Intelligent SME.tech Issue 11 | Page 23

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// EDITOR ’ S QUESTION ?

PAUL ROWE , SALES DIRECTOR FOR NETUTILS

T he last 18 months has been a rollercoaster for many SMEs as COVID forced a mass switch to home working . At the pandemic ’ s height , over 40 % of the UK workforce was homeworking – and even today , the number is double that of a decade ago .

As ‘ the office ’ becomes less focal , SMEs are moving towards IT delivered as a service rather than maintaining their own physical hardware and in-house supported applications . This service approach to support flexible remote working has also extended to cybersecurity .
Unfortunately , there has been a sharp rise in cyberattacks targeting home workers and UK government data shows that half of UK businesses suffered a cybersecurity breach or attack during 2020 . Its most recent survey found that although 77 % of micro and small businesses say that cybersecurity is a high priority for their directors – only 13 % of smaller businesses train staff on cybersecurity and just

AS ‘ THE OFFICE ’
BECOMES LESS FOCAL , SMES ARE MOVING TOWARDS IT DELIVERED AS A SERVICE RATHER THAN MAINTAINING THEIR OWN PHYSICAL HARDWARE AND IN-HOUSE SUPPORTED APPLICATIONS . one in five have evaluated their staff response , for example with mock phishing exercises .
Part of the problem is that traditional cybersecurity approaches of hiring staff and building protective systems in-house is costly – and with the skills shortage – difficult to maintain for a smaller business . As such , managed security service providers are increasingly working with smaller businesses to create affordable bundled offerings that work on a per-user basis within a fixed service contract that includes implementation , maintenance and support . The model is like leasing a company vehicle rather than owning it outright which can offer a better deal for many businesses .
Cybersecurity is also becoming more important for customers looking to grow their business . For example , for an SME to become a supplier for certain government contracts , including the NHS – it must show that it takes cybersecurity seriously . Increasingly , this means having met the ‘ Cyber Essentials ’ standard , a government-backed , industrysupported scheme to help organisations protect themselves against common online threats . Cyber Essentials is supported by the Federation of Small Businesses , the CBI and insurance organisations which are offering incentives for businesses .
The combination of managed security and Cyber Essentials certification are two positive steps that any SME can take to help them to focus on their core activities . If the last year has taught us one thing , being flexible is key and moving forward , progressive SMEs should make cybersecurity a contributor to growth rather than a business burden . �

IF THE LAST YEAR HAS TAUGHT US ONE THING , BEING FLEXIBLE IS KEY AND MOVING FORWARD , PROGRESSIVE SMES SHOULD MAKE CYBERSECURITY A CONTRIBUTOR TO GROWTH RATHER THAN A BUSINESS BURDEN .
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