SME | SMB articles

Data from the FBI’s IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) painted a stark picture of digital crime in 2022. The center recorded 800,944 complaints, leading to financial losses exceeding $10.3 billion. The increased sophistication in these crimes is driven, in part, by advancements in artificial intelligence technology. Many companies are still inadequately equipped to counter these escalating cyber threats because of the following factors: All of the above adds up to an immense investment required from SMBs to keep cybercriminals out […]

Recent data from Verizon reveals that small and large businesses suffer from similar vulnerabilities and attack surfaces, yet small businesses face much more difficult challenges. Small businesses are typically less prepared for a cyberattack than their larger counterparts and attackers are often more successful when targeting small businesses. Verizon’s report indicates that cybercriminals have far more success penetrating small businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees than businesses with over 1,000 employees. Given that ninety-eight percent of cyberattacks were financially motivated, […]

No industry was more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic than the healthcare industry. While stories of frontline worker heroics and employee shortages took center stage, another important story has been brewing over the last few years — the significant increase in cybersecurity attacks in the healthcare space. With stay-at-home orders and social distancing requirements in place throughout 2020, many healthcare systems were forced to rapidly adopt healthcare technology that allowed for telemedicine and the remote monitoring of patients. The way […]

Guest author, Chris Witham, Director of Operations, Sicarius  For over 20 years, Chris has honed his skills across a wide variety of IT disciplines, including systems administration, IT security, digital forensics, risk and compliance, and incident response. Chris has provided first-rate digital forensic services for cutting edge organisations in federal law enforcement and private enterprise, both locally in Australia and Internationally. His resume includes working with the Australian Federal Police, Blackpanda and KordaMentha, supporting sophisticated, and at times high-profile investigations. […]

A spate of high-profile attacks affecting millions of people have hit Australia and New Zealand. These unprecedented data breaches have led to increased government scrutiny, as well as a new look at what cybersecurity resilience and posture should be for companies housing sensitive and personal customer data. The increase in cybersecurity attacks we’re seeing in these countries underscores the point that small businesses are just as much a target as enterprise companies. In fact, out of over 3 million businesses […]

In today’s economic climate, most managers are faced with the challenge of doing more with their existing tools or holding back on acquiring new ones due to tight budgets following the pandemic. Additionally, the current soaring inflation rate, which we haven’t seen since the early 1980s, has made companies hold on to their cash and tighten their purse strings. The recent SVB collapse and Credit Suisse’s plummeting share price have further fueled fears of a recession. Under such circumstances, managers […]

Cyberattacks are one of the biggest threats facing businesses today, and the energy and renewables sector is not exempt. In fact, energy companies frequently make the list of the top 10 industries targeted by attackers. As the industry undergoes massive change, it’s entirely possible that energy companies become an even more enticing target. There are several reasons the industry is so vulnerable, but chief among them is the large attack surface. Vulnerabilities exist not just in power plants, but in […]

As SMEs look to find new ways of being cost-effective, efficient, and reaching broader audiences, they often turn to digitalization. While an expanding digital environment presents more growth opportunities for businesses, it also creates problems for leaders who are looking to manage and maintain risk. This often emerges in the form of an increased attack surface and a rise in common vulnerabilities and high risk vulnerabilities. This can result in potential threats reaching your network, becoming a major business risk […]

In 2023, layoffs, hiring freezes, and tightening budgets are top-of-mind for many employers. 2022 was a difficult year for the world economy; and, in 2023, the aftershocks keep coming. It might feel like there’s news of another company laying off a significant part of its workforce every week, and that feeling isn’t too far off from what’s projected. Over 60% of business leaders surveyed by ResumeBuilder say they are likely to have layoffs in 2023, with 57% of these respondents […]

3 key questions to ask yourself to evaluate your cybersecurity preparedness. The cybersecurity landscape changes fast, and in 2023 we’re seeing shifts at a faster clip than ever before. We’re likely to see continuing increased attacks on the supply chain, threats to critical infrastructure, a rise in ransomware, and pros and cons arising from the proliferation of artificial intelligence. Economic uncertainty, continued remote work trends, and skill shortages will be some of the major contributing factors to this landscape. Threats […]

As a startup, you can’t afford to ignore potential cybersecurity challenges No matter the size of your organization, a lack of preparedness will put you at risk for cybersecurity attacks. Often, startups think they are flying under the radar of most cyber criminals and are not as vulnerable. However, the reality is quite the opposite. CISA put out advice* in 2015 that’s still widely applicable today: Startups need to think about cybersecurity from day 1 or experience a higher risk […]

One common misconception about cybersecurity is that small businesses mean small cyber risks; but, in fact, businesses of all sizes need to stay vigilant in the face of cyber threats. As distressing as those stats are, the worst news comes after a cyberattack. It is estimated that 60% of small businesses closed their doors within 6 months of a breach – meaning the hack was so bad that it left irreparable damage in its wake. Getting to a level of […]