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In 2020 , COVID-19 impacted the security of virtually every industry and increased cybercrime around remote working environments , education and healthcare . Despite the disruption it has caused , cybersecurity still remains a top priority for SMBs . With the new year now under way , Jay Ryerse , CISSP , VP of Cybersecurity Initiatives at ConnectWise , argues that we are presented with a golden opportunity to discuss the growing importance of cybersecurity within the managed service provider ( MSP ) community .

AST YEAR , COVID-19 forced

SMBs have long been in the sights of cybercriminals ; even prior to COVID-19 , SMBs faced more than 10,000 cyberattacks every day . Having embraced new technologies that would enable them to counter the disruptive impact of COVID-19 , many SMBs now plan to forge ahead with their Digital Transformation agenda . But , as the findings of our recently released SMB cybersecurity report show , their growing reliance on digital technologies means that achieving enhanced cyber readiness and resilience is now a top priority for SMBs .

This represents a significant opportunity for managed service providers ( MSPs ), who will need to up their game to deliver the robust cybersecurity services that SMB customers will be looking for .

Great expectations : Top SMB trends

Our report found that 86 % of SMBs have cybersecurity within their organisation ’ s top five priorities . Acutely aware of the critical role that cybersecurity plays in protecting their organisation , 74 % of SMBs are planning to invest more or much more in cybersecurity in the next 12 months .

When it comes to evaluating their cyber capabilities , SMBs recognise they lack the internal resources or capabilities needed to stay one step ahead of threat actors . Over half ( 52 %) say they do not have the in-house skills