The shortage of cybersecurity competencies is a well-known and persistent issue, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
Our recent study, based on insights from a vendor-neutral survey commissioned by Sophos of 5,000 front-line IT/cybersecurity professionals, demonstrates that SMBs are disproportionately affected by this deficiency in skill.
This report suggests practical remedies to tackle these challenges within financial constraints and limited resources, explaining how Sophos can support smaller entities in enhancing their cybersecurity outcomes.
Small entities are disproportionately impacted by the competencies shortfall
According to our research, SMBs view the absence of in-house expertise as the second most significant cybersecurity risk, whereas larger firms rank it at the seventh position.
Risks that are more prominent for larger companies, such as the scarcity of cybersecurity tools (rated as the second most perceived risk for companies with 501-1,000 employees) and compromised access data and credentials (rated as the second most perceived risk for companies with 1,001-5,000 employees), are of secondary concern to smaller businesses grappling with the foundational issue of having adequate personnel to manage their existing investments.
Competencies shortage: a dual challenge
The primary issue contributing to the competencies gap in cybersecurity is the dearth of qualified professionals in the domain. This affects SMBs in two main ways.
Lack of proficiency
Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly intricate, necessitating advanced skills to counter emerging threats. Our analysis shows that 96% of smaller enterprises find at least one aspect of alert investigation challenging. While larger organizations also encounter challenges, the predicament is most acute for SMBs.
Insufficient capacity
91% of ransomware incidents occur outside regular business hours[1], making round-the-clock cybersecurity coverage crucial but beyond the reach of most SMBs. Highlighting this vulnerability, our analysis uncovers that SMBs lack active monitoring or response to alerts 33% of the time, leaving them open to attacks.
The repercussions of the cybersecurity skills disparity on SMBs
The competencies shortage affects SMBs most severely. They are the group most likely to have their data encrypted in a ransomware attack, with 74% of incidents ending in data encryption – potentially due to weaker detection capabilities.
Moreover, with limited staff to shoulder the cybersecurity responsibilities, there is a high risk of talent exhaustion. In a separate study commissioned by Sophos across Asia Pacific and Japan, 85% of organizations reported signs of fatigue and burnout among their cybersecurity and IT staff.
Strategies to address the skills gap in SMBs
Expanding the cybersecurity workforce is often impractical for SMBs due to financial constraints and stiff competition for limited talent. Competent professionals tend to opt for larger enterprises with better growth prospects. We recommend that you…
Collaborate with third-party security experts
Engaging third-party cybersecurity specialists is typically the most economical method to enhance expertise and capacity. The prevalent options are managed detection and response (MDR) services and managed service providers (MSPs).
MDR services usually deliver 24/7 expert-led threat hunting, identification, and response throughout your infrastructure. Analysts supervise your operations on your behalf – detecting and responding to suspicious activities and thwarting attacks before they harm your business.
MSPs, traditionally catering to small businesses, are now also assisting medium-sized organizations with cybersecurity. Many MSPs (81%) also offer MDR[2], enabling SMBs to consolidate both services through a single provider.
Select solutions explicitly designed for SMBs
Most cybersecurity solutions are customized for large enterprises with dedicated teams for deployment and oversight. Small organizations often grapple with realizing security advantages and return on investment (RoI) from these top-tier tools due to ineffective utilization.
Instead, look for security tools that are robust technically yet user-friendly for stretched IT teams. When assessing security solutions, deliberate both on platform and product features.
- Platform – a cybersecurity platform streamlines the management of various cybersecurity solutions into a unified interface, cutting down administrative efforts and simplifying vendor coordination. It bolsters security by facilitating collaboration and insights sharing among solutions, fortifying overall cyber defenses.
- Product features -vendors usually tout numerous features, so it’s vital to identify your specific requirements to prevent unnecessary expenditures. Opt for cybersecurity solutions that automatically configure recommended settings, mitigating manual configuration risks, and provide user-friendly controls with clear visibility into deployments. For SMBs, selecting tools that auto-react to attacks is critical, ensuring safeguarding until your team intervenes.
How Sophos can extend support
Sophos boasts extensive expertise in shielding SMBs from advanced cyber threats, and many of our products and services are custom-built to cater specifically to their needs.
Sophos MDR
Sophos stands out as the most trusted MDR service globally, safeguarding more small businesses than any other provider. We possess deep insights into attacks on small enterprises and leverage insights pooled from our client base to enhance protection for all users.
MSP
Sophos collaborates with over 7,000 MSP partners worldwide, offering a wide array of top-notch products and managed security services. Moreover, Sophos is the leading supplier of MDR services to MSPs worldwide for their clientele.
Platform: Sophos Central
Sophos Central holds the distinction of being the most extensive, scalable, cloud-native AI-powered platform in the sector. It is used for managing all Sophos next-gen cybersecurity solutions, including Sophos Endpoint, Sophos Firewall, Sophos XDR, Sophos MDR, Sophos Email, and Sophos ZTNA. Integrations with a broad spectrum of non-Sophos technologies, including Microsoft and Google, ensure clients can fully leverage their existing security investments.
Solutions tailored for SMBs
Engineered for seamless use, Sophos solutions feature auto-deployment with suggested settings, centralized management, adaptive defenses, and real-time insights into security posture. These functionalities guarantee that SMBs can effectively protect themselves from cyber threats, directly addressing the persistent skills shortage in cybersecurity.
To get more insights into Sophos solutions for SMBs, get in touch with your Sophos representative or partner or visit www.sophos.com.
[1] Stopping Active Adversaries – Lessons From The Cyber Frontline – Sophos | [2] MSP Perspectives 2024 – Sophos
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