A new “cyber protection” solution for SMEs
Faced with the ever-increasing threat of cyberattacks against SMEs, which are easy targets because they are often poorly protected due to a lack of resources, the Cyber risk clinic is launching a solution in the form of an affordable subscription. The purpose: to provide companies with basic cybersecurity services at a fixed cost. Lionel Ducommun, Cyber project manager at Loyco, answers our questions about this new popular offer as part of a study carried out by the Cyber risk clinic among French-speaking companies.
A new study on SMEs and cybersecurity that has just been published by the CVCI also highlights the increase in cyberattacks targeting SMEs. The latter, although increasingly aware of the dangers, are easy targets as they do not always have the necessary funding to invest in their IT security. The study cites an annual budget of CHF 50,000 as the financial means to be allocated to cyber protection: a budget that is too expensive for many SMEs.
It is in particular to respond to this issue that the Cyber risk clinic is launching an annual subscription, from CHF 2,500, which allows SMEs to use key services in terms of cyber risk protection, without breaking the bank.
Lionel Ducommun, Cyber project manager at Loyco, explains the principle of this subscription and the reasons behind this Cyber risk clinic offer.
What are the advantages of this subscription for SMEs?
A subscription allows the company to be supported and to delegate part of the Cyber risk management. This also allows operational teams to be relieved vis-à-vis their management regarding expectations in terms of measures, directives or training to be deployed internally. The level of security is increased and, year after year, an assessment, monitoring of the situation and measures are carried out in order to reduce or finance cyber risks in companies. This is essential to avoid financial losses and damage to image and reputation.
What are the services included in this subscription?
The subscription consists of a certain number of basic services that any SME should be able to carry out each year in order to ensure a certain management and resilience in relation to this major risk. Indeed, all the studies and best practice guides highlight the same themes of training, protection and crisis management.
It goes without saying, our subscription therefore includes the most requested services at the Cyber risk clinic and makes it possible to adapt to any size of company, from less than 5 employees to several hundred.
The basic subscription gives access to the following services:
- A 1-hour annual review
- A basic vulnerability analysis
- A 2-hour training (max 20 people) to increase staff skills
- Two hours of à la carte strategic cyber advice (IT, legal, communication or insurance)
- An annual conference on cyber security to encourage feedback and be informed of the latest trends
- Active monitoring to help stay informed of the latest threats and best practices.
How did the idea of a subscription come about?
Several months after the launch of the Cyber risk clinic and following more than 50 meetings with our clients (SMEs and large companies), it seemed obvious to us that our services offered around the 4 main axes of Training, Protection, Crisis Management and Insurance were not sufficient or suitable for all types of businesses. Even though all our clients have very different expectations or levels of awareness or fears regarding these cyber risks, they all have the same problem in common, namely the budget and the management of fixed costs! Although the vast majority of our clients we met understood the importance of acting on this subject, they were for the most part inclined to deploy measures or actions on an ad hoc basis, year after year, in order to respect their budget.
Initially, we thought of offering several subscriptions (e.g. Small, Medium, Large) so that each organisation could find the subscription and the services that suit it according to its size and budget.
However, after a market study conducted with 10 companies of all sizes and sectors combined, the results led us to offer only one subscription. Indeed, the issues are the same and the services offered must therefore also be the same regardless of the company or its budget! Our commitment is therefore to offer the same quality of service to all businesses in French-speaking Switzerland.
This subscription solution gives them precious peace of mind and allows them to reduce their risks by increasing their level of IT and human security.
Find out more
Contact Lionel Ducommun, Cyber project manager, lducommun@loyco.ch / +41 22 552 15 34