October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and, unfortunately, some do not consider their phones as a target for hackers.

"For many small-business owners, their mobile phones aren't an accessory or a tool. Their phone is their business when it comes to scheduling appointments, processing payments and communicating with customers," says Paul Johnson, manager of the Wyoming Small Business Development (SBDC) Network's Cybersecurity Program. "That computer in the palm of your hand does it all. But it's also a target for hackers and scammers who want to steal your data and money and shut down your business."

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by the University of Wyoming with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

The Wyoming SBDC Network operates a Cybersecurity for Small Business Program that is funded by the U.S. SBA. The program offers personalized advising, webinars and other resources to help secure businesses from cyberattacks.

So, how do hackers try to get into phones, and what can small-business owners do about it?

"Hackers and scammers rely on catching victims by surprise. They might send a text pretending to be a trusted source, such as your bank or a well-known client," Johnson says. "Messages could include an urgent plea, such as 'Your account will be frozen if you don't verify your identity. Click on this link now!' You click the link and harmful software, called malware, installs on your phone or the link goes to a site designed to steal your username and password as you log in."

Fake apps are another common scam, Johnson says. A person downloads an app that looks like a useful business tool but, when they install it, the fake app provides a scammer access to a person's contacts, emails, or even bank and credit card details.

Connecting to free public Wi-Fi can be risky. Hackers often set up fake Wi-Fi hotspots, which may even be named for the location where a person is. The person connects to the network, and the cybercriminal intercepts everything that is sent and received on the person's phone.

Here is a scam that happened to a small retail business in Texas, Johnson says: The business owner took a call that appeared to be from their bank. The caller sounded very professional and said there were suspicious transactions on the business's account. The caller needed to verify the owner's identity to confirm some recent purchases. Everything sounded legitimate, so the owner shared account details over the phone.

The scammer now had access to the business's account and made several large transfers of thousands of dollars. The bank's phone number was displayed on the incoming call. The scammer used something called "caller ID spoofing" to make it appear as if the call was coming from the bank's official number. In one simple call, the business suffered serious financial damage.

Most scams like this can be avoided. Here are some measures to consider:

-- Use multifactor authentication (MFA): This is an extra step beyond a secure password. MFA requires another form of authentication to access an account or system, such as a six-digit numerical code sent to your phone.

-- Beware of suspicious messages and calls: If a small-business owner receives a message from what appears to be a client or their bank that seems even a little off, they should not respond to the message and contact their bank directly.

-- Install apps only from trusted sources: Small-business owners should get their apps only from official stores, such as Google Play or the Apple App Store. These entities review all apps thoroughly before providing them for download. Be sure to review the app's permissions before installation. Make sure the apps are not harvesting information from your phone that you do not want to share.

-- Regularly update your phone's software: Updates do not just provide new features; they fix known vulnerabilities that hackers can use to get into your system. A person's phone settings will usually provide a list of apps that have available updates. Also, small-business owners should accept operating system updates and schedule them for a time -- for example, in the middle of the night -- when they will not be using their phones.

-- Use mobile security software: Several mobile security apps offer features, such as malware scanning and phishing protection. Small-business owners should read reviews of those apps so that they are aware of the pros and cons of each before adding those apps to their phones.

-- Contact the Wyoming SBDC Network: Visit the Wyoming SBDC Network website to learn about its no-cost cybersecurity resources. They can help small-business owners devise a comprehensive cyber-readiness plan or train them in some immediate practices to make their businesses immediately safer. For more information, go to www.wyomingsbdc.org/cybersecurity-program.

"We live in an exciting age where you can run so many facets of your business in the palm of your hand. Keep your No. 1 workplace tool healthy, and use these tips to avoid scams," Johnson says. "Keeping your phone safe takes a little knowledge, a couple of good habits and a great degree of suspicion."

For more information about how the Wyoming SBDC Network can help with any business needs, visit www.wyomingsbdc.org.

For more information about cybersecurity resources, email Johnson at [email protected].

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.