What key messages or solutions are you highlighting at GISEC this year?
At GISEC 2025, Check Point Software is focusing on delivering AI-powered cybersecurity innovations that address the specific challenges faced by businesses in the UAE and the wider GCC region. The company is emphasizing practical, prevention-first solutions to help organizations tackle evolving cyber threats. Key themes include collaboration and integrated security, offering multi-layered protection across networks, cloud environments, endpoints and applications. By combining real-time intelligence with adaptable technologies, Check Point Software is demonstrating how businesses can enhance their cyber resilience and support secure digital transformation in the region.

How does GISEC help your company engage with the Middle Eastern cybersecurity market?
GISEC serves as a vital platform for Check Point Software to connect directly with customers and partners in the region. The event enables the company to understand regional security needs, showcase innovations and foster collaboration with local and global technology partners. Through GISEC, Check Point Software can demonstrate its proactive, prevention-first approach to cybersecurity, while also engaging with government agencies, businesses and security professionals to drive knowledge exchange and ensure that cybersecurity strategies are aligned with regional threats and regulatory requirements. Check Point Software’s growing role in the region includes efforts to build cyber security talent through its SecureAcademy program, enhance support for managed security service providers (MSSPs) and foster innovation with local technology alliances. These investments reflect the company’s continued leadership in the region and its vision for enabling secure digital transformation.

How would you describe the current cybersecurity threat landscape in the Middle East?
The cybersecurity landscape in the Middle East is increasingly complex and fast-evolving, marked by a high volume of attacks targeting key sectors like education, communications and utilities. Organizations in the region are experiencing an average of 2,288 attacks per week, well above the global average. Malware threats such as FakeUpdates, Phorpiex botnets and AgentTesla infostealers are prominent, while vulnerabilities linked to information disclosure are the most frequently exploited, impacting nearly three-quarters of organizations. The rise of state-sponsored cyber activities, combined with increased attacks on cloud and hybrid environments, underscores the need for proactive, multi-layered security strategies to defend against a broad spectrum of threats.

What are the most pressing cyber threats facing businesses in the region today?
Businesses in the Middle East face a diverse range of cyber threats, from widespread malware infections to sophisticated targeted attacks. Infostealers, botnets and remote access trojans are prevalent, with attackers frequently leveraging web-based delivery mechanisms, accounting for over 50% of malicious file distribution in recent weeks. Vulnerabilities tied to information disclosure continue to be heavily exploited, while misconfigurations in cloud and hybrid infrastructures are creating additional risk. There’s also a growing trend of cyberattacks aimed at supply chains and third-party vendors. Together, these threats highlight the urgent need for comprehensive protection across all attack surfaces, including web, cloud, endpoints and applications.

How do cultural or regulatory differences impact cybersecurity strategies in the Middle East compared to other regions?
The Middle East’s unique cultural and regulatory environment shapes cybersecurity strategies. Local laws around data residency and privacy, such as the UAE’s national data residency requirements, necessitate customized security solutions. Check Point Software supports these needs with region-specific solutions, including the UAE Infinity Portal, which complies with national data laws and Infinity XDR/XPR, a regionally launched platform combining extended detection and response with automated prevention. Navigating diverse regulations across the region is essential as businesses accelerate digital transformation.

How do your company’s products and services address the specific threats faced by regional businesses?
Check Point Software’s cybersecurity portfolio is designed to meet the dynamic needs of businesses in the Middle East through a prevention-first approach, unified visibility and real-time intelligence. The Infinity architecture offers AI-driven protection across every vector, network, cloud, endpoint, IoT and email—empowered by Infinity ThreatCloud AI, which ingests regional threat intelligence. With solutions like Infinity XDR/XPR, Check Point Software helps businesses detect and respond to threats faster while ensuring compliance with local regulations, enabling stronger cyber resilience amid rising attack volumes.

