If you think cybercriminals only target the deep pockets of big business, think again. A Ponemon Institute study reports 67 percent of small and medium-sized businesses experienced a cyberattack in 2018. Often these businesses lacked the resources and expertise to fight this threat. Yet the result was costly downtime, loss of intellectual property and harm to customers.

Here are three (free) government-sponsored resources that can help you better manage the real risk of a cyberattack on your business.

U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

The SBA offers advice on a number of issues facing small businesses. They have a section dedicated to cybersecurity that includes the following:

• Introduction to Cybersecurity – Dispels the myth that small businesses don’t have anything worth stealing. Includes links to where you should report a cybercrime when (not if) it happens to your business.
• Top 10 Cybersecurity Tips – Provides common-sense tips to protect your business including best practices on educating employees. That’s important because 60 percent of businesses with a data breach said it was caused by a negligent employee or contractor.
• Top Tools and Resources for Small Business Owners – Links to local and national resources on cybersecurity. Includes the Department of Homeland Security’s C3 Voluntary Program toolkit to help you recognize and address risks.
• Social Media Cyber-Vandalism Toolkit – A three-phase program to counter intrusions on your social media accounts. Includes specific resources for Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Google and Hootsuite.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Cybersecurity for Small Business

The FTC offers a variety of tools to help small businesses learn more about cyberattacks and what they can do to protect their business interests. Here are a few of these resources:

• Cybersecurity Video Series – This collection of videos offers a quick introduction (less than two minutes) to the basics of cybersecurity and ransomware. Start with this broad overview, then you can do a deeper dive with the other resources provided.
• Cybersecurity Quizzes – Think you know all there is about cybertheft? Take the cyber challenge and find out. Here’s a series of seven quizzes on selected topics like phishing, vendor security and secure remote access. You’ll get feedback on each answer and link to additional resources on that topic
• Topic Library – This section takes 12 different topics and provides practical tips to address each. For example, the Cyber Insurance section tells you what to look for in a policy. The Tech Support Scams section explains how common scams work, how to protect your business and what to do if you’re scammed

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – Cybersecurity for Small Business

Whether you’re adopting cloud computing, using email or maintaining a website, the FCC advises small businesses to adopt a cybersecurity action plan. To help you do that, they offer the following resources:

• Small Biz Cyber Planner 2.0 – This online resource helps small businesses look at a number of areas so they can create a customized plan. It includes expert advice from a number of security companies. While it may not be a substitute for a professional opinion, it can help you identify key areas to address.
• Cybersecurity Tip Sheet – This quick resource features new tips on creating a mobile device action plan and payment/credit card security. That’s important because small businesses say mobile devices are the No. 1 entry point to their network and internal systems.
• Links to Other Resources – The website also provides a number of links to private and government resources on cybersecurity. One of these is CyberSecure My Business, which offers a series of in-person workshops. But the website also has videos and other educational material to identify, protect, detect, respond and recover from cyberattacks.

Cybersecurity isn’t just for big business. Your biggest defense against it is to take advantage of these resources and formulate a strategy for your small business. The more you know, the more you can protect your business and the customers you serve.