HAGERSTOWN: County officials gathered at morning’s meeting of the Hagerstown Washington County Chamber of Commerce to hear about issues surrounding cyber security, and what individuals and business owners can do to better protect themselves from identity theft and data breaches.
Bank officials who specialize in cyber security described it as the “new normal,” with data breaches hitting businesses in the United States from left and right impacting big-name chains like The Home Depot, Walmart, Michaels and Target.
When it comes to data breaches, many people think of these larger companies. But since 2010, experts said there’s been a 300 percent increase in cyber attacks against smaller businesses.
Big retailers can absorb a breach, said Andrew Linn, the Chief Information Security Officer for Orrstown Bank. “Ten million dollars is a lot of money for Target, but Target makes quite a bit more than $10 million. With the average cost per breach record averaging about $200, a lot of small businesses could be put out of business by that.
