5 vulnerabilities hackers exploit in your SME
Think you're too small to interest a hacker? That's exactly what they're counting on. Here are the 5 most common entry points.
Think you're too small to interest a hacker?
That's exactly what they're counting on. In 2025, 43% of cyberattacks targeted companies with fewer than 50 employees. Why? Because they're less protected, easier to breach, and pay faster to get their data back.
Did you know?
43% of cyberattacks target companies with fewer than 50 employees, and the CCB recorded a 38% increase in incidents affecting Belgian SMEs in a single year.
The CCB recorded a 38% increase in incidents affecting Belgian SMEs in a single year. The trend is clear: small businesses aren't spared — they're targeted.
Here are the 5 doors you're probably leaving wide open.
5 entry points you're leaving open
1. Reused passwords. Your work password is the same as your Netflix account? A single leak is all it takes. Hackers automatically test billions of stolen combinations against your business accounts. Average time to crack "Brussels2024!": 3 seconds.
2. No MFA. Without multi-factor authentication, a stolen password gives total access to your systems. Yet enabling MFA takes 10 minutes and blocks 99% of attacks using compromised credentials. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace offer this feature for free. Ten minutes. Zero euros. That's it.
3. Outdated software. Every ignored update is an open door. Hackers monitor published vulnerabilities and target companies that are slow to patch. An unpatched Exchange server? That's an invitation written on your front door. Enable automatic updates on all your systems.
4. Backups never tested. 60% of SMEs that lose their data shut down within 6 months. Having a backup is good. Having tested it is better. When did you last run a restore test? If the answer is "never", you don't have a backup — you have a hope. Apply the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, 2 different media, 1 offsite copy.
5. No team awareness training. 82% of cyber incidents are linked to human error. A firewall doesn't protect against a click on a malicious link. Your employees are your first line of defence. Or your biggest vulnerability. A 2-hour training session reduces click rates on malicious links by 75%.
Our free cyber diagnostic checks your exposure in 2 minutes. We then deliver training as a lunch & learn, half-day or conference to upskill your teams on the ground.
Take action
Every day without action is another day of risk.
- Test your exposure with our free cyber diagnostic
- Audit your infrastructure: request a personalised audit & roadmap
- Train your teams with our Cyber Awareness Training
Sources
- Verizon DBIR 2025 — 43% of cyberattacks targeting small businesses
- CCB (Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium) — 38% increase in Belgian SME cyber incidents
- ENISA Threat Landscape — SME vulnerability statistics and attack vectors
