Yes you read that title right. We’re asking if you have tried to hack into your business lately. Most of you are probably answering, “No,” and wondering why we’d ask such a crazy question. But hacking into your own business can provide great insight into the weakest IT spots within your company.
This is a process called “penetration testing.” An IT company will purposely try and hack into your business. By doing this they will be able to see where weak points are and help you address them. Many large corporations have entire teams dedicated to trying to hack in to their servers and technology. They do this so they can stay ahead of any potential risks and tackle the weak points before they become big problems.
Small businesses and independent businesses do not always have the time to check every aspect of their technology. Or have the budget to pay someone to continuously check for weak spots. But reports show that from 2012 to 2013 breaches on small and independent businesses increased 10%. These companies have small, information only websites, do not operate over the Internet, and store most of their data on an on-site server. Even if you do not conduct business over the Internet, you are still risk.
Hackers can target you through emails, mimic pages on your website, or dupe your clients into thinking they are receiving communication from you, when in fact it’s a thief. Penetration testing allows a professional to try and break through the various pieces of technology you have to identify spots where thieves could get in. This service can be expensive but there are also affordable ways to test your business’ security. Datasmith is here to help. Contact us to learn more about conducting a risk assessment on your business today.
