// EXPERT PROFILE //
Addressing the cybersecurity demands
OF MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES IN THE UK
Medium-sized businesses in the UK show remarkable resilience : they have remained at a constant level throughout the past four years , with a notable increase from 35,900 to 36,900 from 2022 to 2023 . But they are also often overlooked – classified alongside small and micro businesses in the all-encompassing ‘ SME ’ label . Jacques de La Rivière , CEO at Gatewatcher , discusses the cybersecurity demands of medium-sized businesses .
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MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES ARE KEENLY AWARE THAT THEY MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY
EQUIPPED TO MEET THE NEW GENERATION OF
CYBERTHREAT .
HE ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE
T of the UK is undeniably based towards small businesses . At the start of 2022 , there were approximately 5.5 million private sector businesses in the UK . Of that , 5.47 million businesses were small ( classified as 0 to 49 employees ) and 4.1 million had no employees . At the other end of the scale are the 7,700 large businesses ( classified as having more than 250 employees ).
Squeezed in between are the 36,900 mediumsized businesses ( with 50 to 249 employees ), typically with a turnover of less than € 50 million or a balance sheet less than € 43 million .
Medium-sized businesses in the UK show remarkable resilience : they have remained at a constant level throughout the past four years , with a notable increase from 35,900 to 36,900 from 2022 to 2023 . But they are also often overlooked – classified alongside small and micro businesses in the all-encompassing ‘ SME ’ label .
When it comes to cybersecurity , this is a profound mistake . In an age of attacks that encompass the supply chain , sophisticated social engineering and long-term planning and execution of advanced , persistent threats , medium-sized businesses have a range of unique factors that must be addressed .
Left out in the cold ?
Medium-sized businesses are keenly aware that they may not be sufficiently equipped to meet the new generation of cyberthreat . Recent research found that 59 % of UK midsized companies report less confidence . The same report showed that despite the fact that more than half ( 57 %) would outsource their cyber operations , 47 % report that their provider is underperforming . Most damning and concerning was that just 22 % of mid-sized firms believe they are resilient .
The survey also found that over half ( 58 %) of mid-sized organisations said they were not benefitting from tooling that can be tailored to their specific business needs . It is clear that the first step in addressing the unique cybersecurity needs of the mediumsized business community is to establish a meaningful dialogue that shows what demands modern cybersecurity technology needs to address .
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