like something for the big players. That is, large enterprise operations or businesses that would be the target of major attacks. The truth is, however, that our data-driven economy levels the playing field in many ways. One of these ways, unfortunately, is by making small businesses just as vulnerably to cyber attacks as their larger counterparts.
According to IBM, 2021 saw the highest average costs for breaches. On average, data breaches costs businesses in the United States up to $4.24M. While that doesn’t mean that your breach could cost you that much, it’s important to know that, no matter the size of your business, you need to take cybersecurity seriously.
The Human Element: Phishing and Social Engineering
The most significant, most damaging, and most widespread threat facing small businesses are phishing attacks. Phishing attacks have grown much more sophisticated in recent years, with attackers becoming more convincing in pretending to be legitimate business contacts. There has also been a rise in Business Email Compromise, which involves bad actors using phishing campaigns to steal business email account passwords from high-level executives, and then using these accounts to request payments from employees fraudulently.
According to Security Magazine, phishing has become a serious problem cross-industry. Researchers have found out that in 2021, 20% of energy employees have encountered phishing attacks, 56% of Android users face risk from over 300 types of phishing attacks, and mobile phishing has expanded by 17.2%.
Ransomware
Ransomware is one of the most common cyber-attacks, hitting thousands of businesses every year. Small businesses are especially at risk from these types of attacks. In 2018, 71% of ransomware attacks targeted small businesses, with an average ransom demand of $116,000. Attackers know that smaller firms are much more likely to pay a ransom, as their data is often not backed-up, and they need to be up and running as soon as possible. The healthcare sector is particularly badly hit by this type of attack, as locking patient medical records and appointment times can damage business to a point where it has no choice but to close unless a ransom has been paid.
We aren’t strangers to ransomware, and the continuing rise of ransomware attacks (perhaps codified in popular culture with the Colonial Pipelines attack) threatens small businesses. According to a story in Forbes, small businesses are facing an onslaught of ransomware threats, and with the rise of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) these threats are only becoming more common and persistent.
Turning to Compliance and Training
One of the major misconceptions that small businesses have is that they don’t have to focus on cybersecurity in the same way that larger companies do. With modern cloud technologies in the hands of SMBs, it’s imperative that you approach security seriously, and as a full-time job.
In many ways, this falls on compliance as a path to success. If you don’t think that compliance will help you, you’re most likely missing the boat. Industry-standard compliance frameworks like HIPAA, FedRAMP and ISO 27001 are critical for security in those markets–but more importantly these can help you think about your specific security capabilities.
That’s why we recommend that you work with security firms not only on mandatory compliance requirements, but on optional compliance frameworks that can support your security goals. Frameworks like SOC 2, while targeting financial businesses, offer powerful guidelines for processes like risk management, security implementation and proactive mitigation of these common threats.
How Can Small Businesses Focus on Cybersecurity?
Fortunately, you can help prepare your small business for modern threats with some basic and common procedures:
- Maintain Training and Education: Employees are the first line of defense against cyber-attacks, and naïve working practices and behaviors could be putting businesses at higher risk. Boosting awareness of hackers’ tactics can help SMBs ensure that their employees are a security strength rather than a weakness.
- Proactively Monitor Systems: Phishing is a widespread technique amongst attackers. As a result, employers need to be confident in recognizing the different types of this attack. Tailored and ongoing security awareness training that includes phishing simulations will help employees know the signs of an attack before it’s real.
- Focus on Risk Management: Every business has diverse risk factors. If you don’t have the expertise, contact an independent security auditor or a managed service provider (MSP) to assess your security posture. Work to develop a plan for adequate and ongoing risk mitigation.
- Stay Ahead of Threats: Set up a data breach response plan that recognizes specific security experts to call, and a communications response plan to warn customers, staff, and the public.
Get Your Small Business Prepared for Cybersecurity with Lazarus Alliance
SMBs can be vulnerable to Cybersecurity attacks and may not have the personal or resources required to proactively manage cybersecurity. The Cybersecurity experts at Lazarus Alliance are completely committed to you and your business’ success. Regardless of whether you represent the private sector or the public sector, we stand ready to partner with your organizations.
Call Lazarus Alliance at 1-888-896-7580 or fill our this form.
What Is Autonomous Malware?
We’re reaching the end of 2025, and looking ahead to 2026, most experts are discussing the latest threats that will shape the year ahead. This year, we’re seeing a new, but not unexpected, shift to autonomous threats driven by state-sponsored actors and AI. With that in mind, a new generation of threats, broadly known as...Continue reading→
What CISA’s Emergency Directive 26-01 Means for Everyone
In mid-October 2025, the CISA issued one of its most urgent orders yet: Emergency Directive 26-01. The directive calls on all Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies to immediately mitigate vulnerabilities in devices from F5 Networks following a state-sponsored breach of F5’s systems and access to portions of BIG-IP source code and vulnerability data. The event...Continue reading→
Cybersecurity and Vetting AI-Powered Tools
A recent exploit involving a new AI-focused browser shone a light on a critical problem–namely, that browser security is a constant issue, and AI is just making that threat more pronounced. Attackers discovered a way to use that browser’s memory features to implant hidden instructions inside an AI assistant. Once stored, those instructions triggered unwanted...Continue reading→
Shutdown Security And Cyber Vulnerability
When the federal government shuts down, the public sees closed monuments, unpaid workers, and halted programs. What they do not see is the silent surge of cyberattacks targeting agencies already operating on fumes. During the most recent shutdown, attacks against U.S. government systems spiked by nearly 85%. Cybersecurity failures during government disruptions rarely start with...Continue reading→
Identity and the Shift from Malware
The world of cyber threats is rapidly evolving, and while we can see these changes more generally, it’s always crucial to understand them concretely. As the 2025 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report shows us, the landscape of our industry is changing. We’re digging into this report to discuss a challenging trend: the move of hackers foregoing...Continue reading→
Maintaining Compliance Against Prompt Injection Attacks
The increasing adoption of AI by businesses introduces security risks that current cybersecurity frameworks are not prepared to address. A particularly complex emerging threat is prompt injection attacks. These attacks manipulate the integrity of large language models and other AI systems, potentially compromising security protocols and legal compliance. Organizations adopting AI must have a plan...Continue reading→
Are We Already Talking About CMMC 3.0?
The ink has barely dried on the CMMC final rule, and already the defense contracting community is buzzing with speculation about what comes next. Just when contractors thought they had a moment to catch their breath after years of regulatory limbo, whispers of CMMC 3.0 have begun circulating through the industry. But is this just...Continue reading→
Centralizing Identity-Based Risk
As the traditional network boundary dissolves and remote work becomes standard practice, identities are the major frontier for security. Whether we’re talking about human users, service accounts, or machine identities, these have emerged as both the primary access mechanism and the most targeted attack vector. It has become imperative for providers to centralize identity management...Continue reading→
Deviation and Significant Change Requests in FedRAMP: A Comprehensive Guide
FedRAMP provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services used by federal agencies. While the program’s rigorous baseline requirements ensure consistent security, the reality is that this consistency calls for a little flexibility. This is where deviation requests and significant change requests come into play. These two...Continue reading→
The Costs of Compliance and Data Breaches
Data is possibly one of the most valuable assets any organization holds. Customer information, employee records, and proprietary business intelligence present challenges because the data flowing through modern enterprises represents both significant opportunities and serious risks. Businesses face a challenging balance: investing in compliance measures to protect sensitive information while also preparing for the real...Continue reading→
Related Posts