Study of the Impact of Cybersecurity Incidents on Small Businesses in Gombe State

Small businesses in Gombe State are increasingly dependent on digital tools for commerce and record-keeping, yet their exposure to cybersecurity incidents and the resulting economic and operational impacts have not been documented. This study assessed the incidence and impact of cybersecurity attacks on small businesses in Gombe Municipal and Yamaltu Deba Local Government Areas, Gombe State, North East Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 120 small business owners using stratified random sampling. The questionnaire assessed cybersecurity incident history (type, frequency), financial impact, business continuity effects, recovery time, and response actions taken. Results showed that 39.2 percent had experienced at least one cybersecurity incident in the preceding year. Financial fraud through compromised mobile banking was the most common incident type (54.3 percent of incidents). Mean financial loss per incident was 62,400 naira. Business operations were disrupted for more than one week in 36.2 percent of cases. Recovery assistance from any security specialist was received by only 14.9 percent. Formal reporting to any authority was made by 21.3 percent. Insurance coverage for cybersecurity incidents was held by no business in the sample. The study concludes that cybersecurity incidents impose significant economic burdens on Gombe State small businesses and recommends small business cyber resilience training through the Gombe State Chamber of Commerce, SMEDAN cyber insurance facilitation, and a state-level cyber incident response assistance service.

Keywords: cybersecurity incidents, small businesses, Gombe State, North East Nigeria, business impact