Smaller businesses more vulnerable to cyberattacks,

25 June 2024

Smaller businesses more vulnerable to cyberattacks

Solvinity, a leading Dutch provider of Secure Managed Cloud solutions, presents the findings of an extensive study on cybersecurity and resilience. The research, conducted in collaboration with Panelwizard among nearly 500 IT professionals, shows that businesses with 200-499 employees face significantly greater challenges in defending against cyber threats compared to larger organizations.

Key findings

Resilience against cyberattacks: Two-thirds (64%) of respondents believe their organization can adequately resist cyberattacks. Interestingly, this percentage increases with the size of the organization.
Greatest security challenge: Three in ten IT professionals say their biggest challenge is the thorough implementation of appropriate security measures, followed by the targeted identification of processes, systems, and data to protect (24%).
Challenges by platform: Public cloud users report the greatest challenge in responding quickly and effectively to security incidents, while private and on-premise users struggle more with timely detection of these incidents.
Hybrid cloud most used: Nearly 40% of respondents indicate their organization uses a hybrid cloud environment, followed by on-premise (21%), private cloud (17%), and public cloud (16%).

Challenges and measures

The research indicates that the greatest security challenge within IT environments is the thorough implementation of appropriate security measures, followed by the targeted identification of processes, systems, and data to protect. Medium-sized businesses (500-999 employees) see these challenges as the greatest threats to their security strategy.

Marc Guardiola, Chief Technology Officer at Solvinity, notes: “In comparison to smaller businesses, larger companies may have more budget and resources to ensure their security measures are in place, but this still doesn’t make them immune to attacks.”

Future priorities

Cybercriminals are relentless, and regulatory changes are continuous. IT professionals at companies and institutions are taking on more tasks and responsibilities, necessitating greater knowledge and better technology.

Kees Stammes, General Manager Securify, states: “Two-thirds of surveyed IT professionals believe they are resilient enough, but our own penetration tests and Red Teaming assignments suggest otherwise. The fact that only one-third report conducting a penetration test underscores the need to promote testing and increase resilience in Europe and the Netherlands through legislation and regulations.”

Martin Maas, Chief Information Security Officer at Solvinity, emphasizes: “It’s essential for businesses, regardless of size or chosen IT environment, to continue investing in knowledge, technology, and staff training. Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and only through a holistic and proactive approach can organizations adequately defend themselves.”

Solvinity supports businesses and organizations in enhancing their resilience. The company designs, builds, and manages public, private, and hybrid cloud platforms, offering an extensive portfolio of additional services, including cybersecurity solutions. With this third edition of the security research, Solvinity aims to map the current situation and highlight the importance of high resilience. The report is available here.