Small businesses are, in many ways, the lifeblood of our economy, responsible for the creation of 64% of all new jobs in the U.S. These economic mainstays also account for 54% of all U.S. sales and approximately half of all private-sector payrolls. At the same time, however, these small businesses could be just one unlucky mouse click away from closing their doors if a malicious email attachment or a compromised website results in a data breach.

According to a 2012 study by the National Cyber Security Alliance, 60% of small businesses close their doors within six months of a data breach, which can cost a business money, but also reputation. But the Verizon 2013 Data Breach Investigations Report reveals that small and midsize businesses (SMB) are the top targets for cybercriminals, suffering breaches more often than larger firms.

Cybercriminals have become even more efficient in recent years, with their attacks being precise and incredibly calculated. To get the biggest bang for their buck, the FireEye whitepaper states, cybercriminals target SMB segments to leverage the compromised SMB networks, launching attacks against other targets.