Cyber Defense Challenges from the Small and Medium-Sized Business Perspective

With 5.7 million SMBs in the United States, it is essential that the risks involving cybersecurity events are identified. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face different challenges than large enterprises in regard to cybersecurity. The goal of this project was to survey SMBs and reveal organizational barriers that impact the cybersecurity posture of SMBs. An online survey was administered with a final sample size of 22 SMBs. Significant results showed that the top challenges were finances to pay talent, regulatory compliance and professionally available talent. As a result of inadequate information technology (IT) and cybersecurity staffing, 64% of respondents were unaware if a successful cyber-attack had taken place. The significant challenge SMBs face is their security posture and knowing if they have been or are being targeted against a cyber-attack. The main objective of this project was to show the security profile of the typical SMB. Educational, software and hardware tools should be promoted to increase the security posture of SMBs. Further research might focus more on the staffing and dedicated hours of IT and cybersecurity employees.