Cyber Essentials is once again in focus after the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued a direct warning to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to stop assuming they are too small to be targeted.

Richard Horne, CEO of the NCSC, has made it clear that the belief that cyber criminals only pursue large corporations is not just outdated, it is dangerous. In his view, the biggest cyber risk facing SMEs today is not lack of awareness, but lack of action.

For global readers, this message goes beyond the UK. The pattern Horne describes is universal. Around the world, SMEs form the backbone of national economies. Yet they often operate with limited cyber defences, making them ...