? EDITOR ’ S QUESTION //
“
SMBS SHOULD
ALSO CONSIDER LEVERAGING THIRD PARTY
MANAGED SERVICE
PROVIDERS TO GAIN ACCESS TO
EXPERIENCED CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS
AT AN AFFORDABLE
COST .
T he global cyberskills gap grew by more than 25 % in 2022 . Yet organisations have more complex , distributed networks and cloud deployments than ever before , because of the pandemic . Given the global cybersecurity skills shortage , SMBs are struggling to properly secure their critical assets , making them a growing target for cybercriminals . Research from Analysys Mason uncovers how SMBs are emerging from the pandemic and how their business and technology needs are changing . The survey revealed that , while SMBs understand the need to invest in technology to support growth in the world of hybrid working , unfortunately , many fail to prioritise security . With remote workers using home and office access points , the attack surface has expanded , thereby increasing the risk of cyberattacks . With the increase in supply chain attacks across the industry , cybercriminals are increasingly using more vulnerable SMBs as an entry point into larger enterprises . This approach wreaks havoc on both the SMBs and all the enterprises they interact with .
Although employees are frequently a SME ’ s greatest asset , they may also be its weakest defence . Many SMEs may have someone in charge of monitoring and maintaining their IT systems who may not have had professional cybersecurity training .
This may be a member of the SME ’ s own staff or perhaps an external IT supplier with expertise in IT but perhaps not cybersecurity . Staff members who are in charge of cybersecurity but who lack the necessary training or expertise in the field risk making mistakes due to ignorance or inexperience .
They could even fail to configure a system or device properly for security .
It ’ s still difficult for SMEs to promote security training and awareness . This shouldn ’ t come as a surprise because SMEs have long struggled to provide efficient security training . Given that social engineering accounts for the bulk of successful attacks , the move to remote working has further underlined the urgent need for SMEs to train employees in secure home working practices . For individuals in charge of managing cybersecurity within the company , SMEs should make sure there is a proper cybersecurity training programme , with the necessary budgets and resources . They will therefore be equipped with the knowledge and abilities needed to guarantee the organisation ’ s IT infrastructure is safe , accessible and running smoothly . SMBs should also consider leveraging third party managed service providers to gain access to experienced cybersecurity professionals at an affordable cost . Third party advisors can provide expert advice on the best security solution for each SMB along with training and on-going support .
“
STAFF
MEMBERS WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF CYBERSECURITY BUT WHO LACK THE NECESSARY TRAINING OR EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD RISK MAKING MISTAKES DUE TO IGNORANCE OR INEXPERIENCE .
RAM NARAYANAN , COUNTRY MANAGER AT CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES , MIDDLE EAST
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