The North West Cyber Resilience Centre and some of our partners and friends from across the North West have gazed into their crystal ball to reveal their predictions for 2022.

We asked cyber security and business leaders; What do you predict will be the biggest change for SMEs and what are they most looking forward to in 2022?

Graham Thomson, CISO (and interim Group Data Officer) at ,Irwin Mitchell

“It’s clear that cybercriminals are targeting the weakest links, and I think in the next 12 months there will be a greater expectation from the customers or client-base of SMEs that they will implement basic cyber hygiene at the very least. Ignoring the threat or believing it is too hard to address is no longer an option. I think it will be viewed in the same way that ignoring basic health & safety is unacceptable in our society.”

"Like many (I imagine) I’m looking forward to the light at the end of this long covid tunnel. Meeting my teams and others in person more, attending events in person and getting back to enjoying some much needed sunny holiday’s is something I’m actually fantasizing about.”

“From a business point of view, I’m looking forward to the next stage of our IT transformation and digitisation journey. Perhaps 2022 will be the year when augmented reality meetings will start to become the norm. Imagine having your team appear in your home office like some kind of Jedi council."

Neil Jones, Managing Director of the North West Cyber Resilience Centre

“The shift to ,hybrid working will become a big driver for how we do business moving forward. With this comes new challenges around how we work safely and securely."

"The excuses for poor cyber security at the start of the pandemic will no longer be justifiable and SMEs will need to retrospectively review their cyber risk exposure and put measures in place. This is why the work of the NWCRC is so important. Providing cyber security awareness training, testing systems and producing security policy and procedure templates, which SMEs can simply put their name on and circulate to their teams will help make this happen.”

"Expanding our footprint across the North West and helping businesses all over our region to stay safe and protect themselves from cybercrime.”

Kevin Crichton of ,Bergerode Consulting

“We predict there will be an increased expectation from various industry sectors and market leaders that suppliers will be able to demonstrate cyber security via certification. And at Bergerode in 2022 we will be ensuring our clients remain cyber secure.”

Sam Tunney, ,BrightHR Expert

“SMEs are currently facing the Great Resignation, raising real challenges in terms of recruiting and retaining staff. One notable transition throughout the pandemic has been a shift in employee perspective when it comes to their careers – be that their wages, working conditions, or location."

"I think that one of the biggest changes we will see implemented in a much broader sense than pre-pandemic working practices will be greater levels of flexible working granted to employees, with updated contractual agreements outlining the shift.“

"In 2022, BrightHR will continue to develop and explore new ways in which to improve the HR practices of businesses of all sizes. From remaining at the forefront of software development throughout the pandemic, we hope to continue pushing the boundaries of what HR, health and safety, and business software are capable of.”

Joanna Goddard, partner of the Business Resilience International Management (,BRIM)

“Businesses in 2022 will need to learn how to win new business remotely and I’m personally looking forward to improving my wellbeing/video call balance, now that remote working is accepted as the norm.”

Sam Johnson, Senior Commercial Account Handler at ,Risk Box

“At RiskBox we have a focus on media and technology-based businesses across the UK, they are digitally aware businesses and can see that digital services will continue to develop and grow. I expect the online presence for Businesses will continue to grow in all sectors. B2C businesses will continue to grow their online footprint to reach consumers in new ways, which of course creates new vulnerabilities in respect of Cyber Security."

"In 2022 I’m hoping for a more settled and stable year. The last 2 years have been extremely disrupted by factors such as Covid and the economic environment which has influenced the insurance market across the board. It would be nice to see this settle and certainly make things a bit easier! We hope to continue to grow as a business and continue to assist and protect businesses for their insurance needs.”

Harman Singh, Director at ,Cyphere

“Just like Cyber Essentials is a must-have requirement for public sector organisations, businesses in the private sector can benefit greatly from using Cyber Essentials as a starting point. It not only demonstrates a commitment to cyber security and cyber hygiene across the five crucial control areas."

“At an organisation level, SMEs are moving away from relying on their IT service providers for security needs to security specialists such as Cyphere to seek independent advice."

"At Cyphere we look forward to introducing innovating managed services based around deception technology and managed services around security training. Having an alerting mechanism that involves reducing SOC fatigue and high-quality signals is a no-brainer boost to organisations.”

Stay protected in 2022

To find out more information about the Cyber Resilience Centre and how to stay protected, ,browse our services here. Businesses can join the North West Cyber Resilience Centre at no cost by ,signing up for its free core membership which provides access to guidance, tools and affordable services to help better protect themselves against the threat of cybercrime.

This month any core member who signs up will be entered into a draw to win a 12-month membership - worth £500! ,Sign up today!