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Article · Sep 21, 2016

Survey: Small business owners seriously concerned about cyberthreats

Survey: Small business owners seriously concerned about cyberthreats

A new Carbonite survey reveals that U.S. small business owners are experiencing enormous amounts of stress and anxiety over the unprecedented rise in cyberattacks—they don't think the government is doing enough to protect them.

The online survey, which went out to 250 U.S. small business owners who also make IT purchasing decisions for their companies, found that a whopping 81% feel the government should be working harder to stop cyberattacks. Additionally, the vast majority of small business owners—86%—say a presidential candidate's position on preventing cyberthreats will be an important factor when they decide who to vote for in November.

Over two-thirds of small business owners say that they don't think that either of the U.S. presidential candidates—Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton—truly understand the concerns of a small business owner. Four out of five say that regardless of who wins in November, they don't expect Washington to do anything to help their business.

"One of the things that we heard repeatedly is that small business owners think of data as the new currency for business—it doesn't matter what kind of business it is," said Norman Guadagno, Carbonite's Chief Evangelist. "They have to retain customer data. They have to be able to share data. They're creating new data—and they're worried about it being protected. They don't think either candidate or D.C. in general understands those concerns right now."

Listen to this quick Bloomberg Tech Podcast to hear Norman Guadagno talk more about the survey results:

Many small business owners also believe that the federal government is leaving them vulnerable to cyberthreats and is actually hurting—not helping—their businesses.Among the survey's key findings:

  • 75% say they can't trust the government to help combat threats against their business.
  • 65% say the candidates’ views on encryption will be an important deciding factor when they enter the voting booth.
  • 68% do not think either candidate understand their concerns.
  •  54% say that they have no idea what they’d do if their organization fell victim to an external attack.
  • 44% believe the federal government should play a more active role in making sure small businesses protect their data.

“Small businesses are on the vanguard of creation and change in this country and they’re creating an entirely new data-based economy," Guadagno said. "Unfortunately, elected officials aren’t recognizing their needs, especially when it comes to helping them protect the lifeblood of their business: their data.”

To learn more about how to protect your small businesses from cybersecurity threats like ransomware, visit FightRansomware.com or follow @FightRansomware on Twitter.

Learn more about backup software and why it's an essential part of protecting your small business's most critical data today.

Author

Mark Brunelli

Senior Writer

Mark Brunelli is a Senior Writer on the Corporate Marketing team at Carbonite. He blogs about Carbonite happenings and IT industry trends.

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