“We’re just a small business.”
“We don’t have anything worth stealing.”
“Cyberattacks are for the big end of town – not us.”
I hear these myths all the time. But here’s the reality: Cybercriminals are not just targeting ASX-listed companies or banks.
They go after YOU. Your team. Your business and Your data.
Why Cybercriminals Target Small Businesses
Cybercriminals behave like digital burglars. Instead of picking high-security locks, they prefer easy targets. They walk down your online street looking for:
- Unlocked doors – weak or reused passwords
- Open windows – outdated systems with no patches
- Distracted owners – staff falling for phishing emails
It doesn’t matter if you’re a sole trader, charity, GP clinic, or small manufacturer. If you have:
- Money
- Sensitive data
- Customer information
- Supplier access
… then you are a target.
Who Are These Cyber Criminals?
In Australia, cyber threats come from four main groups:
1. Opportunistic Scammers
Motivation: Quick financial wins with minimal effort.
Tactics:
- Phishing Emails: These scammers initially begin with fake emails that look legitimate, aiming to trick people into clicking malicious links or revealing sensitive information.
- Invoice Scams: For instance, they may send fraudulent invoices to businesses, hoping someone pays without checking the source.
- SMS Fraud (Smishing): Additionally, they use deceptive text messages posing as banks, delivery services, or government agencies to capture personal data.
They rely on human error and poor security.
2. Professional Cybercrime Gangs
Motivation: High-value financial rewards through targeted attacks.
Tactics:
- Ransomware: These gangs typically start by breaching networks and encrypting data, then demand payment in exchange for a decryption key.
- Business Email Compromise (BEC): Following that, they may impersonate executives or vendors to manipulate staff into wiring funds to fraudulent accounts.
These groups research their targets. Once prepared, they mix hacking tools with scams to hit businesses that can afford to pay.
3. Identity Thieves
Motivation: Profiting from stolen personal data.
Tactics:
- Credential Harvesting: Initially, identity thieves begin by capturing login credentials through phishing or compromised websites.
- Fake Accounts: Then, they use those details to create fraudulent accounts, apply for loans, or commit further identity fraud.
Identity thieves operate on both individual and bulk levels, often selling stolen information on the dark web or using it to commit secondary crimes like loan fraud or tax fraud.
4. Nation-Sponsored Cyber Criminals
Motivation: Strategic advantage for national interests—economic, political, or military.
Tactics:
- Stealing Intellectual Property: These attackers often begin by infiltrating companies to extract valuable research, technology, or trade secrets.
- Disrupting Critical Infrastructure: In addition, they may target essential services like power, health, or transportation to cause instability or test cyber resilience.
- Spying on Supply Chains: Finally, they insert themselves into vendor networks to quietly monitor or manipulate operations from the inside.
These groups are skilled and well-funded. They often stay hidden for a long time.
Importantly, they’re not only after government agencies or defence contractors.
Australia’s ACSC Cyber Threat Report is clear: any business can be a target. (Source: ACSC Cyber Threat Report)
Why Now? Why You?
Cybercriminals often choose smaller businesses because:
- You are more likely to pay a ransom to fix things fast.
- Your security controls might have fewer protections.
- Staff are busy and make mistakes.
- Customer data is valuable to sell or exploit.
In fact, Australians reported $2.74 billion losses to scams in 2023 alone. (Source: Scamwatch )
What’s more, new laws under Australia’s Cybersecurity Act mean some ransomware payments must be reported within 72 hours.
What Should You Do?
Cybersecurity can feel overwhelming. But a few key steps go a long way:
- Accept that you are a target. No one is too small.
- Train your staff. People are your best defence.
- Secure your systems. Keep them patched and monitored.
- Get help. Work with experts before it’s too late.
This is exactly why we exist at Cyber Ethos
At Cyber Ethos, we help Australian organisations stay ahead of cyber criminals without the tech jargon or fear-mongering.
We speak your language. We focus on:
- Clear, practical advice
- Business-friendly cybersecurity solutions
- Real-world cyber protection
Cybersecurity isn’t just for the big end of town anymore. It’s for every Australian business that wants to survive and thrive in the digital economy.
