• Link to Facebook
  • Link to X
  • Link to LinkedIn
  • 713-587-2560
  • Contact
  • Request A Demo
Virtual-Q
  • IT as a Service
    • IT Support
      • Helpdesk
      • IT Consulting Services
      • IT Hardware Procurement
    • Desktop as a Service
      • Secure Remote Desktop
      • High Performance Desktop
    • Infrastructure as a Service
      • Data Center & Cloud
      • Infrastructure Analysis
    • Disaster Recovery as a Service
      • Business Continuity
      • Disaster Recovery Plan
  • Cybersecurity as a Service
    • Risk Assessment
    • Intrusion Detection & Prevention
    • IT Security Compliance Services
  • Industries
  • Resources
    • Demos
    • Client Support
    • Blog
    • LinkedIn Articles
    • FAQs
  • Testimonials
  • About
    • Leadership Team
    • Partners
    • Channel Partners
  • Menu Menu

Common Cybersecurity Misconceptions

The world of cybersecurity is constantly evolving, and as with anything that undergoes frequent changes, the field is prone to misconceptions, misunderstandings, and missed opportunities. To help protect your business, we’ve put together a list of the most common misconceptions and what you can do about them.

What Are the Most Common Cybersecurity Misconceptions?

Misconception 1: Cybercriminals Only Target Large Corporations

Many businesses like to think that they are too small to be targeted by cybercriminals. After all, the media typically only covers stories about data breaches or cyberattacks that strike large, multinational corporations like Microsoft or the Red Cross. As a result, small and medium-sized businesses may assume they do not need to invest in network defenses since they won’t be targeted in the first place.

Reality: 61% of SMBs have reported they’ve been the target of at least one cyber attack over the past year. Cybercriminals realize that many SMBs have not yet caught up with the security strategies employed by large corporations, making them low-hanging fruit when identifying their next target. While you can’t put all of your budget toward cybersecurity, investing enough in your security posture to ensure you aren’t the lowest hanging fruit is often enough to deter potential attackers.

Misconception 2: Cyberthreats Are Always from an External Source

Another common misconception is that cyberthreats always originate from outside of your network. Why would anyone want to attack or compromise your network from within, especially if you have a small, trusted team? Most businesses assume that the greatest threats to their network are external, and that there isn’t much that can be done to defend a network from within.

Reality: In actuality, one of the best places to start defending your network is from within. That’s because about 1 in 3 businesses around the world are impacted by insider threats each year while insider incidents have increased by almost 50% over the past two years.

Insider threats are dangers that originate from within your network, through trusted people like employees, contractors, and those associated with valid network access. However, their access can be compromised through phishing, ransomware, or malware, making cybersecurity awareness training a fundamental cybersecurity strategy in today’s world.

Misconception 3: You Will Know If Your Network Has a Virus

Many people assume that firewalls and antivirus software are enough to automatically alert you when your network has a virus. From Microsoft’s built-in malware monitoring tools to license-based antivirus scanners, it’s easy to fall into a false sense of security and assume they will alert you if or as soon as your network is infected with a virus. No news is good news, right?

Reality: Wrong. Most antivirus software is only effective at detecting viruses or malware on one device, not across networks. While this software can close entry points into your network, it is not able to detect if your network has been compromised after the fact. It takes additional monitoring tools to detect broader threats once they’ve breached the network.

Misconception 4: Cybersecurity Is Too Expensive To Maintain

Too many businesses think the upfront costs of a cybersecurity platform are too high to justify the expense, especially since it doesn’t provide any return on investment. At the same time, spending money on cybersecurity may seem like a luxury or a waste of money that could be invested in other areas of the business.

Reality: In reality, the return on investment of investing in cybersecurity is not losing your business in the event of a cyber attack. 60 percent of small businesses go under within six months of falling victim to a data breach or cyber attack. Much like insurance, you should be willing to invest as much in cybersecurity as it’s worth to keep your business from going under.

In today’s world, cybersecurity is not a luxury—it’s a necessity, and it won’t matter that you invested in other areas of the business if you fall victim to cybercriminals and go out of business.

Misconception 5: Strong Passwords Are Enough to Protect Your Network

Users often think that strong, complex passwords are enough to prevent cybercriminals from gaining unauthorized access to accounts or networks. They may also think that changing passwords frequently bolsters security.

