Warning: Cyber Attack Nationwide commissioned Edelman Intelligence to conduct a 20-minute, online survey between April 9-20, 2018, among a sample of 1,000 U.S. business owners. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Connected technologies like artificial intelligence, drones or wearable sensors are being used by 91% of business owners, but 48% are unconcerned they will increase the likelihood of a cyber attack, according to Nationwide's fourth annual Business Owner Survey. As the number of self-reported cyber attacks against U.S. small and mid-sized businesses declined four percentage points year-over-year, the number of business owners who are unconcerned with cyber attacks spiked: 40% of respondents were unconcerned in 2018, up from 22% in 2017. Alongside this lack of concern, 65% of business owners do not have a dedicated employee or vendor in place to monitor for cyber attacks. Related: 57 million Americans own a side business, yet most lack insurance |

Unconcerned or unsure?

Business owners lack clarity on what a cyber attack really is. According to Nationwide's survey, only 9% said their business had been a cyber attack victim when asked directly. Yet when given a list, 50% said their business experienced at least one type of harmful cyber activity. Computer viruses (27%) and phishing attacks (25%) were the most frequently reported type of attack. "The scary fact we're seeing is that business owners are becoming more apathetic towards their risk of cyber attacks and therefore aren't protecting themselves as well, even though the concern of cyber attacks against them is still very real," Karen Johnston, expert cyber consultant for Nationwide, said in a statement. Check out the slideshow below to find out the 10 best practices business owners can practice and implement when it comes to dealing with cybercriminals. Related: Next 12 months could see more cyber-related losses, survey finds

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Denny Jacob

Denny Jacob is an associate editor for NU PropertyCasualty360. Contact him at [email protected].

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