Why every small business should care about cyberattacks, in 5 charts

This feature was produced in collaboration between Vox Creative and Bright House Network. Vox Media editorial staff was not involved in the creation or production of this content.

The internet has made life a lot easier for business owners, of course. It’s also made it easy for businesses to get hacked. That’s especially true in Florida, where Tampa and Orlando consistently rank among the most frequently hacked cities in the country.

Cyberattacks on big companies dominate the news, but small businesses are big targets, too. One in five small businesses fall victim to a cyberattack and of those, 60 percent go out of business in six months. And the data show that most small business owners don’t have a plan for response if they’re hit.

That’s a problem, because cyberattacks can range from the mildly annoying to the deeply destructive. Even the smallest can be costly and time consuming. From phishing scams to data breaches, the average attack costs a business $9,000, says the National Small Business Association.

1. The United States is the top target for hackers worldwide.

How likely you are to have your computer security compromised depends on the city you live in. Florida has the distinction of having two spots on a list of top ten cities with the most malware infections per capita: Tampa comes in second and Orlando comes in fourth. Little Rock topped the list.

2. Business owners face a seemingly endless array of cyberthreats.

Roughly 83 percent of business owners don’t have a contingency plan for dealing with security threats, and when even small attacks happen, they can be incredibly costly and time consuming.

3. An overwhelming majority of small business owners report handling cybersecurity matters themselves.

New threats are constantly popping up, and most business owners see protecting against cyberattacks as important. Still, only 42 percent of them spent money on cybersecurity protections in the last year.

4. Most companies rarely update their security plans — if they have one at all.

Hackers love to target small businesses. A majority of security breaches happen at small businesses, and 95 percent of reported credit card breaches come from small businesses. A whopping 60 percent of small businesses will close after experiencing a data breach, according to Experian.

5. Anti-virus software isn't enough to protect businesses from attacks.

Thirty-five percent of small businesses said their in-house IT staff is simply too busy to properly upgrade security systems. A managed service provider like Bright House Networks can track security threats and neutralize them. Additionally, businesses that outsource their IT see costs decrease about 15 percent each year— which means a managed service provider saves you money, too.

Small business owners don't have to worry about being a tech experts with a 100 percent solution. Bright House Networks Business Solutions can give small business owners peace of mind with everything from firewall services to 24/7 tech support and proactive monitoring of threats.

For more information on Bright House IT services, click below.

This feature was produced in collaboration between Vox Creative and Bright House Network. Vox Media editorial staff was not involved in the creation or production of this content.