Importance of Cyber security for SMEs
The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Cyprus is committed to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), encouraging their protection from the challenges of the cyber world. Our goal is to provide the tools, knowledge and guidance needed for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for them to protect their databases and operation.
In this regard, we would like to inform you that the Cybersecurity National Coordination Centre (NCC) has developed education material on cybersecurity tailored to SMEs, outlining the key steps to ensure a safe and secure cyber environment.
Why is Cybersecurity important for smaller enterprises? Cybersecurity is essential if you want to prevent cyber-attacks from cybercriminals, like hackers for example, since SMEs tend to be the main target for such criminals due to their smaller security budgets.
Ensuring a secure cyberspace has some key advantages for businesses:
- Prevents financial losses
- Protects customer data
- Maintains company reputation
Some basic steps to take to improve the cybersecurity of your enterprise are:
- Performing regular risk assessments by
- Identifying key assets (important data and systems) and assessing risks, and
- Fixing vulnerabilities by prioritizing high-impact issues.
- Employee Training
- Teaching staff to recognize phishing emails and other scams.
- Promoting strong password habits and safe browsing practices.
- Access Control
- Using strong, unique passwords for each account and encouraging password managers.
- Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for an extra layer of security.
- Giving employees access only to necessary systems and data.
- Software Updates
- Keeping systems up to date with the latest security patches.
- Avoiding the use of outdated or unsupported software.
- Data Protection & Backup
- Encrypting sensitive data and storing it securely.
- Backing up data regularly and storing backups in a secure location.
- Network Security
- Installing and configuring firewalls to block unauthorized access.
- Securing your Wi-Fi with strong passwords and encryption.
- Incident Response Plan
- Preparing for potential cyberattacks with a clear plan on how to respond.
- Testing the plan to ensure everyone knows what to do in case of an incident.
- Expert Support
- If needed, hire a cybersecurity expert or use managed security services for added protection.
- Ensuring compliance with data protection laws and industry standards to avoid legal issues
For more in-depth guidance please read the full guide below(PDF Circular). Reading the guide will take approximately 5 minutes.
For more guides and training materials on cybersecurity please visit the educational material section found on the NCC-CY official site.
PDF Circular -Cybersecurity for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
