On the issue of cybersecurity in this segment, two main problematic aspects can be distinguished. First, often such companies do not have the opportunity to invest heavily in the security of their information systems. And the second - they do not see or do not realize the need to do this.

Another possible reason for the increased number of attacks, experts call the geopolitical factor. According to them, Ukraine has become a kind of zone, "where manufacturers of equipment and software for protecting IT infrastructure, as well as hackers clashed with each other."

In the cases described above, it is better for cybercriminals to train "on the seals", that is, on companies that think that they are not interesting to hackers and, accordingly, do not even provide themselves with minimal protection. According to the experience of experts, the smaller the business, the less protected the infrastructure, the more likely it will be guaranteed to be hacked and used to carry out an attack on more interesting targets. It's a great idea for any business to invest in cyber security kiosk.

What You Need to do First

Before deciding to protect their information networks, experts advise the owners of small businesses to assess the value of their assets and calculate the possible losses that the company will incur in case of an attack. It should be borne in mind that the cost of security should be adequate. Having a certain idea of how much a particular asset is worth, it can be determined that it is advisable to invest a certain percentage of it in its security.

Which Strategy is Better to Choose?

Experts agree that any company should have basic protection, regardless of size. At the same time, at the initial stage we are talking more about organizational measures than about serious investments. So, without fail, you need to backup all critical databases and documents. The company should also develop basic rules for working on the Internet — which links in letters should not be opened, which sites are better not to go to, etc. In addition, small companies can transfer their basic digital toolset — mail, instant messenger, calls — to cloud services.

When using cloud technologies, security remains a priority, and specific global equipment manufacturers have appropriate solutions. For example, the Cisco Umbrella cloud product is a secure Internet gateway that can be used to safely connect mobile devices to a corporate network. 

Having basic protection, the company can further create a kind of "road map" of security and implement other solutions as needed. The main thing, according to experts, is a clear understanding of the business owner why you need to do this and what you want to get in the end. This is important so that the money is not wasted. 

At the next stage, when scaling up their business and launching new services, company owners can continue to invest in more expensive, but at the same time more effective security solutions. The main thing is a clear understanding of why invest more. Any antivirus works according to the pattern. There are samples of malicious code that the manufacturer collected in a day, digitized and sent it to all customers who bought it, then the program blocks it when a virus is detected. However, what should I do if a malicious file arrives that has no pattern? Antivirus will skip it, and Cisco AMP belongs to a class of solutions that analyzes the behavior of a suspicious file. For example, if the user opens a Word document, and when he starts, he starts to change something in the system, some processes, requests to the Internet appear, then AMP recognizes his behavior as suspicious and isolates this file. That’s the difference with a regular antivirus.

Issue Price

Significant for small businesses is the amount of funding for information security. According to experts, it is best for small companies to invest in cyber security no more than 20% of the value of the asset, otherwise it becomes an end in itself. 

Who will Implement

An important factor is the personnel factor, which will create and maintain the protection of the company's information systems. Small businesses often do not have bloated budgets to hire a staff of expensive high-paying professionals. And here, too, there are several options. First, you can hire a system administrator who can afford it, and then invest in his training. However, with this option, there is a very high risk that, having learned and increased his level of competence, such a specialist will want to receive a higher salary. 

Experts consider outsourcing this function to be the best option for small businesses. Such services of the company will cost about the same as the work of a full-time employee, but at the same time, as experts emphasize, there is an additional guarantee in the form of a signed contract with the contractor, in which you can stipulate all conditions and wishes and provide for sanctions for their non-fulfillment. In the case of the system administrator, the only sanction may be his dismissal, but it will not solve the problem of compensation for losses.