--- title: 6 Ways Your Small Business Can Stop Being a Big Target description: 6 ways your small business can stop being a big target image: https://blog.gomainspring.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/AdobeStock_47243454.jpeg --- [![Mainspring, Inc.](https://blog.gomainspring.com/hubfs/MainSpring_June2024/Images/mainspring-logo-cybersecurity-it-services-automation-qjudg0lgsu8o3zserelwpic5pgl0i7mbxusowrykj8.png)](https://gomainspring.com/) [mailto:hello@gomainspring.com](mailto:hello@gomainspring.com) - [About](https://gomainspring.com/about/) - [Our Team](https://gomainspring.com/our-team/) - [Industries](https://gomainspring.com/industries/) - [Partners & Certifications](https://gomainspring.com/partners-certifications/) - [Careers](https://gomainspring.com/careers/) - [Solutions](https://gomainspring.com/solutions/) - [Cybersecurity](https://gomainspring.com/solutions/cybersecurity/) - [ProSuite™](https://gomainspring.com/solutions/prosuite/) - [Automation](https://gomainspring.com/solutions/automation/) - [FileMaker Development](https://gomainspring.com/solutions/filemaker/) - [Apple Device Lifecycle Services](https://gomainspring.com/solutions/apple-services/) - [vCIO](https://gomainspring.com/solutions/vcio/) - [Cost Management](https://gomainspring.com/solutions/cost-management/) - [Support & Help Desk](https://gomainspring.com/solutions/support-help-desk/) - [Case Studies](https://gomainspring.com/case-studies/) - Pricing - [ProSuite™](https://gomainspring.com/pricing/) - [Evolve™](https://gomainspring.com/pricing-evolve/) - Resources - [Blog](https://blog.gomainspring.com/) - [Media Resources](https://gomainspring.com/media-resources/) - [Downloads](https://info.gomainspring.com/resources) - [News & Events](https://blog.gomainspring.com/news) - [Contact Us](https://gomainspring.com/contact-us/) # 6 Ways Your Small Business Can Stop Being a Big Target ### Subscribe to Our Blog - [Home](https://gomainspring.com/) - Resources - Blog Topics: [Cybersecurity](https://blog.gomainspring.com/topic/cybersecurity), [Cost Management](https://blog.gomainspring.com/topic/cost-management) ![A hand manipulating an old morse transmitter](https://blog.gomainspring.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/AdobeStock_47243454-600x407.jpeg?width=600&height=407&name=AdobeStock_47243454-600x407.jpeg) John Ambrose Fleming was set to unveil a wireless technology to the public that was sure to change the way they communicated. After investing his time and effort into planning the demonstration, the day finally came to show the eager crowd. He was just about to send the first transmission, but instead… the device started sending a message on its own. John had been hacked: “There was a young fellow of Italy, who diddled the public quite prettily.” Lines from a Shakespeare poem mocked him in front of the audience via Morse code. When Guglielmo Marconi invented wireless technology, he had advertised it as “completely secure.” Turns out it was a false sense of security. By the way, did I mention [this happened in 1903](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228440-700-dot-dash-diss-the-gentleman-hackers-1903-lulz/)? It has been 113 years, but many of today’s small businesses are recreating this story with a modern twist. We can all be guilty, at times, of this “bulletproof” mentality. We read about cyberattacks on large scales like Target, Sony, Office of Personnel Management and Home Depot nearly every week. The usual reactions boil down to these three takeaways: - These cyberattacks seem to be happening more frequently - The attackers only seem interested in large organizations - I hope my information was not involved in that attack Imagine if small business security incidents were given the same attention as corporations. If so, new television networks dedicated to reporting these incidents might need to be created. The number of small businesses at risk has dramatically increased over the past five years. In 2012, the [National Cyber Security Alliance](https://staysafeonline.org) reported that **20 percent of small businesses** would be the victim of an attack. Just two years later, that number rose to [50 percent](http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2015/10/07/50-of-small-businesses-have-been-the-target-of-a-c?slreturn=1461010648&page=4&page_all=1). What’s even more troubling is that more than half of those companies were not able to recover from the attack and were forced out of business. ### What can you do to avoid becoming another statistic? Security threats have been around for over a 100 years—it is a pretty safe bet they will be around for another 100 years as well. The key to surviving in a hostile environment will come down to choosing if you want to be **reactive** or **proactive**. When you are ready to make the move, you will want to consult with more than your friend’s kid. Reach out to an IT strategy partner that has the experience and field expertise to keep your business out of harm’s way. There are plenty of sources for cybersecurity trends and advice, and it can be overwhelming trying to stay current. We want to share the news and advice that we believe is relevant to you. Feel free to subscribe to this blog and connect with us on social media to stay up to date. ### About the Author ![Ray Steen](https://blog.gomainspring.com/hubfs/Ray-Steen-R6DG9067-1-250x250-1.png "Ray Steen") Ray Steen is Co-Owner & CEO for MainSpring and has been with the firm since 2014. With over 25 years of experience in strategy, consulting and communications, his expertise arms clients with the strategies, tools and resources to meet their mission. Ray is a proud dad and coach of 5 kids, a fantasy sports nut and bleeds for the Chicago Bears and Boston Celtics. [More Articles by Ray Steen](https://blog.gomainspring.com/author/rsteen) ### Related Articles ## Getting Started We’ll discuss your business, needs, and expectations to get you on a path to better IT. 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Second Street, Suite 205 Frederick, MD 21701 [301.948.8077](tel:3019488077) [hello@gomainspring.com](mailto:hello@gomainspring.com) © 2026 [MainSpring, Inc.](https://gomainspring.com/) All rights reserved | Designed & Developed by [ONEFIRE](https://onefire.com/) | [Privacy Policy](https://gomainspring.com/privacy-policy/) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Ray Steen", "url" : "https://blog.gomainspring.com/author/rsteen" }, "dateModified" : "2024-05-07T21:42:18.469Z", "datePublished" : "2016-04-20T18:45:27.000Z", "headline" : "6 Ways Your Small Business Can Stop Being a Big Target", "image" : [ "https://blog.gomainspring.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/AdobeStock_47243454.jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.gomainspring.com/cybersecurity-awareness/6-ways-your-small-business-can-stop-being-a-big-target", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.gomainspring.com/hubfs/mainspring-logo-cybersecurity-it-services-automation.png" }, "name" : "MainSpring, Inc." } } ```