Extortion, ransomware, phishing scams and data breaches are up, with four in ten businesses (39%) and a quarter of charities (26%) reporting cyber security attacks in 2021, with small and medium businesses the most affected.

With cyber-attacks so prevalent, it makes no wonder that 90% of security leaders think they are falling short in addressing cyber risk.

Not a day goes by without some business in the news because of a cyber-attack or data breach. So what are SMB security priorities in 2022, and where should you focus efforts to bolster security and protect your business?

This article reveals all.

Incident Response (security preparedness – responding better to unexpected security incidents)

When disaster strikes, it’s best to be prepared!

Incident Response (IR) includes security policies and procedures to identify, contain, and eliminate cyberattacks. Simply put, it creates a process for handling unexpected incidents so that real-time threats are managed systematically.

Businesses without IR struggle to contain cyber-attacks and can fold like a deckchair under their weight. Extortion, bribery, data breaches and malware threaten the operational ability of your business and can cost millions of pounds.

Boost corporate resiliency (upgrade IT and data security for continuous business operations)

Corporate resiliency is the ability to adapt to disruptions while maintaining business operations. Cyber-attacks and breaches should not stop your business from operating, and it is the job of resilience experts to build the fortress.

Steps businesses are taking include:

  • Simplifying IT environments for easy management
  • Utilising cloud storage with enterprise-grade security
  • Implementing automated back-ups
  • Eliminating data silos with diverse sources
  • Patching software and adopting enterprise-grade tools

Increased security awareness training (changing employee attitudes and behaviour around critical security practices)

Security awareness training prevents data breaches from phishing attacks, builds a culture of security, and makes investment in security technologies robust.

In 2022, 30% of SMBs say phishing is their biggest cyber threat, and ENISA (the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity) says phishing is the most common successful cyber-attack.

Awareness training is critical to fortifying defences on a human level to eliminate behaviours and actions that can compromise your organisation.

Together with incident response and boosting resiliency, better training and investment in security teams is the biggest SMB security priority in 2022.

For help with SMB cybersecurity, priorities, you can speak with our experts. We take the hassle out of IT security with sound advice and actionable steps.