A worrying number of small businesses are unable to tackle even the most obvious cyber threats, new research shows.
a report from Sharp found that of the nearly 6,000 SME IT professionals it surveyed across Europe, a third of UK-based IT professionals lack security to protect their own printers. 16% also indicate that they have been affected by a printer breach in the past.
Furthermore, with the advent of hybrid working, many (38%) view this practice as a security issue, while only 41% say the topic is covered in their company’s cybersecurity training.
Lack of confidence in safety
The IT professionals surveyed, who are responsible for purchasing IT technology at their company, were also asked about the level of confidence they have in the security of their SME business.
Unsurprisingly, phishing and ransomware attacks have been a major concern for UK SMEs, especially as new vulnerabilities are constantly being discovered in devices connected to their networks, such as printers.
However, only 3% were concerned about cyber threats posed by such devices, and while almost 79% felt their company’s cybersecurity training was sufficient to stay protected, less than a quarter said staff had been trained on scanner and printers.
Colin Blumenthal, vice president of IT services at Sharp Europe, noted that while the focus is mainly on cyber attacks that make headlines, “it’s the more mundane business functions that can be a problem in SMBs. More often than not, the everyday security needs and potential vulnerabilities such as printers are overlooked.”
He added: “SMEs can start by keeping scanner and printer software up to date, regularly backing up data and encouraging consistent security policies for teams working from multiple locations to ensure that they are protected.”