Reality: Unfortunately, cybercriminals have devised tools and techniques to compromise the most unique passwords, and even changing them frequently is no longer enough to combat potential attacks. While password hygiene is an important cybersecurity strategy, don’t be fooled into thinking you can stop there.

In today’s world, a single password to log into accounts is not enough to ensure your network stays secure. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is the new standard for password security by adding a layer of protection, even if the correct login and password are entered. Additional steps may require text code verification or a specialized app, ensuring that the person logging in is actually who they say they are.

Misconception 6: Phishing Scams Are Easy to Recognize

Lots of people think they’re too perceptive to fall victim to a phishing scam. Some phishing tropes from a decade ago have become so common and obvious that people now joke about them.

Reality: Gone are the days of Nigerian princes requesting that you wire them money to access a part of their fortune. Today’s phishing attacks have become significantly more cunning. They imitate trusted sources, such as familiar banks, government agencies, co-workers, or even family members to try and convince someone into sharing personal information without realizing it.

Phishing scams are constantly evolving, and just because someone can recognize one doesn’t mean they’ll be able to recognize all of them. The ongoing evolution of phishing emails has made cybersecurity awareness training and ongoing phishing tests more important than ever.

Need help enhancing your SMB’s cybersecurity posture? Virtual-Q offers everything you need as a bundled solution built for your business.

Click me

Don’t Compromise When It Comes to Cybersecurity

Are you ready to expand your current security measures? Do you just need to get a better understanding of how effective your current strategies are? Virtual-Q can help with everything from risk assessments and mitigation to industry-specific cybersecurity solutions customized for your business. Contact our experts today to learn more.

Share This Post

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on X
  • Share on LinkedIn

Related Postings

A Guide to Disaster Recovery as a Service

A Guide to Disaster Recovery as a Service

Cybersecurity
Read more
July 3, 2023
https://www.virtual-q.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/A-Guide-to-Disaster-Recovery-as-a-Service.jpg 1250 2000 Victor Quinones /wp-content/uploads/2021/06/virtual-q_logo_w.png Victor Quinones2023-07-03 12:49:422025-06-24 14:28:12A Guide to Disaster Recovery as a Service
Robot using laptop

The Impact of AI on Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity
Read more
June 8, 2023
https://www.virtual-q.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Robot-using-laptop-.jpg 1250 2000 Victor Quinones /wp-content/uploads/2021/06/virtual-q_logo_w.png Victor Quinones2023-06-08 09:00:002025-06-24 14:28:12The Impact of AI on Cybersecurity

Planning for Disaster Recovery

IT Support
Read more
June 6, 2023
https://www.virtual-q.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/What-Does-Disaster-Recovery-as-a-Service-Entail_.jpg 1250 2000 Victor Quinones /wp-content/uploads/2021/06/virtual-q_logo_w.png Victor Quinones2023-06-06 09:00:002025-06-24 14:28:13Planning for Disaster Recovery
Search Search

Categories

  • Cloud
  • Cybersecurity
  • IT Consulting
  • IT Hardware Procurement
  • IT Support
  • LinkedIn Articles
  • MSP
  • News

Recent Posts

  • Is your current MSP good enough? July 6, 2023
  • A Guide to Disaster Recovery as a Service July 3, 2023
  • The Impact of AI on Cybersecurity June 8, 2023
  • Planning for Disaster Recovery June 6, 2023
  • How Virtual-Q’s Desktop Infrastructure Can Eliminate Egress Fees May 11, 2023

Our Services

IT as a Service (ITaaS)

Cybersecurity as a Service (CSaaS)

Industry Solutions

 

Location

2245 Texas Drive Ste 260
Sugar Land, TX 77479

Get In Touch

Phone
Main Line: 713-587-2560
Helpdesk: 713-587-2500

Email
sales@virtual-q.com

Website by Virtual-Q, Inc. © 2024
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
Link to: How To Find the Right Business Hardware Solutions Link to: How To Find the Right Business Hardware Solutions How To Find the Right Business Hardware Solutions Link to: #1106 on Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies 2022 Link to: #1106 on Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies 2022 #1106 on Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies 2022
Scroll to top Scroll to top Scroll to top

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

OKLearn more

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Accept settingsHide notification only
Translate »