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“We welcome the NCSC offering practical support for SMEs. The fact that they are less likely to have dedicated information security staff trained in digital risks and, sometimes lack watertight processes for activities like payment authorization or changing banking details can make them an attractive target for cybercriminals.

SMEs are more likely to use Cloud services and apps and have staff working remotely, with services like IT support, payroll, accounting and marketing frequently outsourced. In this respect, many were ahead of the curve in managing data security in a distributed environment before the COVID-19 pandemic changed business operations. The practical advice offered by the NCSC on security policies including backups, password management and multi-factor access controls as well as software updates are a timely reminder for SMEs, many of which have undergone staff changes over the last twelve months.

We would encourage SMEs to take additional precautions against the rising threat of supply chain attacks, where their own data and services may be at risk if a supplier or partner is compromised. One way to do this is to monitor for relevant data breaches using a Digital Risk Protection solution. This will allow them to take prompt action if user credentials or other critical information has been exposed”.