Check Point Software Technologies, the global cybersecurity provider, has discovered less than a quarter of businesses it surveyed were well protected against attack.

The firm has released the findings from a new survey of the small/medium business (SMBs) cybersecurity market, conducted by research firm Analysys Mason.

It sought to uncover how small and medium-sized businesses are emerging from the pandemic and how their technology needs are changing.

The survey revealed that, while SMBs understand the need to invest in technology to support growth in the world of hybrid working – but many fail to prioritise security.

The survey of 1,150 small and medium sized businesses across the UK, Germany, US and Singapore, also revealed:

• Less than a quarter (22%) of respondents felt they were extremely well protected against cyberattacks, and only a minority have internal security specialists or are working with a third party.

• The SMBs surveyed clearly recognised the disastrous effects of a cyberattack on their company but seemed to agree that they had inadequate security budgets.

• SMBs are expecting 40% of their employees to continue working remotely for at least some of the time. The highest priority in all countries was to ensure that IT can be managed and supported remotely, validated by additional laptop purchases and increased VPN capacity.

Eyal Manor, Vice President of Product Management at Check Point Software said: “It is reassuring that SMBs have increased their investment in cybersecurity to support business growth and the new hybrid work model, but having the correct mix of security products is only part of an effective strategy.

“Because there is a shortage of cyber security workers for SMBs, they require security solutions that deliver proven threat prevention, are extremely simple to deploy and manage, and offer the flexibility of an ‘all-in-one’ solution that combines security and internet connectivity.”

He added: “SMBs should also be looking for a consolidated and unified security suite that achieves a high level of protection across their network, endpoints, mobile and email.

“SMB security providers should use a prevention-first approach and one that cuts down TCO, by reducing the need to manage additional staff or security expertise. SMBs should also consider leveraging third party managed service providers to gain access to experienced cybersecurity professionals at an affordable cost.

“Third party advisors can provide expert advice on the best security solution for each SMB along with training and ongoing support.”