Cybersecurity needs to be a core component of every business’ strategy. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a nationwide initiative led by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance to empower businesses, regardless of size, to focus on protecting their digital assets from the ever-evolving threat of a cyber-attack.
Cybercriminals are targeting small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) more than ever before because they often lack the sophisticated, layered security systems that larger organizations typically have. Today’s top threats include ransomware attacks, phishing and social engineering scams, insider threats, and unpatched software vulnerabilities. The cost of a breach isn’t just financial, it encompasses reputational, operational, and legal consequences.
The numbers speak for themselves. Cyberattacks are not just a possibility; they’re a near certainty, and the consequences are growing more severe every year. Some recent key statistics include:
- 94% of SMBs experienced at least one cyberattack in 20241
- Phishing and credential theft drive 73% of breaches2
- Ransomware cost over $812M in 2024, with average payments reaching $2.73M3
- 46% of all cyber breaches impact businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees4
- 82% of ransomware attacks affect companies with under 1,000 employees5
Awareness is key to helping prevent cyberattacks. When employees understand the risks and know how to respond, they become a powerful component of your defense strategy.
What Steps Your Business Can Take Right Now to Improve Cybersecurity:
Preventing a cyberattack requires staying proactive. To get started on protecting your business from an attack, consider implementing the following:
- Password and access management best practices
- Device and network security tips
- Incident response planning
- Vendor and third-party risk reviews
Why You Should Consider Hiring an MSP to Manage Your Cybersecurity Defense:
Cybersecurity is complex. Managing it in-house can be overwhelming, expensive, and risky. An MSP will provide the enterprise-level expertise, tools, and monitoring you need without the overhead of building an internal security team. They will help you stay ahead of threats, respond quickly to incidents, and ensure compliance with evolving regulations. Most importantly, they can tailor solutions to your business size and industry, so you get protection that fits your needs and budget.
Systems Integration Inc. (SII) is an MSP focused on helping SMBs reduce the risk of cybersecurity threats by creating and implementing programs and procedures, such as the following, to create a robust cybersecurity plan and reduce the threat of an attack.
- Establishing clear security policies
- Developing organizational communication and escalation plans
- Identifying critical IT assets and systems that would be vulnerable to an attack
- Conduct comprehensive risk assessments and develop tailored risk management strategies
- Implement network access controls
- Create and deliver employee cybersecurity awareness training and incident response protocols
- Implement firewalls, antivirus, and intrusion prevention systems
- Secure endpoints, mobile devices, and cloud environments
- Setting up continuous monitoring tools
- Analyzing network traffic for abnormal behavior
- Maintaining secure backups of critical data
- Creating and testing disaster recovery and business continuity plans
- Restoring systems and data with minimal downtime
- And more
Cybersecurity isn’t a one-time fix. It’s a long-term strategy. And we’re here to guide you every step of the way. To learn more about how SII can help your SMB prevent a cybersecurity breach, schedule a cybersecurity assessment or call 860-513-0100 to start protecting your business today.
REFERENCES:
1 https://www.ninjaone.com/blog/smb-cybersecurity-statistics/
2 https://www.ninjaone.com/blog/smb-cybersecurity-statistics/
3 https://www.ninjaone.com/blog/smb-cybersecurity-statistics/
4 https://www.strongdm.com/blog/small-business-cyber-security-statistics
5 https://www.flowspecialty.com/blog-post/emerging-cyber-risk-trends-for-smbs-in-2025-what-you-need-to-know