Why Small Businesses Are Major Targets for Cyberattacks and How to Defend Against Them

Recent research by NordPass and NordStellar, backed by NordVPN, has shed light on small private businesses being prime targets for cybercriminals. After analyzing around 2,000 global data breaches over two years, they found that retail and technology sectors, particularly small companies in the U.S., were highly attractive to hackers.  

Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are especially vulnerable due to limited cybersecurity resources and sometimes underestimating their value to hackers. Cybercriminals exploit common weaknesses like poor password practices, phishing attacks, and malware infections. Even technology firms—often thought to be well-protected—are at risk when human error allows hackers to bypass their defenses. 

One reason hackers favor small businesses is the prevalence of reused and weak passwords. Many attacks are untargeted; instead, hackers run credential-surfing or dictionary attacks across broad sets of data. When employee credentials are found in leaked databases, they provide easy entry points for cyberattacks, often resulting in financial and reputational damage that can be catastrophic for smaller firms. 

To protect against such threats, businesses are advised to adopt several practices. One essential tool is using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which encrypts internet traffic, safeguarding remote employees who may connect via public Wi-Fi. This encryption layer prevents hackers from intercept

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