Security has become as much a minefield in the digital realm as the physical one. Over the past few years, the cyberthreat has grown in confidence, capability and scale with threat actors perpetrating crimes that are increasingly clever and difficult to spot. There have been more attacks on corporate networks, smarter phishing and more pervasive ransomware. In fact, the Allianz Risk Barometer 2022 puts cybersecurity has one of the biggest risks for companies ahead of natural disasters and the pandemic. For small to medium enterprises (SMEs) this is a problem.

How can smaller companies tackle this large threat effectively? Unlike the enterprise with the IT team and the impressive budget, the SME has to create a robust security posture with minimal resources and even less time. For many, this has meant that security’s sat on the backburner – a high admin problem that has to wait in line behind customers and growth.

The problem is – you can’t afford to ignore security anymore. Not only do you have to be compliant with local and international regulations, but nobody can afford the downtime or the costs of a breach. Which is why, instead of worrying about everything, here are three things that you should put top of mind right now so that your business stays ahead of the risk:

01: Patch, patch, patch

You have to keep your network and operating systems up to date. For SMEs without IT teams, there are software solutions designed to do just this without hefty overhead costs or unnecessary complexity. GFI Languard provides SMEs with cost-effective patch management across multiple operating systems and scans the network automatically or on demand. It can also auto-download missing patches or roll-back patches with third-party patch management support.

02: Transform data visibility

Stay on top of your data. This has become a critical business priority not only for security, but for extracting value and improving decision-making. However, most companies generate tons of data on a daily basis so often it lies in lakes or becomes an unintelligible mess. Consider a tool like Nuix Workstation that’s designed to turn more than 1,000 file formats and source times into meaningful intelligence and to provide you with the resources you need to optimise for compliance and security.

03: Redefine user security

Companies can’t afford to be reactive anymore, you have to be proactive to ensure that your data, systems and security remain ahead of the threat. You also have to train your people. The so-called human firewall is often the biggest threat facing the security of an organisation. You can invest into the most remarkable security solution only for one truly bad password to leave the door wide open to cybercriminals. People are still, even in 2022, using passwords like 12345 or QWERTY. To mitigate this, use a password security manager like Keeper that uses a proprietary zero-knowledge security architecture, scales to fit organisations of all sizes, and offers a solid line of defence for the business. It protects passwords and private information and also offers advanced reporting and provisioning tools for companies that want to customise it to fit specific requirements.