Generative AI is transforming the cyber threat landscape, making phishing emails and deepfakes more convincing and scalable than ever before. In the past, these attacks were easy to spot, full of careless typos, clumsy grammar and vague language. Nowadays though, cyber attacks are becoming so sophisticated they’re almost impossible to differentiate from genuine communications.
With successful data breaches at M&S, Co-op and Jaguar Land Rover making headlines recently, it seems no business is immune.
For SMEs, which often lack enterprise-grade defences, this levelling of the playing field can work in the attacker’s favour. Tight budgets and small teams make them the low-hanging fruit of cyber crime. A single breach can lead to catastrophic disruption, halting operations and causing reputational damage or crippling capital loss.
Yet while there’s no silver bullet for SME cyber security, having a robust strategy to prepare for the worst-case scenario is vital. Real resilience doesn’t come from last minute panic once the storm has hit, it comes from layering defences through education, prevention, cure and – most importantly – recovery.
Educate your team to avoid giving attackers an easy way in
Many believe having the latest technology in place will do all the heavy lifting, but even the most advanced, state-of-the-art security systems are ineffective if the people in your business don’t know how to use them.
In the past year alone, nearly half of UK businesses were hit by a cyber breach or attack. Most of these incidents (85%) relied on phishing or impersonation – methods that can be mitigated by effective training and behavioural change. Yet too often, employees aren’t taught how to spot or respond to these threats, leaving a weak link for attackers to exploit.
Building a culture of security awareness – where staff can detect suspicious emails, update passwords regularly and act quickly if something isn’t quite right – greatly reduces the chances of one small mistake turning into an organisation-wide crisis.
That said, awareness and training alone isn’t enough. Attackers adapt quickly, and SMEs must build several layers of defence to stay fully protected.
Build stronger barriers to prevent cyber breaches
Think about a game of football. It’s not just up to the goalkeeper to save every shot. There’s a full defensive line – midfielders, defenders and a goalkeeper – working together to stop the other team scoring.
Protecting your business against cybercrimes is no different. One line of defence simply isn’t enough to safeguard your future. For SMEs, this means implementing proactive measures that move beyond the basics. Protective layers like phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA), keeping devices and software up to date and monitoring for threats, all work together to reduce risk.
Prevention should be viewed as a long-term investment – the upfront cost is far less than the financial and operational loss if an attack is successful.
Have a cure when things go wrong
It doesn’t matter how robust your cyber security systems are, cyber breaches today are almost inevitable. It’s not a question of if your business will be targeted, but when.
Having a well-rehearsed contingency plan can be the difference between your business recovering or collapsing. Clear protocols, transparent communications to reassure employees and customers, and external support all help limit the damage and accelerate recovery – operationally and reputationally.
Ensure a smooth recovery through the last line of defence
For SMEs, this final stage is critical. Even with the best training, tools and processes, defences can fail. And when they do, recovery is everything.
True resilience comes from secure, air-gapped, immutable backups – the gold standard of data protection, designed to survive even a full-scale cyber attack.
Put simply, these are backup copies of data stored in an isolated environment, beyond the reach of attackers. They’re protected by strict access controls, kept separate from the main network and locked so they can’t be altered, encrypted or deleted. This makes them virtually untouchable for hackers. In a ransomware scenario, they provide the only guaranteed path to restore your data.
Without them, businesses face two options: pay the ransom or undergo catastrophic downtime – both outcomes most SMEs can’t afford or survive. Having a last line of defence with secure backups means they won’t have to.
The case for layered resilience
The reality is that cyber security can no longer be treated as an afterthought. In an era of AI-driven cyber attacks, taking proactive steps to fully protect your business must be front of mind. Tools like Microsoft 365 continue to enhance built-in security features, but businesses still need to take ownership of their resilience and go a step further to safeguard themselves.
Despite what people might think, enterprise-grade protection doesn’t necessarily call for an enterprise-grade budget. What it does require is layered thinking.
There may be no silver bullet for cyber security, but layered resilience is the difference between survival and defeat. By combining education, prevention, cure and recovery – with air-gapped backups built into the foundation – SMEs can withstand even the most advanced AI-powered attacks.
In the end, survival isn’t about avoiding every attack. It’s about being ready for when they hit successfully, recovering quickly and emerging stronger.
Richard Abrams is chief technology officer for technical and comms at Kick ICT, a managed security services provider
