Published on 10/07/2025 by Any Business.Com.Au

Was Your Small Business One of the 61% Targeted By Cyber Criminals in the Last Year?

Running a small business today means embracing digital tools - from email and cloud storage to e-commerce and online marketing.

But this digital transformation also means small businesses are increasingly on the radar of cybercriminals.

In fact, over 61% of small and midsize businesses reported at least one cyber attack in 2024, according to the Cyber Readiness Institute.

What's worse, many of these businesses discovered too late that basic protections could have made a huge difference.

The good news? You don't have to be a cybersecurity expert or spend thousands to protect your business. Let's explore practical, affordable, and effective steps you can take today.

Know What You're Up Against

Understanding the risks is the first step toward managing them. Cybercriminals target small businesses for several reasons: fewer resources, limited IT staff, and often, a lack of formal cybersecurity policies.

Common threats include:

• Phishing attacks: Fake emails that trick staff into revealing passwords or clicking malicious links.
• Ransomware: Malicious software that locks your data until you pay a ransom. In 2024, the average ransom payment climbed to $258,000, and downtime often costs even more.
• Data breaches: Unauthorised access that exposes customer or business data. Recent reports show 43% of breaches affected small businesses.
• Insider threats: Employees or contractors, whether by accident or intent, can compromise your systems.

Cybercrime isn't just about stolen money. It can lead to customer trust issues, regulatory penalties, and weeks of downtime.

Strengthen Passwords and Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Weak or reused passwords remain among the easiest ways for hackers to break in. Industry data shows 74% of breaches involved a human element, including stolen or weak credentials.

Here's what you can do:

• Encourage employees to use unique, complex passwords - think 'passphrases' not 'passwords'.
• Avoid password reuse across different accounts.
• Invest in a trusted password manager to generate and store passwords securely.
• Enable MFA wherever possible. Even if a password is compromised, MFA adds an extra layer of protection.

For small businesses, these steps are quick to implement but deliver outsized security benefits.

Keep Your Systems Updated

Many successful attacks exploit known software vulnerabilities that could have been fixed with updates. In 2024, nearly 60% of breaches affecting small businesses involved unpatched software.

• Turn on automatic updates for operating systems, apps, and devices.
• Regularly check plugins and website platforms, like WordPress or Shopify, for updates.
• Replace unsupported software, which no longer receives security patches.

Keeping everything current might sound tedious, but it's one of the most effective and low-cost defences.

Train Your Employees

Your employees are your strongest asset - but without training, they can also be your biggest risk. Studies in 2024 showed employees at small businesses clicked on phishing emails at a rate of 27%, higher than in large companies.

Simple but effective steps:

• Hold regular, short training sessions about spotting suspicious emails, unexpected attachments, or urgent messages requesting sensitive data.
• Use real-life examples to show how phishing works.
• Encourage a "pause and verify" mindset - it's always okay to double-check.

Even five minutes a month dedicated to security awareness can dramatically lower your risk.

Back Up Your Data and Test Your Backups

Imagine losing customer records, financial data, or years of business documents. With ransomware attacks up over 30% in 2024, reliable backups are your safety net.

• Automate daily backups to secure, offsite locations, such as reputable cloud services.
• Keep at least one backup offline (for example, an encrypted external drive).
• Regularly test backups by restoring a file to ensure they work.

If disaster strikes, your backups can mean the difference between a short interruption and closing your doors.

Secure Wi-Fi Networks and Devices

Cybercriminals often look for "easy wins," like open Wi-Fi networks or default passwords.

To protect your network:

• Change default passwords on routers and IoT devices.
• Use WPA3 encryption (or at least WPA2) for your wireless networks.
• Set up a separate guest network for visitors and keep it isolated from your main business systems.
• Install reputable antivirus and endpoint protection software on every device.

These steps help keep hackers from accessing your network directly.

Create a Response Plan

Even with the best prevention, things can go wrong. Yet, only about 35% of small businesses had a documented response plan in 2024.

A simple plan should include:

• Who to contact internally (such as the business owner, IT support, or managed service provider).
• How to isolate affected systems to prevent further spread.
• Steps to notify customers, partners, and, if required, law enforcement.
• A checklist for recovery, communication, and documentation.

A clear plan saves precious time and helps keep panic at bay during an incident.

Why This Matters

Cybercrime against small businesses isn't slowing down:

• Over 61% of SMBs reported an attack in 2024.
• 43% of data breaches targeted small businesses.
• Average ransomware payments jumped to $258,000.
• 74% of breaches involved human error or stolen credentials.

These numbers highlight why every small business — no matter the size or industry — should take cybersecurity seriously.

Final Thoughts

Cybersecurity might sound technical, but it comes down to three key ideas:

1. Understand your risks.
2. Build good habits and use affordable tools.
3. Plan for what to do if something goes wrong.

By taking these steps, you don't just protect your data, you protect your reputation, your customers, and your future.

Your small business may not be a global enterprise, but to cybercriminals, it's still a target. By acting now, you can ensure they look elsewhere.

AnyBusiness.com.au

Curtis is a leading expert in the business-for-sale industry, serving as a senior content creator at anybusiness.com.au.

With a career spanning over fifteen years, Curtis has accumulated extensive knowledge in the domain of business sales, acquisitions, and valuations. His deep understanding of market dynamics and his ability to translate complex industry jargon into accessible insights make him a trusted resource for entrepreneurs and business owners looking to buy or sell businesses.

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