Imagine this: You're running a small business in Atlanta, maybe a cool little tech startup, fueled by passion and ramen. Because you’re not just making a name, you’re creating a place, a community, something tangible, something uniquely and deeply yours. Then, BOOM! All of a sudden, North Korean cybercriminals empty your cryptocurrency wallet. You’re trying to figure out what you do to make your next payroll. Sounds like a bad movie plot, right? Wrong. This just happened. It ought to frighten the hell out of every mom and pop business in America.

Small Businesses Are Easy Targets

There is a misconception that cybersecurity is just a corporate problem. Fortune 500 enterprises, with their armies of securocrats and specialized security departments, struggle nightly to keep hackers at bay. Yet the reality is, small businesses are the low-hanging fruit. We’re all too busy balancing a thousand other priorities to make the commitment to first-class security. We’re giving our workers the freedom to act ethically and with integrity in their day-to-day actions. We think, "Who would bother attacking us?" And that’s precisely what North Korea is counting on.

Think about it. These agents weren’t movie villains working from a secret lair in Pyongyang. They broke into one of the blockchain companies on this list right here in Atlanta, completely remotely, by pretending to be new IT workers. Under a web of inquiries, they developed bogus personas and gained Americans’ trust. Then, like electronic versions of those same wolves in sheep’s clothing, they disappeared with more than $900,000. That's not just money; that's someone's livelihood. That's potentially a dozen jobs gone. That's a dream crushed.

In fact, as multiple reports note, 70 percent of small businesses have been victims of a cyberattack. The numbers are staggering, and they're growing. That’s why so many local and small businesses are fiercely fighting just to survive. Today, they must contend with the risk of going bankrupt after a deeply destructive cyberattack waged against them by a rogue nation-state.

As U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Byung J. Pak stated, what’s important is the resolve to prosecute these bad actors. Prosecution after the fact does not get your money back. It takes away none of the professional damage done to your reputation, or the peace of mind that has been ripped from you.

Beyond Crypto It's About Trust

The North Korean crypto heist goes beyond the scope of exploitation of cryptocurrency. It is an indication of ongoing erosion of trust within the burgeoning digital economy. We depend on technology to operate our companies, to engage with clients, to track our money. Unless, of course, that technology is turned against us, to be used as a weapon by our adversaries. What do we do when the very tools we use to create and build our businesses become the instruments of their wreckage?

This isn't some abstract threat. It's real, and it's happening now. And it's not just North Korea. Other countries, transnational criminal organizations, and individual hackers are all actively seeking vulnerabilities to exploit.

Compare that to other news emerging from Atlanta. A double shooting at a park. A missing child found dead. New laws going into effect. Property taxes potentially skyrocketing. And now, this. This state of affairs engenders deep apprehension. It leaves us feeling like the world is getting scarier, more dangerous and less predictable.

This feeling of pervasive anxiety is exactly what makes us vulnerable. When we’re stressed out and distracted, we’re more susceptible to making errors, succumbing to fraud, failing to notice a security threat. And that’s just what these cybercriminals are hoping for.

Time to Fight Back, Protect Your Business

So, what can you do? You are not going to save the world, but with some reasonable precautions, you can save your business from falling prey to North Korea’s attacks.

  • Invest in Cybersecurity: This isn't optional anymore. It's a cost of doing business in the digital age. Get professional help.
  • Train Your Employees: Phishing scams are the oldest trick in the book, but they still work. Make sure your employees know how to spot them.
  • Implement Multi-Factor Authentication: It's a pain, but it's worth it. Make it harder for hackers to access your accounts.
  • Backup Your Data: Regularly back up your data to an offsite location. If you get hacked, you can at least recover your information.
  • Demand Action: Contact your elected officials and demand greater government support for cybersecurity initiatives. We need resources and training to help small businesses protect themselves.

And that new Shake Shack with a full bar at The Battery Atlanta — oof, hey now! That doesn’t mean it will protect you from hackers. The recall of 150,000 pounds of bologna for misbranding is suspect. Actually, it’s not an existential threat to your business. The North Korean crypto heist is.

This isn’t merely to protect your money — this is to protect your dream, your livelihood, your future. It's time to take this threat seriously. It's time to fight back. It's time to protect your business. Don't wait until you're the next victim.