Hackers Go After Small Business!

August 7, 2012

Computer hackers are focusing more on small businesses than ever before, with more than a third of targeted attacks aimed at companies with fewer than 250 employees, says a new report.

The percentage of attacks on small business in the first six months of 2012 is double that of the same period in 2011, according to the report from security software provider Symantec. The company said it blocked an average of 58 attacks per day aimed at small businesses in the first half of the year. Daily attacks on all businesses leaped 24 percent to around 154.

Prime Targets

Companies in the defense industry are cybercriminals' top targets, followed by chemical, pharmaceutical and manufacturing firms. If you're a small company with large company partners or customers, you are a particularly tempting target; hackers know that small firms often are the weakest link in the security chain, and thus use them to gain access to their partners' or customers' data. (Large companies with more than 2,500 employees remain the most popular targets: They account for 44 percent of all targeted attacks.)

Defining a 'Targeted Attack'

What's a targeted attack? Pretty much what it sounds like: An attack that's customized for a specific company and its vulnerabilities. Hackers will use publicly available information—or in some cases, information stolen from other companies—to create e-mails with malicious attachments they hope have a better chance of tricking employees into opening them. This technique, called social engineering, is sophisticated enough that just warning employees about thinking twice about opening e-mails with attachments is not enough.

Staying Safe

What can you do? The report puts some of the blame squarely on small businesses, saying that many are not taking the basic safety precautions that would help them keep out cybercriminals.

Kevin Haley, director of Symantec's Security Response unit told PC World: "[Small businesses] are not prepared, because they don't think they have to be, and that's left them vulnerable."

And Eric Maiwald, an analyst for Gartner says that "SMBs [small and mid-size businesses] tend not to have the resources to implement the same types of security programs large enterprises do."

But small businesses often are not taking even the simplest (and cheapest) of precautions, such as making sure all software is up-to-date and patched. If there is a known crack in the software and you haven't spackled it, you're basically leaving the back door open.

Haley added that "They don't have to be genius hackers, because a lot of small businesses are not taking the basic steps to protect themselves."

How to boost the efficiency of your warehouse

When it comes to a successful supply chain process, warehouse efficiency is a critical key to success. From design to management, an efficient warehouse can improve safety, efficiency and overall quality of a company’s supply chain. While there are many ways to streamline the warehouse-related components of an effective supply chain, we’ll briefly examine a few design and management ideas below.

Design upgrades
Without question, meeting the highest safety and health standards must be part of the warehouse design process from the very start. Location, occupancy, function and potential dangers must all be considered, in addition to the impact of environmental issues, waste disposal, site drainage and neighboring businesses or residences.

Flooring is an important key to warehouse design. What type of floor will best match the specific demands of your warehouse? The best floor will offer the least maintenance while providing the greatest flexibility, performance and safety.
With an increasing amount of products on the market—especially Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and chemicals—cold storage has become a necessity in many warehouses.

While it may not seem obvious to consider doors in warehouse design, they are a highly relevant component of warehouse efficiency. Doors are in operation constantly and each must provide the best fit for its sole purpose. Will they be used internally or externally? Is insulation required? How heavy is the traffic pattern? Do they meet safety standards?

Improvement management
Keeping machinery in proper running order through scheduled maintenance will save time, money and frustration over the long term. Keep all equipment, such as lifts, in good repair. Don’t neglect regularly scheduled updates and maintenance, especially in regards to machinery that will slow or even stop production if it breaks.

Carve out time to interact with and motivate employees. A short motivational boost can exponentially increase worker morale and consequently, their productivity. Be aware of factors that cause boredom and demotivation.

Encourage a healthy sense of competition among the different zones, facilities and departments by publishing metrics for everyone to see. What types of incentives and rewards can be used to increase overall productivity?
Be sure to have plenty of supplies such as carts, tape, totes, pallets and batteries on hand. Keep track of when items are low and restock regularly.
Minimize how often items are touched in your processes. Consider taking away staging areas and unload, receive and put products away with a single touch. Don’t pick and stage, but live load instead.

The efficiency of a warehouse depends on a wide and varied number of factors. From seemingly simple design issues such as climate, doors and floors to the more complex areas such as meeting safety and health regulations—smart warehouse management and a well-planned design are key for optimal supply chain results. Pay attention to your workers and keep them motivated, invested and interested. Their commitment to the warehouse will inevitably result in the higher production you’re aiming for.
Pete Kontakos is a contributor from Michigan State University.