Inverted subject and verb with conditional sentences:

● It used more in formal speech and writing.

● It happens in conditionals types 1,2,3 (not in zero conditional)
● 3rd conditional:
Basic formula:
If + subject + had + past participle, subject +would\could\might +
have + pasti participle
If they had informed us, we would have had better preparation.
We remove the clause “if” by switching the subject and the verb in
the if-clause sentence:
Had they informed us, we would have had better preparation.
● 2nd conditional (with were)
If she were here, she would have a lot of objection to the plan.
Inverted: were she here, she would have a lot of objection…

● 1st conditional (with should)

If the contact you, tell them to have all the documents ready.
Should they contact you, tell them to have all the documents ready.
What is common in these pictures?
Discuss how dangerous the following phenomena are for small businesses.
Explain your ideas.

● economic downturn
● cybercrime
● corruption
● organised crime
● nepotism
● a pandemic
Complete each collocation with the words in the boxes.

company’s security system

accounts anti-malware software

cyberattacks data breach security vulnerabilities

A. brace for/fend off ________________________

B. fall victim to a/be affected by a _______________________

C. locate/patch ________________________

D. safeguard a/tap into a ________________________

E. sneak past/break through ________________________

F. take over/compromise ________________________

Read the sentences and decide whether they are true or false. Correct the false
ones.

A. More and more companies are being affected

by data breaches, which means hackers are not
looking for new ways to tap into their security
systems.

B. Hackers compromise accounts when they try to

gain access to them and perform actions on
behalf of the targeted users.

C. If companies manage to fend off cyberattacks,

it means they defend themselves successfully
against such actions.
Read the sentences and decide whether they are true or false. Correct the false
ones.

D. When hackers want to take over a

company’s accounts, they safeguard its
security systems.

E. If a small business falls victim to a data

breach, it means they are protected from
most kinds of cybercrime.

F. If hackers want to gain access to a

company’s data, they have to patch
security vulnerabilities.

G. When hackers tap into a company’s

security system, they gain access to it.
Discuss the questions.

● Why do hackers often set their sights on small businesses?

● What are some cybercrimes that pose threats to small businesses?
● How has the number of cyberattacks changed because of the
COVID pandemic?
● How can companies help safeguard their security systems?
Read these points from a Forbes report and complete them using some of the
previous vocabulary.

A. Above anything else, organizations need to review how they

________________________ their emails and protect their users. Traditional
email filtering technology needs to be supplemented with machine learning
security to protect against all email threat types.

B. They are most likely to be targeted by spear-phishing and ransomware attacks,

as well as other new tricks hackers are using to ________________________
companies’ defences.
C. They tend to ________________________ hacker attacks more often as
they usually have weaker security safeguards in place compared with those
of larger companies.

D. In 2021, one in five organizations had at least one account that was
________________________ .

E. A recent report suggests there has been a spike in the number of

cyberattacks by hackers and it estimates that four million additional
cybersecurity experts are needed globally to help
________________________ the large number of digital attacks.
Match the points from the Forbes report with the questions and check your ideas.
There is one point that is not used.
1. Above anything else, organizations need
to review how they safeguard their emails
and protect their users. Traditional email
filtering technology needs to be
supplemented with machine learning
security to protect against all email threat
types.
2. They are most likely to be targeted by
spear-phishing and ransomware attacks,
as well as other new tricks hackers are
using to sneak past companies’ defences.
A. Why do hackers often set their sights on
small businesses?
B. What are some cybercrimes that pose
threats to small businesses?
C. How has the number of cyberattacks
changed because of the COVID pandemic?
D. How can companies help safeguard their
security systems?
3. They tend to be affected by hacker attacks
more often as they usually have weaker
security safeguards in place compared
with those of larger companies.
4. In 2021, one in five organizations had at
least one account that was compromised.
A. Why do hackers often set their sights on
small businesses?
B. What are some cybercrimes that pose
threats to small businesses?

5. A recent report suggests there has been a C. How has the number of cyberattacks
spike in the number of cyberattacks by changed because of the COVID pandemic?
hackers and it estimates that four million
D. How can companies help safeguard their
additional cybersecurity experts are
security systems?
needed globally to help fend off the large
number of digital attacks.
Video: why small business are targets for hackers?

Choose the correct answers in the quiz below.

A. According to a recent survey, around _____ of U.S. small

businesses suffer from different kinds of cyberattacks
due to vulnerabilities in their security systems.

1. 25% 2. 30% 3.
50%

B. When hackers use _____ , they use a fake IP address in

order to tap into a company's private system.

1. spoofing 2. clickjacking 3.
identity theft

C. A _____ happens when you click on something malicious

which appears benign to you.

1. spoofing 2. clickjacking 3.
ransomware
Decide what the phrases in bold mean.

A. According to a recent survey, quite a considerable number of companies succumb to

various types of cyber attacks.

1. fall victim to 2. fend off

B. It’s hard to spot fake news these days as too much propaganda masquerades as science
and common sense.

1. pretends to be 2. compromises

C. Artificial Intelligence seems benign to us today, but we can hardly predict what its
advance might hold for humanity in decades to come.

1. intriguing 2. harmless

D. The most vulnerable sites can use Google security instruments as their first line of
defence against malicious traffic.

1. harmful 2. suspicious
Discuss the questions.

● Do the tips from the video make sense for small businesses? Consider such factors as the number of
employees, the financial aspects of developing and implementing the necessary solutions, etc.
● Are small businesses in your country more vulnerable to cyberattacks than big corporations?
● Have you heard of companies that have been affected by hackers’ attacks or succumbed to data
breaches? Give more details.
● Where does the responsibility of private companies begin and end when it comes to cybersecurity?
● What is the role of government in securing cyberspace?
● What are the emerging and future technologies that we will have to worry about the most from a
cybersecurity perspective?