Every morning, Sarah checked her boutique's online sales dashboard over coffee. Her small e-commerce WordPress site had become her bread and butter, generating $4,000 in daily revenue.
Then one Tuesday morning, everything changed.
Her site displayed a blank white screen. No products. No checkout. No sales. By the time she frantically called a developer three days later, she'd already lost $12,000 in revenue. The emergency cleanup? Another $3,200. The reputation damage? Priceless-and permanent for some customers who never returned.
Sarah's story isn't unique. It's playing out right now, somewhere in the world, to a business owner who thought, "WordPress maintenance? That's something I'll get to later."
The harsh truth?
60%
of small companies go out of business within six months of falling victim to a data breach or cyber attack
That's not a scare tactic—it's a statistical reality backed by cybersecurity research.
4
The Data Breach Catastrophe
Circular infographic showing breach costs by company size
In 2025, small businesses have faced costs between:
$120,000 - $1.24M
to respond to and resolve a security incident
Here's what that money gets spent on:
Forensic investigation
$10,000-$50,000
Legal consultation
$15,000-$100,000
Credit monitoring
$50,000-$200,000
Regulatory fines
$5,000-$500,000
5
The Reputation Damage You Can't Measure
Following an attack, 80% of SMBs said they had to spend time rebuilding trust with clients and partners.
When Google flags your site as "This site may be hacked" or "Deceptive site ahead," the damage compounds:
1
SEO Penalties
Your search rankings plummet, sometimes taking months to recover
2
Customer Trust Evaporation
80% of users won't revisit a site after a poor security experience
3
Lost Partnerships
B2B clients often have security requirements you'll no longer meet
4
Brand Perception
You become "that company that got hacked"
6
The Ultimate Cost: Business Bankruptcy
"CLOSED" sign on business door or empty office space
This is where the numbers get truly frightening.
Think about that for a moment. A 20% chance of complete business failure after a single security incident. Your life's work, your employees' livelihoods, your customers' trust—all gone because of neglected website maintenance.
Why do so many businesses fold?
1
Cash Flow Destruction
Emergency repairs, legal fees, and lost revenue drain reserves
2
Credit Damage
Many small businesses require loans to cover breach costs
3
Customer Exodus
The trust never fully returns for some segments
4
Insurance Gaps
64% of small businesses are unfamiliar with cyber insurance
5
Compounding Effects
While you're dealing with the hack, competitors capture your market share
Free Security Audit
Get Your FREE WordPress Security Audit
Discover exactly what's broken, what it's costing you, and how to fix it—completely free.
What You Get (100% Free):
🔍
Complete Site Health Analysis
47-point inspection
⚡
Performance Breakdown
Speed optimization
🛡️
Security Scan
Risk detection
💰
Revenue Impact
Cost calculation
⏰ Limited: Only 15 audits per week
No obligation • No credit card • No sales pressure