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Holt agreed : “ Government bodies certainly have a role to play in educating and supporting SMBs , such as the NCSC in the UK , but protecting the business is the companies ’ own responsibility . There are plenty of free resources available , not only from government bodies but also standards bodies , management consultancies , technology vendors and service providers . This is one way of keeping up with the everwidening skills gap .”

Independent cybersecurity researcher David Edwards believes governments need to drive the initiative more visibly , through financial incentives .

“ A direct link to small business tax relief for attaining certain cyber essentials would mean there ’ s a motivation to learn and investigate cybersecurity ,” he said . “ The mindset then shifts to missing out on a benefit as opposed to increasing costs .”

The outbreak of COVID-19 has squeezed the budgets of many small businesses , making it more difficult for them to find the funds to invest in the areas of cybersecurity that need bolstering . When asked how the pandemic has impacted their spending on cyber-resilience , a quarter of small businesses ( 24 %) have had to spend less . Only 18 % have spent significantly more , while 43 % say that ‘ little has changed ’.

“ Typical challenges such as lack of budget , staff being stretched thin and a changing threat environment have all been amplified

TYPICAL CHALLENGES SUCH AS LACK OF BUDGET , STAFF BEING STRETCHED THIN AND A CHANGING THREAT ENVIRONMENT HAVE ALL BEEN AMPLIFIED IN 2020 .