Running a small or medium-sized business today is like steering a boat across busy waters. The leadership team and decision makers focus on customers, employees, and keeping operations afloat. But while they’re navigating, unseen currents are working against them. In cybersecurity, those currents are attackers who know exactly how to exploit blind spots.
Our latest Kaspersky research across Europe, as well as North, West, and Central Africa – accompanied by the latest stats – reveals an uncomfortable truth: SMBs are no longer peripheral targets. They are prime prey. The numbers speak for themselves – and they show a mismatch between how SMBs think they are protecting themselves and the reality of the threat landscape.
The illusion of safety
It starts with strategy – or rather, the lack of it. Three out of four SMBs are flying blind, operating with goals on paper but no meaningful execution. Only 29% report having a fully implemented cybersecurity strategy. That leaves the majority exposed, believing they are too small or insignificant for criminals to bother with.
But the numbers tell a different story. Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) data from 2025 paints a troubling picture of the SMB threat landscape across EMEA. Attacks rarely announce themselves – instead, they slip in under the radar. In Europe, Austria saw 40% of SMB-targeted attacks delivered through disguised apps such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Office applications, and Google Drive. In Africa, Morocco recorded the same high figure at 41%. The lesson is clear: cybercriminals don’t care about company size. They look for the easiest entry point – and all too often, that’s an underprotected SMB.
When defense becomes a full-time job
Even companies that do try to keep pace find themselves overwhelmed. 29% of SMB decision makers say that simply tracking cyberthreats feels like a full-time job. Almost one in five admit they don’t even have a trustworthy, affordable platform to rely on.
Worse, 21% report being buried under so many system alerts that they no longer know which ones require urgent attention. This alert fatigue is more than an inconvenience. It’s a window of opportunity for attackers, who know that in a sea of false alarms, a real threat can slip by unnoticed.
The skills shortage
Behind the tools and dashboards stand the people who must make them work. Yet 22% of SMBs acknowledge they don’t have the skilled staff required to manage cybersecurity. General IT teams, already stretched thin, are left to shoulder the responsibility.
Meanwhile, the attacks grow more sophisticated. In Europe, backdoors (24%) and Trojans (17%) dominate as primary threats. In Africa, downloaders account for 55% of incidents. The imbalance is striking: enterprise-grade attacks are now hitting organizations with low budgets and understaffed IT departments – namely SMBs.
The confidence gap
Perhaps the most dangerous blind spot is psychological. A third (34%) of SMB leaders admit they don’t know how to optimize their response during a cyber incident. If the worst were to happen tomorrow, many would be unprepared to act decisively.
This lack of confidence is not theoretical. Infections are often carried in seemingly harmless applications such as Microsoft Office, ChatGPT, Google Drive, and Zoom. Cybercriminals use these trusted brands as camouflage, tricking employees into opening the door themselves.
From blind spots to robust protection
The picture is stark, but it is not hopeless. SMBs can take steps today to shift from passive victims to proactive defenders. And importantly, the answer is not necessarily about spending more. It is about spending smarter and cutting through the noise.
- Harden what you already have. Apply strong authentication, patch regularly, and configure systems to reduce the attack surface. These low-cost steps make it harder for attackers to succeed.
- Choose solutions that simplify. Solutions such as Kaspersky Next combine endpoint protection with EDR and XDR capabilities. Instead of generating endless alerts, they help prioritize and automate responses. With Kaspersky Small Office Security, even the smallest companies can achieve professional-grade defense. easy to deploy and manage, with no need for in-house expertise.
- Train your people. Employees are often the first line of defense. Regular awareness sessions, phishing simulations, and clear policies turn staff into an extension of your security perimeter.
- Build trust, not just contracts. External partners should act as advisors, not salespeople. The most valuable partner is the one who tells you what you don’t need, just as much as what you do.
The bottom line
SMBs may feel small compared to global enterprises, but they are anything but invisible. They represent jobs, innovation, and resilience in economies worldwide – which makes them attractive targets for cybercriminals.
The choice for decision makers is simple: continue to fly blind, or chart a clearer course toward resilience. By combining honest strategies, practical defenses, and trusted partnerships, SMBs can move from surviving cyberattacks to shaping their own security destiny.