Small and medium-sized enterprises or SME cyber security. This should become a priority for them because they face unique risks.
True, we hear about large enterprises facing a lot of data breaches. Most of the time, this gets to be on the national headline.
But have we heard of SMEs being a victim? Some yes, some no. Because most of the time, these incidents don’t go into the national headline.
Yet this is happening all over the world. And SMEs are more vulnerable to such attacks. That is why it is vital they make cyber security a top priority. Why?
If you own or work for an SME, read on to know more.
SME Cyber Security
As per Ponemon Institute, they saw a rise of breaches targeting SMEs sine 2016 to 2019. In their report, they said 45% of respondents say their cyber security is weak.
Because of this, we can say that SMEs need to put more focus on cyber security. Especially today, we are in the face of a pandemic.
So, your workers may be working at home. Thus, making them work in areas that are not secure. Also, there are many risk factors that you need to consider.
What are these?
Cost Challenges
For one, it may be harder for you to put in a budget for cyber security. This is versus larger enterprises that can put in a security team.
So, you may opt to go with only what is available. Putting up firewalls and antivirus. But this is not enough.
In contrast, large companies may do regular penetration testing or red teaming. But this might be too expensive for you.
Expertise Challenges
For one, if you have a limited budget, it is likely that you also cannot afford to get the best in the field. So, you may lack the skills needed to ensure a robust cyber security.
Yes, you may have the people to help you with some threats. But new kinds of attacks may pop up. Thus, needing a more savvy staff to take care of it.
But most of the time, these savvier people tend to cost much more. Also, they are harder to find. As there are not that many of them around.
Complexity Challenges
Another challenge you may face is the complexity of it all. As you move to the cloud, your security personnel or team needs to be up for the challenge.
For one, they need to be able to operate within a hybrid environment. But most of the time, as you lack the expertise, this can be hard to do.
Also, supply chains are becoming more complex. And hackers have adjusted to target its weak points. Most of the time, these are SMEs.
This is so that they can get into the larger enterprise. So, you can be a ladder for that.
SME Cyber Security: Make it a Priority
As you can see, the challenges are all a chain of events. So, you need to consider these all. Then, ensure you find ways to make cyber security a top priority.
