Comcast Business: Why Cybersecurity Is a Shared Responsibility for Small Businesses in Snohomish County

Snohomish County’s economy connects small businesses to aerospace, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, public utilities, and regional supply chains. A cyber incident at one company can affect customers, vendors, contractors, and other organizations across this connected business community. 
Many local companies must meet cybersecurity expectations set by major customers, government agencies, and supply-chain partners. These expectations can influence contracts, procurement opportunities, business relationships, and customer trust. Washington law also requires businesses to respond when a data breach exposes qualifying personal information. 
These local connections make cybersecurity a business-wide responsibility, not a task assigned solely to an IT department. Comcast Business’s newly released 2026 Cybersecurity Threat Report shows why small businesses throughout Snohomish County should treat cyber readiness as an ongoing business priority.

The report analyzed 79.3 billion cybersecurity events over the past year, which is roughly 2,514 per second. In Small Business Month 2026 (May) alone, Comcast Business blocked threats targeting small businesses at an average rate of more than 230 per second. Cybercriminals are moving away from breaking into accounts, devices and networks, and instead using legitimate logins or taking over everyday devices that are not immediately thought of as a cyber risk. Building devices like security cameras outside a storefront, routers in the back office, TVs providing entertainment for customers and point-of-sale (POS) systems are often unprotected and are becoming low-lift tools for hackers to exploit in attacks.

Phishing emails and drive-by compromise attacks are some of the most common routes for attackers to gain entry, with 25.4 billion and 21.9 billion attempts over the past year, respectively. The report also found 5.8 million attempts to gain control of employee browsers, underscoring that the cyberattack surface has grown to include everyday tools and devices.

Fortunately, there are simple ways that small businesses can protect themselves without the budget or IT team of a large enterprise. Practical steps, including securing every device, implementing stronger password mandates, and training employees to spot attacks like phishing, can keep small businesses from becoming victims. Additionally, choosing a network provider that offers built-in protection against threats and consistent monitoring ensures business owners can stay on top of their security.

It’s more important than ever for small businesses in Snohomish County to use this Cybersecurity Awareness Month as a reminder that cybersecurity is a shared, year-round responsibility. Through protective measures and a trusted connectivity partner, small business owners can stay focused on running their business.

For more information, visit https://business.comcast.com/resources/enterprise/reports/2026-comcast-business-cybersecurity-threat-report, or reach out to your local Comcast Business Manager Josh Kenworthy at (206) 999-4273 or Joshua_Kenworthy@comcast.com