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Headline-making mass outagesthink 2024s CrowdStrike event and 2023sGoogleCloud services disruptionscan bring multinational corporations and small businesses to their knees.

But smaller technical events are far more common and can shut down business functions with equally devastating effects.

Abstract image of cyber security in action.

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For SMBs, this may seem like a financially and technically infeasible expectation.

It doesnt have to be.

Properly focused self-audits can reveal vulnerabilities, many of which can be corrected without blowing up the IT budget.

CEO, CTI Technical Services.

Cyberattacks are also surging, with SMBs an increasingly favorite target.

Further, just 8% of SMBs with fewer than 50 employees have a dedicated cybersecurity budget.

These numbers tell the story of a high-risk environment where no SMB is safe from outages and attacks.

As such, the lack of investment in protection is an oversight that can have business-ending repercussions.

No IT expertise is required.

), particularly around personally identifiable information (PII) access?

Are they kept current?

Is it regularly reviewed and updated?

Are staff aware of the plan and trained in its deployment?

This information will help determine if broader protections are required and if engaging an IT service provider is warranted.

Transparent price structures, clear and fair service terms, and simple contracts are also helpful.

Much of the work can be done via an internal audit, even with limited technical know-how.

We’ve rated the best endpoint protection software.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc.