Many Vermonters feel protected by our geographic location. We live a quintessential Vermont lifestyle, far enough away major city centers so not to be influenced by from metropolitan areas such as Boston, New York City, and Montreal. Vermonters have a deep sense of community and trust with their neighbors. Some feel isolated and protected from big city problems, one being crime.
The truth is, we're not immune from physical cyber crime.
Interstate 89 (I-89) runs through the middle of Vermont, and connects Montreal to Boston and New York City. There are known international gangs in major cities just a few hours from the heart of Vermont and most certainly travel I-89 as the shortest distance between metropolitan destinations.
The risks are even more elevated when we talk about cyber crime. Cyber risks aren't limited to geography; the risk could come from anywhere in the world, from anyone who is connected to the internet. When you're connected to the internet, you're just an IP number. A Vermont IP address might look very similar to a Texas- or Minnesota-based IP address, so it can be hard to discern who is located where. On the internet geographical boundaries don't apply and everyone can easily be a target.
When it comes to crime for small business, a "loss" could mean going out of business due to reputation damage or not having the capital reserves to weather the recovery. Unfortunately, many small business are targets because they don't have the same resources large companies do to protect themselves. According to the Vermont SBA Business Profile (2011 data) is that 60% of the State's private workforce is employed by a small business. That's three out of five workers. Vermont firms with under 100 employees represent 43% of the private workforce.
I'm not sure how these numbers compare to other states, but at the end of the day, the Vermont economy relies heavily on the success of these business. These businesses process, transmit, store sensitive data just like their Fortune 500 counterparts but often do so without the same means to secure the same type of data. The risks are high, and the internet delivers all kinds of bad stuff to our doorstep. Cybersecurity should be taken seriously. For tips on how to secure your small business, check out our blog: 14 Cybersecurity Tips to Secure Your Small Business Without Breaching Your Wallet.
