Cloudflare, a company that helps protect websites and cloud infrastructure, recently stopped a massive online attack that could have caused serious problems for many businesses, including small ones[1]. This attack was the biggest of its kind ever recorded, sending an enormous amount of data to try and overwhelm websites.

What Happened?

Imagine a store suddenly flooded with so many customers that no one can get in or out. That’s similar to what this online attack tried to do to websites. The attackers attempted to send so much data to websites that they would crash or become unusable.

Why Should Small Business Owners Care?

Even if your business wasn’t directly targeted, this event highlights important issues relevant to you:

Online Security is Crucial: Just like you lock your store at night, your business systems, network, and website need protection too. Attacks like this can happen to businesses of any size.

Downtime Costs Money: If your website or your business computers go down, you could lose sales and customers. It’s like having to close your shop unexpectedly.

What Can You Do?

Use Protection Services: Consider using services that can shield your business networks and website from attacks. Consult with a cybersecurity provider with expertise small business like We Know Cyber. It’s like having a security guard for your online store.

Keep Software Updated: Make sure your systems, networks, and website are up-to-date. This helps patch any weak spots that attackers might try to exploit.

Have a Backup Plan: Know what to do if your systems or website does go down. Have a way to communicate with customers, recovering point of sale, inventory, and other business systems, and get back online quickly. Consider training for staff to respond to cyber emergencies. We Know Cyber offers Incident Response plans and staff training to help you stay in business.

Remember, in today’s digital world, your website is often the first place customers find you. Keeping it safe and running smoothly is just as important as securing your physical business location.

Citations:

[1] https://thehackernews.com/2024/10/cloudflare-thwarts-largest-ev

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