Cybersecurity threats aren’t just a big-business problem. In fact, small businesses are increasingly the primary target for cybercriminals — precisely because they tend to have valuable data but weaker defenses than large enterprises. If you run a business in Roanoke, Blacksburg, or anywhere in Southwest Virginia, here’s what you need to know to protect yourself in 2025.
The Top Threats Hitting Small Businesses Right Now
1. Ransomware
Ransomware attacks encrypt your files and demand payment for the decryption key. Modern ransomware operators also exfiltrate data before encrypting it — meaning even if you have backups, they can threaten to publish your client records or business data. The average ransomware payment for small businesses is now over $100,000.
2. Business Email Compromise (BEC)
BEC attacks involve criminals impersonating executives or vendors via email to trick employees into wiring money or sharing credentials. This is the highest-dollar cybercrime category — it costs businesses more than ransomware. It’s alarmingly effective against small businesses that don’t have formal procedures for verifying financial requests.
3. Phishing and Credential Theft
Phishing emails that steal Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace credentials are the entry point for the majority of breaches. Once an attacker has your credentials, they can access email, SharePoint, OneDrive — and potentially pivot to other systems.
Five Things to Do Right Now
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on every account, especially Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. This single step stops the vast majority of credential-based attacks.
- Make sure you have tested backups. Having backups is not enough — you need to have actually restored from them to know they work.
- Patch your systems. Unpatched vulnerabilities are the most common entry point for automated attacks. If you’re not running automatic patching, start today.
- Train your team. Regular security awareness training dramatically reduces the success rate of phishing attacks.
- Get a security assessment. You can’t defend what you don’t know about. A professional assessment identifies your actual risk.
TTS provides cybersecurity services to businesses throughout Southwest Virginia. Contact us for a free security assessment.