Business security

In 2023, regulators will throw down a 'reporting gauntlet', and mandate listed companies to disclose cyberattacks in record time. This legislative sea change will not only intensify the need for adequate protections against attacks, but will require companies to identify and report an incident to their shareholders and the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within 72 hours.

Regulators have taken note that businesses are fighting a losing battle against foreign and domestic cyber criminality, and by introducing more stringent cybersecurity regulation, their focus is to ensure companies treat cyberattacks as an increasingly systemic threat.

Microsoft has announced that its security tool for small to medium-sized businesses is now generally available. The standalone version of Microsoft Defender for Business helps to protect against ransomware and other cyber threats bringing, Microsoft says, "enterprise-grade endpoint security to SMBs".

Highlighting the importance of its solution, the company says that nearly a quarter of SMBs have experienced a security breach in the last year, often because they do not have the staff and resources available to enterprises. To help with this and to simplify deployment, Defender for Business comes with built-in policies to get customers up and running quickly.