Cybersecurity remains a top priority for UK SMBs, according to a new report from ConnectWise. So much so, that the majority would happily switch IT service providers if it meant gaining access to the “right” cybersecurity solution.
First and foremost, companies want to be confident in their ability to respond to cybersecurity incidents, minimizing damage and loss.
More than four in five (86 percent) of SMBs consider cybersecurity among the top five priorities for their organization, and two thirds are looking to invest more in order to cut down on possible risks.
Further, half of the SMBs polled for the report consider cybersecurity expertise as an added benefit of working with a managed service provider (MSP), mostly because the majority do not have in-house skills needed to properly deal with security issues.
SMBs are looking for MSPs, the report concludes, to close the gaping cybersecurity skills gap – something MSPs should see as a “growing market opportunity”.
“There is an increased market opportunity for MSPs who participate in an ongoing basis in cybersecurity training, remain current on the latest threats, and become versed in cybersecurity technology,” said Jay Ryerse, CISSP, VP of Cybersecurity Initiatives at ConnectWise.
“As MSPs raise their understanding across the entire cybersecurity discipline, they find themselves strongly positioned for growth in a post-pandemic economic recovery, emerging from the experience stronger and more agile, and with customers better prepared for the cybersecurity challenges that lie ahead.”
Covid-19, despite resulting in an increasing number of cyberattacks, has not changed the way SMBs view cybersecurity, the report states. It has, however, raised new concerns, as four in five now worry about the security of remote devices.
