Small businesses form a critical part of the economy and play a key role in the creation of jobs and
improving the livelihoods of many individuals in the society. However, in the advancement of
technology and the use of information systems by these businesses, there has grown a threat to the
continued successful operations of these businesses due to the threat of cyber attacks. This paper will
focus on researching on the current information security landscape of small businesses, specifically in
cloud computing and social networking. The paper will also make a discussion of the potential
consequences of not implementing security practices, show the common threats that are associated
with small businesses and finally describe the strategies that will provide assurance in information
security for small businesses.
Current information security landscape of small businesses
Small businesses are currently faced by contradicting opportunities and challenges. On one hand,
there is the growth and advancement in cloud computing and social media marketing which present an
excellent opportunity for small enterprises to market themselves and deliver high quality services to
their customers. On the other hand, the growth in these sectors have presented very big challenges in
the form of the information systems security of those companies that use them and information
overload where small enterprises have very high volumes of information which they may not
Moreover, now days using information system is not as walking as in the park, it has many new security treats that the company might lose their confidential data, financial and personal information.
Small business are said to be the backbone of the United States economy. It said that small businesses contribute to growth and vitality in the specific area of the United States economic development. Small businesses play a huge role in how the business world is shaped. Entrepreneurs are smart, creative and innovative however, those same entrepreneurs need to have some knowledge that the study of microeconomics focuses on. With the study of microeconomics, their product or future business will succeed in an economic view point.
Small businesses are the core of the engine that runs the American economy. They are a very intricate and essential part of what makes America strong. Annually there were approximately 400,000 new small businesses started every year in the United States of America. Before the recession the normal business closure for companies in America were approximately 100,000 annually. This rate of exchange between new and closing businesses is known as “the birth and death rate of American companies”. After the recession the death rate of businesses in the United States has increase exponentially, growing from 100,000 companies a year to approximately 470,000 companies closing annually (Joseph, 2014). Most may think this is a result of the recession,
Innovations in technology can force a business to change just to keep up. Employees who have never used computers need to be trained to operate the new computer system. A business also can benefit by implementing a technological change. According to the Hotel Online website, the airlines
Small businesses are generally started by an entrepreneur portraying their idea to the public and selling for a profit, beginning with a micro business, sole proprieter or a partnership. This will eventually evolve into a small business if they hire more employees. As more employees are hired, this adds to their quality of life through giving a sense of self worth to those employed. Innovation is important to small businesses, as it opens doors into oppertunities for future endeavours. Innovation will allow a business to predict possible future needs and to fulfull these before other competitve businesses do.
Today the world revolves around the internet. Cloud computing is changing our lives in many ways. We are, as never before, seeing cloud technology impact our world on many levels. From remote locations to the global center stage, an event can reach the four corners of the planet by going viral. It has never been as easy to look out for long forgotten friends and classmates with the increasing numbers of social networks and websites proposing ways to connect and relate through online communities. Education sectors and health sectors are the mostly benefited as it has made
The first is the great need for small businesses for future economic growth, locally and internationally. There is a tremendous need for small business to keep up with technological advances and environmental changes. Small business can innovate and create new jobs at a faster rate than their larger competitors. Unfortunately, living in times of high crime, recurrent
Small businesses are mighty minnows, reflecting the competitive spirit that a market economy needs for efficiency; they provide an outlet for entrepreneurial talents, a wider range of consumer goods and services, a check to monopoly inefficiency a source of innovation, and a seedbed for new industries; they allow an economy to be more adaptable to structural change through continuous initiatives embodying new technologies, skills, processes, or products (Ibielski 1997, p. 1).
Small businesses are independently owned, for profit businesses which employees no more than 500 employees and are not dominant in its competitive area. Small Businesses are critical for the US economy because more than 99 percent of businesses in the US fall under the small business category (Farrell, Hirt & Farrell, 2009). This is clearly why small businesses are important for the US economy because of its percentage make up for the business industry. Small businesses also create opportunities for minorities and give women the opportunity to successful in the business world. Small business owners are not guaranteed
While all of these technologies have enabled exciting changes and opportunities for businesses, they have also created a unique set of challenges for business managers. Chief among all concerns about technology is the issue of information security. It seems to be almost a weekly occurrence to see a news article about yet another breach of security and loss of sensitive data. Many people will remember high profile data breaches from companies such as T.J Maxx, Boston Market, Sports Authority, and OfficeMax. In the case of T.J. Maxx, a data breach resulted in the loss of more than 45 million credit and debit card numbers. In many of these incidents, the root cause is a lack of adequate security practices within the company. The same technologies that enable managers can also be used against them. Because of this, businesses must take appropriate steps to ensure their data remains secure and their communications remain
Small businesses create new jobs, foster entrepreneurship and innovation, and supply goods and services needed by larger businesses.
Small businesses are important to the U.S economy for multiple reasons. According to the U.S Small Business Administration, small businesses represents for 99.7 percent of all employer firms, have generated sixty four percent of new jobs and paid forty four percent of the total united states payroll (Brown, 2017) . Small business is an important role not just in the US economy, but they also play a major role in the growth of the individual community that they are located in. Small businesses give citizens of the community an opportunity for employment by offering jobs that the individuals may not have to have degrees or accolades to qualify for unlike jobs in larger corporations. Although small business is very important to the economy and the community, often times small
Small businesses, with large impacts. Many times when you hear the term small business, you think of a small business that doesn't have the impact on lives such as global retailers. But in fact, all of the small businesses in the United States make up to 60-80 percent of all U.S. jobs. Small businesses, really are what fuel our economy and what keep our head above water as an economy. Information gathered by Entrepreneur Magazine, reported that there is somewhere between 25-27 million small businesses in the United States. This has a huge impact on our nation because not only does it generate revenue and keep the cash flow in order, but it creates millions and millions of job opportunities throughout the entire country. Although the small
Numerous large businesses that are operating today were once started as small businesses. A new business is established to create a good or service that no other businesses have ever created or simply a product of higher quality than existing products, with the purpose of meeting customers’ needs and earning profits. Due to the technological advances at the present time, starting and operating a new business is less laborious. Nevertheless, would-be entrepreneurs should be familiar with the proper approaches to start their businesses.
The web has played more than a significant role in this era. Today, many people prefer to buy things online because it provides an effortless way for them to purchase their favorite products without having to go to the store and go through things like a bad service or deal with an angry employee. Many of these online stores provide great products that are creative, inexpensive and affordable, making the customers feel unique and special every time they purchase an item. However, this simplicity that these online stores provide affects negatively small businesses and organizations. Because of their reduced cost of products, online retailers can offer customers a wider range of products at prices that are competitive with the traditional stores. This can lead to “showrooming, in which customers browse the products they want in the traditional stores, but purchase it online for a cheaper price, affecting mostly small stores or organizations(Storm). Furthermore, business communication might be faster and easier over the internet, but the lack of face-to-face communication sometimes leads to the perception of a company as uncaring and impersonal. Similarly, employees who only communicate with managers and co-workers through email may feel discouraged and become less productive in the investment of the company’s success(Storm). Another negative impact that internet has on organizations and small businesses is the leaking of sensitive information. When business or organizations are conducted over the Internet, technical malfunctions or malicious hackers can expose sensitive data, such as addresses, passwords, credit card details or bank account details. Causing bad