Denmark is one of the most digitized countries in the world - and that makes us vulnerable. The Center for Cyber Security considers the threat of cybercrime very high, placing great demands on companies' security levels.
But there is room for improvement among Denmark's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). According to a survey from SMVdanmark, almost every fourth small company with 10-49 employees experienced a breach of IT security during 2021 - an increase of 156 percent since 2019.
At the same time, a new report from the Danish Business Authority shows that 44 percent of the country's SMEs do not have the level of security that is recommended for their risk profile - and that one in three estimates that their company will not be able to carry out daily core tasks if they lose access to their central IT systems.
According to the Danish Business Authority, it is primarily a need for knowledge and skills to handle IT security solutions that is the biggest challenge for SMEs concerning raising the IT security level. Similarly, SMVdanmark concludes that one in three SMEs need help finding relevant advice within digitalization.
Therefore, more companies should closely examine cybersecurity and assess whether it needs to be upgraded to keep up with the increasing threat from cybercriminals.
An excellent place to start is to read the seven cybersecurity tips that sikkerdigital.dk has developed. The advice is primarily targeted at companies that still need an IT security manager employed and who must, therefore, be responsible for digital security themselves.
Here are the seven cybersecurity tips
Create a good overview of the company's most critical data and systems that should be protected.
Updating programs and operating systems helps close gaps in the company's security.
Antivirus and firewall are two fundamental security measures that protect the company's systems and data from attacks.
Insufficient or no backup is one of the most common reasons why companies lose their data.
Phishing emails sent to companies are a consistent threat. Learn how to spot them.
Strong passwords are of great importance to the security of the company, and at the same time make it more difficult for hackers.
Get help asking the right questions and get better control of the security of your outsourced IT solutions.
If you want further insight into or help on how to increase digital security in your company, SMV:Digital has just opened a pool where you can apply for DKK 50.000 for private advice on digital security. You can read more about the pool here.
Report from the Danish Business Authority (Danish article)
Analysis from SMVdanmark (Danish article)
The seven cybersecurity tips (Danish article)