It's a common misconception that "we're too small to be a target." In reality, attackers rarely pick victims by name. They scan the internet in bulk, looking for any site with the right combination of weaknesses.
Here are a few reasons small businesses are attractive targets:
1. Automated scanning doesn't care about your logo
Attackers use tools that crawl thousands of domains looking for known misconfigurations and outdated software. If your site leaks a WordPress version or is missing basic security headers, it will show up in those results whether you are a local shop or a global brand.
2. Limited security resources
Small teams often don't have a dedicated security person. Tasks like updating plugins, renewing certificates, and reviewing configurations get pushed down the priority list. That creates a gap between what your hosting platform provides and what attackers can still exploit.
3. Valuable data and reputational risk
Even a small brochure site can be abused:
- Contact forms can be used for spam or phishing.
- Compromised pages can serve malware to your visitors.
- Stolen admin credentials can be reused across other systems.
For attackers, compromising a smaller site is often easier and still profitable.
4. Third-party dependencies
Most modern sites rely on CMS platforms, plugins, and external scripts. Each dependency introduces its own update cycle and potential vulnerabilities. Small teams rarely have the time to track them all.
How to respond as a small business
You don't need a full security department to make meaningful progress. Start with:
- Enforcing HTTPS and fixing certificate issues
- Adding and tuning security headers
- Regularly updating WordPress core, themes, and plugins
- Running automated scans on a schedule
ThreatSpot was built specifically to make this easier for smaller teams: quick scans, clear grades, and practical guidance instead of pages of raw technical output.