{"id":27651,"date":"2026-04-22T07:00:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T05:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smecyberinsights.co.uk\/?p=27651"},"modified":"2026-04-23T11:04:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T09:04:26","slug":"smes-underestimate-threats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smecyberinsights.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/04\/22\/smes-underestimate-threats\/","title":{"rendered":"SME Cybersecurity: Reducing the Risk – Why SMEs are underestimating the exponential risk of attack"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Gibraltar:\u00a0 Wednesday, 22 April 2026 \u2013 07:00 CET<\/p>\n

SME Cybersecurity: Reducing the Risk – Why SMEs are underestimating the exponential risk of attack
\n<\/strong>By: Iain Fraser<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Cybersecurity Journalist
\n<\/a>Published in Collaboration with:
\nSecurus Technology Group
\n<\/a>SMECyberInsights.co.uk<\/a>\u00a0– First for SME Cybersecurity
\n<\/a>Google Indexed on: 220426\u00a0 at 09:10 CET<\/a>
\n#SMECyberInsights #SMECybersecurity #SMECyberInsights #SME #CyberSafe #CyberSecurity #Cybersecurity #CyberRisk<\/em><\/p>\n

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SME Cybersecurity: Why small businesses underestimate Cyber risk, and how to close the gap fast<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you still believe your SME is \u201ctoo small to be targeted\u201d, you are already in the danger zone. Attackers increasingly use scale; they spray convincing lures, reuse stolen passwords, and hijack email accounts to steal money or data. Coalition\u2019s study highlights the perception gap sharply: 79% of small businesses experienced at least one cyber-attack in the last five years<\/strong>,<\/a> yet 64% still do not think they are an attractive target<\/strong>. That mismatch is exactly how everyday incidents become expensive ones.<\/p>\n

What does \u201cunderestimating cyber risk\u201d look like inside an SME?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Underestimating risk is rarely deliberate. It usually shows up as normal operational shortcuts:<\/p>\n

* Shared admin accounts<\/strong>\u00a0because \u201cit is quicker\u201d, which makes investigation and containment harder.<\/p>\n

* Email-only payment approvals<\/strong>, so business email compromise becomes a finance problem in minutes.<\/p>\n

* Patch delays<\/strong>\u00a0on laptops and servers because you do not want downtime, which leaves known holes open.<\/p>\n

* No tested backups<\/strong>, so ransomware turns into a multi-week disruption rather than a recoverable IT issue.<\/p>\n

In practice, the threat is not abstract. It is missed invoices, payroll disruption, customer data exposure, and leadership time swallowed by incident response.<\/p>\n

Definitions that matter, in plain English<\/strong><\/p>\n

A few terms are worth demystifying because they drive real SME consequences:<\/p>\n

* Phishing<\/strong>\u00a0is a message designed to trick someone into clicking, paying, or handing over credentials. For SMEs, one click often means a compromised Microsoft 365 mailbox and onward fraud. NCSC guidance is clear on reporting and reducing harm<\/a>.<\/p>\n

* Business email compromise<\/strong>\u00a0is when criminals use or spoof a real inbox to request urgent payments or change supplier bank details. SMEs are vulnerable because processes are informal and approvals are rushed.<\/p>\n

* Ransomware<\/strong>\u00a0is malware that encrypts files and demands payment. SMEs get hit hard when backups are online only, untested, or incomplete.<\/p>\n

* MFA (multi-factor authentication)<\/strong>\u00a0adds a second proof of identity; it blocks many account takeovers even when passwords are stolen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Actionable SME cyber security best practices you can implement without a big budget<\/strong><\/p>\n

Start with the controls that cut the most common loss events quickly.<\/p>\n

1. Lock down email accounts first with MFA<\/strong><\/p>\n

* Enable MFA for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, accounting platforms, payroll, and remote access.
\n* Remove shared admin accounts; use named accounts and least privilege.
\n* This aligns with NCSC Cyber Essentials<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>access control expectations. (Source:)<\/p>\n

2. Fix payment and supplier change processes<\/strong><\/p>\n

* For any bank detail change, require a call-back to a known number, not the one in the email.
\n* Add a two-person approval for payments over a sensible threshold.<\/p>\n

3. Make phishing reporting simple and fast<\/strong><\/p>\n

* Train staff to forward suspicious emails internally and to NCSC reporting routes.
\n* Encourage reporting even when someone clicked; speed matters more than blame.<\/p>\n

4. Patch and protect endpoints like you mean it<\/strong><\/p>\n

* Turn on automatic updates for operating systems and key apps.
\n* Ensure malware protection is active and centrally visible via your MSP.
\n* These are core Cyber Essentials controls<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>and are achievable for most SMEs within weeks.<\/p>\n

5. Backups that survive ransomware<\/strong><\/p>\n

* Keep at least one backup copy offline or immutable.
\n* Test restoring a key folder or system monthly; treat it like a fire drill.<\/p>\n

Authority and evidence: what \u201cgood\u201d looks like in the UK<\/strong><\/p>\n

UK SMEs can anchor decisions in two practical reference points:<\/p>\n

* Cyber Essentials<\/strong>\u00a0gives a clear baseline for firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control, and malware protection. It is widely recognised in UK supply chains.<\/p>\n

* The ICO security principle under UK GDPR<\/strong>\u00a0expects \u201cappropriate technical and organisational measures<\/a>\u201d. Training, access control, patching, and incident readiness are not optional if you process personal data.<\/p>\n

Run a 30-minute \u201crisk reality check\u201d this week: list your top 5 systems (email, finance, customer data, endpoints, backups), then score each against Cyber Essentials. Where the score is weakest, start with MFA and phishing reporting first.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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SECURUS Communications Ltd<\/strong><\/p>\n

Securus<\/a> <\/strong>is a managed communications Operator, providing next-generation network infrastructure and value added services to Managed Hosting providers and the ‘cloud generation’\u200b of enterprises. Securus<\/a> <\/strong>priority is to offer communication services that represent excellent value for money and are backed by exceptional levels of support.<\/p>\n

Contact Securus<\/strong>
\nSecurus Communications Ltd
\nStation Road, Landmark house, Hook, England RG27 9HA, GB
\nT: Enquiries:\u00a003451 283457<\/span><\/a>\u00a0| Service Desk: 03451 283458<\/a>
\nSecurus on LinkedIn<\/a> | Securus on “X”<\/a> | https:\/\/securuscomms.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tLatest Posts from SECURUS Communications<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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