Coupled with the fact that one in three small businesses has been hacked or affected by a data breach and, yes, you do have something to worry about.

What's worse, cybercrime is your classic ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail' thing. Doing nothing won't make it go away. So, help yourself by understanding the risks, considering their consequences and doing some practical things to cope.

Here's how to go about it.

Security matters

No one's impenetrable, but that doesn't mean you should make hackers' lives easy. You don't have to be a victim.

Effective cyber security starts with asking some pretty basic questions:

Do you know how to keep your wireless network safe?
Can you spot a phishing email?
Do you know how to get rid of malware?
How do you prevent a hack?
Are you PCI compliant?
Do you know how to stay safe on the go?

Whether you have the answers or not, this is a solid way to check if you're aware of the risks and have the first line of defence to deal with them.

Prevention better than cure

Once you've got to grips with what can go wrong, put measures in place to protect your business. It's worth looking at specific weaknesses:

Your data - Is it cloud based or on your server? Is it encrypted? Do you know how to make sure it is?
Your email - Are you using email encryption? Are passwords strong and reset every three months?
Your software - Are updates installed? Are you running the latest versions? Do you need to upgrade?
Your staff - Do you have structured training for them? Are they clued up and risk aware?

Cure better than prevention

Despite best efforts, cyber-attacks still happen. If you can't stop one, think about how you'll recover from one. Specifically, how much it'll cost:

System damage - You might need to repair, restore or replace networks, websites or data lost or damaged in an attack.
Lost income - Being offline or unable to function will hit your bottom line. Plus, getting back to business-as-usual won't be cheap.
Ransoms - Getting help to release your systems and data from a hacker holding them hostage can cost thousands. And then there's the ransom itself.
GDPR - A data breach will almost certainly lead to compensation claims against you for failing to keep personal data secure. Regulator fines and investigations aren't wallet-friendly either.
Your good name - Trust is a fragile thing. Clients want to hear you've got a breach under control or you risk losing your reputation and their business. You'll need expert, expensive PR help for this.

The good news here is you're not on your own. A good cyber and data risks insurance policy covers this inconvenience and cost, and more.

Having a policy protecting your business doesn't mean you can stop worrying about cybercrime. But it does mean you can stop worrying about its consequences.

Byline: Sarah Adams is cyber risks expert at professional insurance broker, PolicyBee. For a two-minute quote, visit policybee.co.uk/cyber-insurance or call 0345 222 5374.