I started a cybersecurity newsletter

I finally pulled the trigger and decided to start a newsletter. 

This mix of horror, euphoria, anxiety, determination, and existential dread is something I last felt a decade ago when I landed my first freelance client (I’m looking at you, Noa! It’s astonishing you’re still around :D).

Now, after 15 (short) years doing all sorts of content writing and journalism, I realized I wanted to write an educational newsletter on cybersecurity for small businesses.

Think flower boutiques. Concept stores (hi, Zana!). Law firms. Digital marketing agencies. Mom and pop shops. Heck - even freelancers.

Small firms that do plenty of work online, yet cannot afford an IT team or flashy cybersecurity software.

Why do I think the world needs this newsletter?

I’ve been covering cybersecurity news for years, first through IT Pro Portal, and later TechRadar. At times, it felt like Groundhog Day - every day, at least once, I get to write the same story all over again: A small business gets completely obliterated by a hacker - they get their data stolen, their computers locked and encrypted, or their funds drained. Some were forced into bankruptcy.

Yet almost all of these stories had one thing in common - the victims allowed the crooks to do that. If they only knew how to spot the attack earlier, they could have saved themselves.

You know what else I spotted? A lot of optimism bias. Small business owners don’t think they will ever be targeted, so even when they get malware in their email, they’re not skeptical: “Nah, I’m not interesting to hackers, this is probably fine.”

I blame us, the journalists, for that. Our cyberattack reporting is focused on large enterprises. “Ticketmaster losing data on 500 million users” sounds like one heck of a headline. Nobody is going to read “Mom and pop restaurant in Cincinnati closes after losing customer data and being fined by data watchdog.”

But hackers are targeting small businesses just the same as enterprises. The same data protection laws apply to all. 

The latter have huge teams, often counting hundreds of people. They can buy state-of-the-art cybersecurity software, and bring in third-party experts when needed. 

That doesn’t mean the ‘little guy’ doesn’t stand a chance. 1) A little knowledge, 2) a little vigilance, and 3) a little common sense goes a long way, and hopefully I’ll share the first, and open your eyes about the second and the third.

What can you expect in this newsletter?

Short, simple tips on how to stay safe. No jargon, no coding, no tutorials longer than the Bible. 

I’ll be showing you the common tactics hackers use to sneak into your premises, so that you can spot them when they target you. I’ll describe the newest malware variants, the tools crooks use, and how they leverage social media against you. 

I’ll also share news to raise awareness that small businesses are just as targeted as big businesses, yet more vulnerable. Occasionally, I’ll do software and hardware spotlight, in case something of value comes along. 

This will (hopefully) be a weekly newsletter, so don’t expect to get flooded with emails. And of course, feel free to unsubscribe at any time. Otherwise, wish me good luck and let’s get this show rolling!

• Sead