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Over the weekend, a cyberattack targeting Collins Aerospace’s check-in software disrupted major European airports, including Heathrow, Brussels, Berlin, and Dublin. While airlines scrambled to implement manual check-in procedures, many flights were delayed or canceled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Why Should SMEs Care?
You might be thinking, “I’m not an airport; this doesn’t affect me.”
But here’s the thing: this incident highlights a growing trend of cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure—airports, utilities, and yes, even small businesses. If hackers can disrupt global travel, they can certainly impact your operations.
Lessons for Small Businesses?
- Cybersecurity Is Everyone’s Responsibility: Ensure your team is trained to recognize phishing emails, use strong passwords, and follow secure practices. Download our phishing emails resources and ultimate strong passwords management.
- Have a Plan: Develop a simple incident response plan. Know who to contact, how to contain the threat, and how to recover. Get started now and download our incident response plan and incident response form template.
- Backup Systems: Regularly back up your data and ensure you can operate manually if necessary.
- Stay Informed: Keep up with cybersecurity news and trends. What affects large organizations today could impact SMEs tomorrow.
Final Thoughts:
Cyberattacks are not just a threat to large corporations; they’re a risk to businesses of all sizes. By staying vigilant and prepared, you can protect your business from the growing tide of cyber threats.
