As cyber risks and stakes keep increasing, companies are perpetually at risk meaning it’s not a case of if you are going to be attacked, it’s rather when. Half of cyber attacks now target small businesses, that often don’t have the resources, time and energy to making airtight security. So how can companies take the right steps to prevent and deal with attacks and at the same time be sure they have the most up-to-date defence while not breaking the bank?
Well the answer could like here in Europe and come at a lower cost than you think. With the European Commission funding cybersecurity and privacy R&I projects to the tune of €600 million there are a plethora of cutting-edge pre-commercial services being developed in Europe. Testing and validation is a vital step of these projects but often they have a real problem in finding the right people to do this.
The Cybersecurity and privacy SME end-user club has just been set up exactly for this purpose. Launching in October 2018, the club offers European small businesses early access to brand-new services designed by Europe’s leading cyber security and privacy experts. Companies signing up will have the opportunity to test and validate results from projects which can improve their own cybersecurity posture.
With different services covering areas such as privacy, governance, cryptology and human aspects, the club offers a wide variety of cutting-edge solutions. In addition, members can also benefit from tips and guidance on cybersecurity challenges and attend cybersecurity and privacy events taking place across Europe making it a real opportunity to network and gain extra visibility.
Key SME players in Europe are convinced. Sebastiano Toffaletti, Secretary General of the European Digital SME Alliance which represents 20,000 companies in Europe comments “The club is the opportunity to network, cooperate and learn more about cybersecurity threats and solutions from champions in the field. It’s the chance for SMEs to use cutting-edge services from the world of R&I.”
The club has been set up by the cyberwatching.eu project which is funded by the European Commission. The project is the European observatory of R&I in the cybersecurity and privacy space and is playing a vital role in improving awareness of cybersecurity and privacy for SMEs through the uptake of results coming from European R&I projects. The project is also launching a cybersecurity and privacy marketplace offering access to already tested and validated services from across Europe.
