Cybercrime is a critical issue that affects businesses. The 2021 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report found that 46% of all data breaches impacted businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees. If you're the owner operator of a small fleet, it's vital to learn about cybersecurity and take steps to protect your operations.
Why Cybersecurity Is Important for Fleet Operations
You might assume your business isn't an appealing target for hackers. However, cybercriminals are often opportunistic. They look for companies with vulnerabilities and exploit them, regardless of what those companies are. A small fleet owner might be unable to pay a hefty ransom to a ransomware gang, but your customer data has value. Some hackers aren't after money—they're after the glory of getting past a company's defenses. If you're a cyberattack victim, it could do a lot of damage to your business.
Reputational Damage
A data breach affects you and your customers. If it causes inconvenience or financial loss for your clients, it can damage your brand image, which can be challenging (and expensive) to recover from.
Legal or Regulatory Obligations
You could be bound by strict regulatory requirements depending on the sector you work in and the countries your business serves. Meeting those requirements in the event of a data breach is often challenging for a small business.
Business Disruption
Investigating a data breach or hacking attack, recovering from the attack, and making sure your systems are clean can be a lenghty process. During that time, you may not be able to operate as efficiently. Preventing data breaches from occurring in the first place is a much safer course of action.
The Unique Challenges Faced by Small Fleet Operators
Small fleet cybersecurity can be particularly challenging because these fleets lack the resources bigger businesses enjoy. Some key issues include:
Limited Staff
Many small fleets take a lean approach to running their businesses, with a handful of drivers and a back-office team of one or two people busy with day-to-day administrative tasks.
Limited Expertise
Bigger businesses can afford a dedicated team working on their IT infrastructure, while smaller organizations are less likely to have access to in-house expertise.
Limited Budgets
Hiring external contractors to perform security audits can stretch a small company's budget. However, a data breach or ransomware attack often costs more than preventative measures.
Tips for Addressing Small Fleet Cybersecurity
Consider the following tips to protect your trucking business from cyberattackers. These measures are easy to implement and can go a long way toward preventing cyberattacks.
Follow Best Practices
Small security precautions can prevent opportunistic attacks from malicious actors. Implement the following best practices within your organization:
- Use multi-factor authentication (MFA): Set up two-factor authentication on all accounts that support it. This ensures that even if an attacker gets hold of a password, they can't access your account.
- Use secure passwords and change them regularly: Set passwords that are difficult to guess, change them regularly, and ensure they aren't being reused across accounts.
- Patch your devices and software regularly: Always apply the latest security updates for your devices and any software running on them. If you have a website, make sure it's running the newest version of its store or content management system software.
- Take frequent backups: Back up your data regularly. Ideally, you should have multiple backups, including one stored off-site, to ensure you can recover your data during a fire or natural disaster.
Train Your Team
Many cyberattacks occur due to human error, not a bug or vulnerability in a computer system. Train your staff members to follow the above best practices and spot phishing emails and scam calls.
Teach your staff never to leave their work laptops or mobile phones unattended in public and to lock their devices when not in use. These small precautions can be enough to deter opportunistic actors.
Take Advantage of Free Resources
Businesses can access a wealth of free information to help them learn more about cybersecurity. Download and study the NMFTA Cybersecurity Best Practices Handbook for tips and advice for small fleet operators. This guide includes a wealth of easy-to-implement and inexpensive cybersecurity measures for smaller operators.
The Future of Your Brand Depends on Good Cybersecurity
Investing in cybersecurity can be a significant burden for an owner-operator with a small trucking fleet. However, it's something you can't afford to cut corners with. A security breach could bring your business to its knees, result in significant fines, or cause substantial reputational damage. Don't take chances—follow these tips and build a strong cybersecurity foundation for your business.
NMFTA has a cybersecurity team, comprised of subject matter experts, who are here to help. Connect with us at cyber@nmfta.org. View all free resources at www.nmfta.org/cybersecurity.
