What the 2022 Cybersecurity Report Means for Your Business in 2023

“Cybersecurity can no longer be considered a second thought.”

The ConnectWise 2022 State of SMB Cybersecurity report is an eye-opener for owners of small and medium-sized businesses. Small businesses can no longer hide their heads in the sand and pretend they’re too small a target for cyberhackers and online opportunists. The tide has shifted, and open season has been declared on anyone with an internet connection and an EIN. 

Why are hackers refocusing their scopes on smaller enterprises, and what does that mean for you? Let’s look at the key figures in the 2022 report and what they could mean for your business. Understanding trends in cybersecurity in 2022 can help protect your business from cyber attacks in 2023.

Cybersecurity Statistics 2022: What We Can Learn

The key stats in the ConnectWise report point to some hard truths about cybersecurity for small and medium business owners:

• 73% of respondents stated they had reached a tipping point where cyber concerns demanded action. 
• 76% of respondents said they had been impacted by at least one cybersecurity attack.

Fortunately, business owners are starting to see the genuine threat of cyberattacks on their livelihoods. Unfortunately for many, it may have taken an actual breach to shift their priorities. No matter how harsh, the reality is that cyberattacks are becoming more common on SMBs. 

Other sobering statistics speak to how prepared many businesses are to deal with a potential threat:

• 67% of respondents said they don’t have the in-house skills to combat a threat.
• 89% of respondents said they use a managed service provider (MSP), but…
• 42% of respondents are unhappy with their current MSP and plan to switch.

Read: Should We Outsource IT?

These stats point to SMBs' difficulty in protecting themselves and feeling confident about their business’ cybersecurity strategy. Becoming a target can be unsettling, and acting can be intimidating.

Why Hackers Are Targeting SMBs 

One of the biggest trends in cybersecurity in 2022 is that small businesses have become a more inviting target. Changes in the cyber landscape and how we do business have led criminals to switch up their attacks. As we add more devices to our workspaces, cybercriminals discover new vulnerabilities, new ways to exploit those vulnerabilities and new ways to trick people into sharing information. 

“It only takes a few unpatched systems.”

While the purse may not be as big, targeting small businesses can be easier picking for bad actors. They can target thousands of companies, sit back and wait for a vulnerability to emerge. It only takes a small opening for a criminal to laser in and exploit the opportunity. Criminals who used to plan a few big cyberattacks are now profiting from lots of smaller ones.

This shift coincides with greater aggression from regulatory institutions to track down and persecute cybercriminals. As a result, smaller businesses become safer targets for criminals looking to remain undetected. It doesn’t help that regulations differ geographically and update constantly. Staying on top of cybersecurity best practices has become a full-time job.

How to Find a Cybersecurity MSP

Finding a managed service provider has become a recurring issue for many businesses. 94% of respondents in the 2022 report said that they would consider moving to a new MSP if they offered “the right cybersecurity solution.” 

So, what is “the right cybersecurity solution?” The answer can be distilled down to two things: trust and communication. The top concerns businesses have with their IT provider include:

• Confidence in their MSP’s ability to respond to a problem or threat
• Their MSP’s capabilities
• The ability to minimize damages
• Having the right solutions

Finding the right IT professionals to monitor your business’ security means finding a team that you trust and can handle your specific set of needs. With so many businesses feeling unsafe or burned, you’ll need to do your homework. As you look to 2023 and your security needs, choose a provider with a proven track record who has learned the lessons from 2022.

Proactive Is the Right Cybersecurity Solution

At Thriveon, we don’t believe in fixing cyberattacks; we believe in preventing them. We offer comprehensive proactive IT services that monitor and update your systems daily. We don’t only put out fires - we locate potential sources of kindling and remove them before they become a problem.

Looking to upgrade your cybersecurity program with a strategy you can trust? We’d love to talk!

Contact Thriveon today, and let’s get started protecting your valuable digital assets.