Are you partnering with any local entities or governments to enhance regional cybersecurity resilience?
Check Point Software is actively collaborating with regional partners to strengthen cybersecurity resilience across the region. At GISEC 2025, the company is participating alongside partners like AWS, Radware, TechBridge Distribution MEA and WIZ. These partnerships support efforts to align security technologies, knowledge sharing and regional priorities, helping organizations enhance their resilience in an increasingly complex and fast-moving threat environment. The company’s growing role in the region reflects its commitment to supporting organizations in securing their digital transformation while contributing to the region’s cybersecurity ecosystem.

What advice would you give to regional businesses looking to strengthen their cybersecurity posture in 2025?
Businesses in the region should prioritize a proactive, prevention-first approach to cybersecurity, focusing on AI-driven solutions that can detect and neutralize threats in real-time. Ensuring cloud environments are secure, addressing misconfigurations and safeguarding edge devices are essential steps. Additionally, businesses should implement robust access control measures and continuously upskill their teams to stay ahead of emerging threats. Embracing automated threat intelligence will also help organizations maintain strong defenses in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Can you share your journey into the security world? What inspired you to pursue a career in this field?
I’ve always had a strong affinity for mathematics and enjoyed solving challenging puzzles. While computers were less prevalent during my youth, I completed a computer course and even participated in a programming competition during middle school. This sparked my interest, and when the opportunity arose to study both mathematics and computer science, the decision was clear. My passion for this field deepened as I was constantly challenged with complex cyber-related problems, which I found incredibly stimulating.

I was fortunate to find a career path that not only aligns with my skills and interests but also allows me to contribute meaningfully. Beyond my technical expertise, I value teamwork and human interaction. I’ve consistently sought opportunities to collaborate with teams and effectively address the challenging needs of clients. This experience has naturally led me to embrace leadership roles.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced as a woman, and how did you overcome them?
Early in my career, I didn’t consciously focus on gender differences within the cybersecurity field. Perhaps I was so engrossed in the technical challenges and driven by my passion that I didn’t fully consider the broader implications.

However, I eventually became aware of the significant underrepresentation of women in cybersecurity and leadership roles. This realization prompted me to actively engage in efforts to improve diversity and inclusion within the field. Interestingly, I sometimes found that being different could be an advantage. It helped me stand out and gain attention in a male-dominated field.

How do you describe your leadership style, and how has it evolved over time?
I am detail-oriented and a strong believer in hands-on leadership. My preferred style involves actively engaging with my teams through frequent interactions and open communication. I value direct interaction with clients and peers, as it allows me to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and challenges. This in-depth knowledge empowers me to guide the team towards the most effective solutions.

Early in my career, I primarily focused on the technical aspects of projects, prioritizing practicality and pragmatism. Over time, I’ve developed a greater awareness of the human element, incorporating empathy and considering the broader implications of our work on individuals and processes, beyond purely technical considerations

What strategies do you use to motivate and empower your team?
To truly motivate individuals, we must demonstrate the significance of their work. Show them how their contributions directly impact the bigger picture and the positive outcomes they help achieve. Furthermore, many individuals, especially those in technology fields, thrive on challenge. Embracing complex projects and tackling difficult problems can be incredibly rewarding. It fosters a sense of accomplishment and provides a deep sense of satisfaction.

Have you had any mentors or role models who have significantly influenced your career? How did they impact your journey?
I’ve consistently sought to learn from every interaction and every mission I’ve undertaken. By actively seeking feedback and assuming there’s always room for improvement, I’ve been able to refine my approach and enhance my performance.
Furthermore, I’ve valued the insights of colleagues, even those less senior than myself. Their direct feedback and unique perspectives have provided invaluable food for thought.

One of the most impactful strategies for my career growth has been embracing new challenges. I’ve consistently accepted new positions and tasks, even when I felt uncertain about my readiness. I trusted that those who offered me these opportunities recognized my potential and believed in my ability to learn and grow. This approach has allowed me to quickly learn from my experiences, overcome challenges, and significantly advance my skills.

