The Simply Smarter Blog

Although October is officially National Cybersecurity Month, the truth is that cybersecurity awareness needs to be a year-round endeavor. The annual Cost of a Data Breach Report from the Ponemon Institute and IBM shows 2021 had the highest average cost of a data breach in the report’s 17-year history — $4.24 million, up 10% from the previous year. In the U.S., the country with the highest cost, the average was more than $9 million.

If, as an organization, you’re not taking security seriously by this point, then it’s only a matter of time before you’re the next victim. Start now with the knowledge that every device on your network and every person with access to those devices is a potential attack vector — and yes, that includes copiers and multifunction printers (MFPs).

Doesn’t it seem like more and more cybersecurity horror stories are popping up in your news feed? I know I’ve seen an uptick, especially these past few months. Cybercrime is becoming child’s play for brazen hackers with little to fear and a whole lot to gain. The ambiguous nature of bitcoin and the extremely difficult pursuit of apprehending cybercriminals has emboldened them to make audacious ultimatums.

Over the Fourth of July weekend, the ransomware gang REvil that hit JBS Foods last month made headlines once again for a ransomware attack that started with Florida-based IT firm Kaseya in an attempt to extort a $70 million bitcoin payment. While extraordinary attacks like these are newsworthy, small and midsize businesses (SMB) are getting hit too, and a majority are paying to get their data back.

It is no secret that today increased security threats, such as phishing or ransomware attacks, are a very real concern. Almost all devices are prone to cybersecurity threats and office printers and multifunction devices (MFPs) are no exception.

There are several steps businesses can take to help ensure their network and all connected devices are secure. We’ve compiled a list of seven tips to help prevent your business from falling victim to cybersecurity threats.

Cyberattacks can leave small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) exposed and vulnerable to going out of business. To better understand industry concerns on this topic, Sharp commissioned a cybersecurity study of 250 North American SMBs with Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG). The results found that many SMBs are struggling to protect themselves. Almost half of all respondents said that their business had been the victim of multiple security incidents (averaging three) in the last year. While some of these incidents can be attributed to human error, many took place because the organization had a smaller IT team. In fact, 85% of SMBs surveyed said they have, at most, one dedicated security professional on their team.