The recent cyber-attack on the Royal Mail is still causing problems for businesses who rely on sending parcels overseas. The BBC spoke to Emma Thomson, who runs a jewellery company in Romford, and is reported to be losing hundreds of pounds due to delivery issues, two weeks after Royal Mail was hit by a cyber-attack.
This demonstrates that a cyber-attack is not something which can get fixed with a quick flick of a switch, and can continue to cause trouble long after the initial attack took place. Furthermore, the attack is a stark reminder that cyber-attacks continue to be a major threat to website security.
A recent article by Forbes reported that cybersecurity will continue to be a massive threat to small businesses in 2023 and said that: “Attacks on small businesses will increase in 2023. SMBs already make up over 41% of data breaches, but as large enterprises spend more on cybersecurity and adopt more robust frameworks, attackers will increasingly turn their attention to small businesses. Cybersecurity will also be a major differentiating factor in sales and partnerships for SMBs. Organizations increasingly want to work with vendors that have mature security and compliance programs.”
Why website security is important
This view illustrates the need for website security to be deployed across businesses of all sizes. There are many reasons why this should be happening, including the facts that:
- Hacked websites can target customers
Hackers can use malicious software to infect websites, and use it to gather data and potentially hijack computer resources. Where attackers have gained access to a website they can redirect traffic and infect visitors with damaging files. Last year a survey by the UK Government found that only 40% of respondents felt safe from online threats, showcasing the potential for businesses to do more to protect their website visitors.
If potential customers visit a website and get a warning that the site is not secure or get infected after visiting a webpage, there is an extremely low chance that the customer will ever visit that website again. There can be over 50,000 occurrences of websites being hacked every day, of which businesses are left unwittingly distributing malicious code via cybercriminals. Insecure websites could get a reputation for being unsafe, in turn damaging the brand image of a business.
- Websites can get blacklisted
Google has been clamping down on websites which are seen as potential risks for online users. The well-known and popular search engine quarantines at least 10,000 suspicious websites each day. When a website is on the blacklist, it can lose almost 95% of its organic traffic, which can be catastrophic for the revenue of a business. Google has been penalising insecure websites for a few years now, as seen back in 2018 when it released new details about its spam-fighting efforts, revealing that more than 80% of hacked sites had been detected and removed from search results.
Website management from BBI Brandboost
Here at BBI Brandboost we understand the importance of website security and help to ensure that our clients have their systems up to date and as secure as possible to help try and prevent a cyber-attack from occurring. Through the implementation of our website management service we will be able to undertake all the technical and administrative activities that will help to ensure that your website works effectively for your business and is secure.
Cybercriminals do not discriminate and will look to breach any website they can, no matter the size. If you believe that your website is too small and insignificant for hackers to worry about, then we say good luck to you. We strongly believe this would be a foolish viewpoint to have and have many experiences of helping smaller companies than the royal mail recover from cyber-attacks.
If you are concerned that your website has been hacked, or is not as secure as it could be, please contact us today.