It’s a painful stat: the average cost of a cyber attack to a small business is almost $50,000 ($49,600 to be precise).
That’s not just a significant amount, it’s real money that could’ve gone towards growing your team, upgrading your systems, or expanding into new markets.
So what’s the opportunity cost (not to mention the financial cost) of potentially losing $50,000?
Here are five things you could do with $50K that don’t involve funnelling your hard-earned cash to cyber criminals.
1. Upgrade your tech and cyber security
Invest in the tools that save time and boost productivity, like intuitive POS systems, automated accounting software, or integrated business platforms.
Just as important: shore up your cyber defences. Firewall upgrades, multi-factor authentication, and employee training are far cheaper than recovering from a breach. Think of it as buying peace of mind.
2. Invest in your online presence
A modern, user-friendly website builds trust with customers. Pair it with targeted digital marketing, strong SEO, and professional content, and you’ll reach more people, without wasting a cent.
It’s brand building that pays off. And far better than paying a ransom.
3. Build your dream team
$50K could help you onboard a game-changing staff member, train your existing team, or outsource high-skill tasks that eat up your time.
Cyber criminals don’t take holidays, but neither do great employees when they’re supported and engaged.
4. Strengthen your supply chain
For product-based businesses, investing in inventory, warehousing or logistics upgrades can prevent delays and boost customer satisfaction.
Why spend $50K recovering from a cyber-induced disruption when you could use it to stay ahead of demand?
5. Expand your business
Looking to launch a new product, reach a new market, or open another location? That $50K could help make it happen, unless it’s spent recovering lost data, notifying customers, or patching up your systems.
The bottom line?
Cyber crime doesn’t just steal data. It steals potential.
Don’t let your next big business move get derailed by an avoidable cyber incident.
For extra peace of mind, enrol in the free Cyber Wardens training program. It’s full of simple, actionable tips to help keep your business safe from dark web dangers and other cyber threats.
