Almost half of SMBs have experienced a cybersecurity incident in the last year

A new report from business software company Sage shows that 48 percent of SMBs have experienced a cyber security incident in the past year.

In addition the study of over 2,000 SMB decision makers around the world finds 51 percent say keeping on top of new threats is their biggest challenge and 44 percent say economic uncertainty and the cost of living has reduced cybersecurity budgets.

Although 69 percent of SMBs say cybersecurity is part of their culture, most only discuss the issue when something changes or goes wrong internally.

The biggest challenge, cited by over half (51 percent), is keeping on top of new threats, followed by making sure employees know what's expected of them (45 percent), educating staff about cyber security (44 percent), and cost (43 percent).

SMBs say they are prepared to invest more in cyber security, but they require help to fill knowledge and education gaps, and continue to be hindered by ineffective and unclear guidance. 52 percent of respondents want support with education and training and they are calling for this education and support to come from cybersecurity companies (56 percent), governments (45 percent), and trusted tech partners (43 percent). This can reduce the burden on SMBs with limited resources to protect themselves and enables them to improve their cybersecurity capabilities.

Sophia Adhami, director cyber security engagement at Sage says, "We must bring a human touch to cyber security. Our goal is to simplify, demystify, and remove the fear around what often appears complex and daunting to SMBs. In this way, we empower them to integrate cyber security into their everyday activity and discussions, build cyber resilience against cyber threats and futureproof their businesses."

The full report is available from the Sage site.

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