SMBs lack the resources to protect themselves from cyber attacks

Only 37 percent of SMBs believe that their organizations are fully equipped to handle IT security according to a new survey.

The study by security company Webroot reveals that in most small to medium businesses, IT teams are expected to handle all cyber security management and concerns. IT employees at almost one in three companies (32 percent) juggle security along with their other IT responsibilities, which leaves them limited time to cope with security tasks.

Lack of budget is an issue too, with 60 percent of respondents believing their organization is more vulnerable to attacks because they don't have the resources to properly defend themselves. Almost half of respondents (48 percent) think their company is vulnerable to insider threats, from employees for example. In addition, 45 percent believe they are unprepared for threats from unsecured internal and external networks, such as public Wi-Fi, and 40 percent for unsecured endpoints, such as computers and mobile devices.

There is evidence that businesses are aware of the problem, 81 percent of respondents say they plan to increase their annual IT security budget for 2016, by an average of 22 percent. They're also very open to other strategies for improvement, with an overwhelming 81 percent agreeing that outsourcing IT solutions (including cyber security) would increase their time available to address other areas of their business.

"SMBs play a pivotal role in helping drive the economies of all the countries polled, but past experiences have taught them they face an uphill battle when it comes to cybersecurity", says George Anderson, director of product marketing at Webroot. "This perception must change. A viable alternative to the 'go at it alone' standard is an outsourced approach in combination with Smarter Cybersecurity solutions that are easy to install and manage remotely, and provide real-time protection against modern threats".

You can read the full report on the Webroot website.

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