How SMBs Can Close the Cybersecurity Gap

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have struggled to deploy strong cybersecurity to secure their operations and clients and close the cybersecurity gap. The most prevalent hurdles are limited security funds and teams. Additionally, small and medium-sized businesses lack urgency because they don’t believe they’re targets. A recent Global SMB ransomware Survey revealed that almost half (46%) of SMBs have experienced a ransomware attack. Despite the numbers, 67% of SMBs surveyed believe or are certain that they’re not ransomware targets due to their size. Understandably, companies with 10 to 20 employees believe that sophisticated cybercriminals are mainly interested in large, well-known companies with a lot of data and money; however, that’s no longer the case because cybercriminals are equal-opportunity offenders.

The Importance of Closing the Cybersecurity Gap

SMBs are frequently a more enticing target since they lack the strong security controls found in larger companies. Companies are targets whether they have 10 or 10,000 employees. Cyber resilience is a posture and mindset of prepared companies or individuals in today’s landscape. It’s not a matter of if companies will be attacked, but of when. SMBs can take numerous steps to protect their business from security risks, achieve cyber resilience and close the cybersecurity gap. Recognizing that they’re a target is a critical first step in closing the cybersecurity gap. Other advised steps for companies of all sizes are using education to understand cybercriminals’ behaviors and establishing a multi-layered method to protect data and information from evolving attack surfaces and threats.

“SMB” refers to various companies; there isn’t a one-size-fits-all cybersecurity solution for SMBs. Numerous SMBs lack the resources to engage specialized IT teams to create and execute effective cybersecurity programs to protect their businesses, employees, and clients. Outsourcing their cyber operations to cybersecurity companies is typically a highly enticing alternative for SMBs. Cybersecurity companies can handle all cybersecurity services for small and medium-sized businesses, saving company owners the time and money spent researching and managing security solutions, hiring IT professionals, and closing the cybersecurity gap. There are alternative cost-effective methods for creating a multi-layered cyber resilience strategy for smaller businesses or companies not interested in outsourcing. The following SMB fundamentals in closing the cybersecurity gap include:

Fundamentals in Closing the Cybersecurity Gap

• Managing Access to Systems: Utilizing defenses, including two-factor authentication, is critical because it’s a low-cost and effective cyber defense in preventing unauthorized network access.
• Invest in Antivirus and Endpoint Protection Software: Small companies can look for low-cost prosumer choices.
• Using Backup Services: It goes a long way in protecting companies and saving their data in the event of a breach. Companies can choose from numerous backup options at various price ranges. Air-gapped backups are a low-cost way to create copies of their companies’ critical data and store it offline. It’s impossible to breach or corrupt because it’s offline.
• Security Awareness Training: The most cost-effective and beneficial cybersecurity defense accessible to small and medium-sized businesses. However, convincing staff to take cybersecurity training seriously is a difficult task. SMBs must look for innovative and engaging ways to advise employees about the numerous risks of routine job actions, including checking and responding to emails.

Cybersecurity must become an integral part of companies’ culture and ethics. Companies must provide employees with the information to make smart decisions while understanding that mistakes will happen. If employees accidentally expose their company, they need to be able to report the incident to management without fearing retribution or embarrassment. A healthy cybersecurity culture can increase organizations’ security posture by closing the cybersecurity gap and better preparing themselves to defend against the next cyberattack. Additionally, it’s critical for companies to remain vigilant of the current threat landscape and update their network security infrastructure. At SpearTip, our certified engineers are working continuously in an investigative cycle at our 24/7/365 Security Operations Center monitoring companies’ networks for potential cyber threats and ready to respond to incidents immediately. Our remediation experts work to restore companies’ operations, reclaim their networks by isolating malware, and recover business-critical assets. Our ShadowSpear Platform, an integrable managed detection and response tool, uses comprehensive insights to quickly identify, neutralize, and counter malicious activities before it becomes a devastating event.

If your company is experiencing a breach, call our Security Operations Centers at 833.997.7327 to speak directly with an engineer.