Small and medium-sized businesses in Greater Cincinnati and around the country are getting hit with cyberattacks. One study found the number of attempts per week were up 50% from 2020 to 2021.
This December, a rash of Cincinnati restaurants were the victims of cyberattacks. It’s unclear whether the hacks were related.
Arnold's Bar and Grill owner Chris Breeden says he’s identified at least a dozen other restaurants who were hacked, all within five miles and three days of his incident.
Because the hackers posted explicit images on Arnold's and Breeden's personal Facebook and Instagram accounts, he’s been banned from the platforms. The criminals also stole money because Arnold's business account was attached.
"I don't know exactly what happened to me," he says. "I actually watched the hackers and their friend. And I went in and changed my password, and I actually kicked them off as users but somehow they still got in."
He advises others to change their password immediately and disconnect your Facebook account from your Instagram account.
Cole McKinley is with USX Cyber, an Ohio cybersecurity company. He got more than 600 responses to a survey sent to small and medium-sized companies this summer about cybersecurity readiness.
Most expressed some level of concern about cybersecurity. "Eighty percent were moderately to severely concerned and one-fifth had little to no concern," he says.
He suggests constantly looking at your defense against threats and making sure the protection is tailored to your needs. McKinley says leaving the door open to cyberattacks is dangerous.
