Intelligent SME.tech Issue 02 | Page 43

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// FEATURE // larger counterparts . According to one of the UK ’ s largest insurers , 65,000 cybersecurity attacks target SMEs every single day . There are millions of cybercriminal acts every year , which the police simply do not have the resources to deal with .

This effectively leaves the front doors of businesses wide open for cyberattacks , unless you ’ re aware of this issue : a small business in the UK is hacked about every 19 seconds . Every industry vertical and business is open and at risk .
The most important thing for SMEs is to remain aware of the data which they have access to and to think about what kind of use this data could be in the wrong hands . An HR company for example obviously holds substantial amounts of employee data on behalf of their customers , which could be extremely useful for identity fraud or social engineering in the wrong hands . Being aware of this is the first step .
On a practical level , it is hugely important to bake security into the culture of the SME . Ensure that every employee starting with the company needs to undergo rigorous security training in order to ensure they are aware of the likely points of entry for a threat actor into the area . This training should be repeated regularly and updated to include new threats .
Training is only one part of the puzzle , however . A process of regular and detailed security auditing is also imperative . While resources are often tight for SMEs , who cannot afford to employ an entire security team and buy a host of vendor products , there are partners who can help SMEs to remain secure , providing automated and simple security and compliance in line with government standards .
These actions may not seem revolutionary , but the basics of security being done right can stop it from becoming an existential threat . �

ENSURE THAT EVERY EMPLOYEE STARTING WITH THE COMPANY NEEDS TO UNDERGO RIGOROUS SECURITY TRAINING .
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