By Vineesh Thadakamalla, GM of Products- Applications and Service at Vocus

I've spent many years helping businesses protect themselves online, and I need to share something that keeps me up at night: most small businesses are not prepared for what's coming at them.

The statistics from Fortinet's 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report paint a stark picture. We're seeing a 42% increase in stolen credentials on the dark net, a 500% surge in logs from infostealer malware (a tool that secretly harvests personal data from infected computers), and 97 billion exploitation attempts logged globally. But behind these numbers is a reality that many business owners haven't grasped yet.

The ‘red flag’ I hear from small businesses

I often speak with small business owners who tell me the same thing: "We're too small to be a target." This thinking is a real red flag to me. The Acronis Cyberthreats Report, as referenced in Fortinet’s 2025 Cyber Threat Predictions, specifically calls out how small to medium businesses (SMBs) face existential threats due to "increases in attack automation and supply-chain attacks against their IT service providers."

Here's what I see happening: cybercriminals have industrialised their approach. They're not sitting in dark rooms manually hunting for victims – they're running automated tools that scan thousands of networks every day, looking for easy targets.

Where there are gaps

The frustrating part of my job is watching capable business owners struggle with technology that should be helping them, not hindering them. I regularly meet entrepreneurs who've built successful companies but are paralysed by cybersecurity decisions because the options seem too complex or expensive.

Traditional firewall solutions often require technical knowledge that many SMB owners simply don't have. They're left choosing between inadequate protection or overwhelming complexity. Neither option serves them well.

What actually keeps businesses safe

In my experience, effective cybersecurity for small businesses comes down to three things: automatic threat blocking, clear visibility into what's happening on your network, and the ability to scale as you grow.

The 500% surge in infostealer malware tells us that attacks are becoming more sophisticated, but that doesn't mean your defence needs to become more complicated. Most of the best security solutions work quietly in the background, requiring minimal input from busy business owners.

Changing how you think about security investment

The most successful SMBs I work with have stopped thinking about cybersecurity as a cost and started viewing it as a business enabler. When your security foundation is solid, you can pursue opportunities that would otherwise be too risky.

A key factor I’ve observed when it comes to businesses winning contracts has been their robust data protection. In today's environment, security capability is becoming a competitive differentiator, not just a compliance requirement.

What I tell every business owner

My advice is always the same: start with the fundamentals, but don't compromise on quality. You don't need enterprise complexity, but you do need enterprise-grade protection. The threat landscape is too sophisticated for consumer-grade solutions.

The peace of mind that comes from knowing your data is properly protected isn't just about avoiding disasters – it's about having the confidence to grow your business without constantly worrying about cyber threats.

As someone who's spent years in this industry, I can tell you that the businesses thriving today are those that treat cybersecurity as an essential business capability, not an optional extra.