What advice would you give to young women aspiring to enter the security world?
Follow your passions. Women, in particular, can sometimes be held back by self-imposed limitations. If you believe in your own potential and set your sights high, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

Can you highlight some of your proudest achievements in your career so far?
I am incredibly proud to have spent the past 30 years with Check Point. Taking part of the company’s leadership team and assisting its remarkable growth from a small team to a global leader in cybersecurity has been an extraordinary experience. I believe that through our innovative security solutions, we have made a significant contribution to a safer and more secure digital world.

How do you manage work-life balance, and what tips do you have for other women striving to achieve this balance?
Some might perceive me as someone who doesn’t prioritize work-life balance. However, I believe that defining and achieving a fulfilling work-life balance is a deeply personal journey. While I dedicated significant time and energy to my career, I also prioritised my family. I successfully raised two sons, maintained strong relationships with my husband, and nurtured connections with extended family and friends.

My approach emphasizes that individuals must define what ‘balance’ means for them and prioritize accordingly. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. If you’ve found a way to integrate your professional and personal life in a way that feels fulfilling to you, celebrate your success and avoid comparing yourself to others.

This platform, which is at the forefront of AI-powered, cloud-delivered cybersecurity, has been specifically designed to meet the modern challenges of an evolving threat landscape, providing comprehensive protection, consolidated operations, and collaborative communication capabilities. Visitors can explore these solutions at booth #C39 in Hall 7, where the following highlights will be featured:

1. Check Point Infinity Playblocks: Automatically triggers preventive actions upon detecting an attack, swiftly containing threats through a consolidated, cloud-based security platform.
2. Check Point Infinity AI Copilot: Enhances the efficiency of security teams by leveraging AI to automate complex tasks and deliver proactive security solutions.
3. Check Point UAE Infinity Portal: Tailored to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes while fully adhering to the UAE’s data privacy regulations.

Ram Narayanan, Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies Middle East, commented, “Our participation at GISEC 2024 underscores our commitment to bolstering cybersecurity defences in the region. The Check Point Infinity Platform, with its AI-powered threat prevention and cloud-delivered threat intelligence, is critical for organizations needing robust solutions to protect their assets. We look forward to engaging with customers and partners to discuss how these innovations can enhance cybersecurity resilience.”

Additionally, at GISEC 2024, Check Point Software will focus on strengthening relationships with customers and partners. This commitment highlights the company’s ongoing effort to provide advanced cybersecurity solutions in the region. Check Point Software is eager to meet with attendees, discuss their security challenges, and explore how it can help organizations enhance their defences, prevent cyber-attacks, and protect their critical assets.

In today’s digital age, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly challenged by cyber security threats. Despite their significant contribution to the global economy, these businesses often grapple with limited IT capabilities and budgets, leaving them exposed to advanced cyberattacks like malware, phishing, and ransomware. Although aware of these escalating risks and dedicating more funds to security, many SMBs remain inadequately protected, with only a fraction adopting enhanced security measures and training. To address these challenges, a growing number of SMBs are turning to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) for comprehensive, tailored cybersecurity solutions. By 2025, MSPs are expected to represent 40% of SMB cyber security expenditures, highlighting their crucial role in safeguarding these businesses.

Shahar Divon, Global Head of MSSP and SMB at Check Point Software Technologies, emphasizes, “The increasing reliance on MSPs as primary market conduits is a response to the growing necessity for end-to-end management of intricate software stacks and the advancement of digital initiatives. At Check Point, our Quantum Spark next-generation firewalls are specifically designed to safeguard data and systems against cyber-attacks, ensuring secure and efficient access. These gateways not only promise secure expansion in user numbers, transaction volumes, and data but also aid in reducing costs while supporting remote workforces, encouraging cloud adoption, and enabling digital transformation.”

The full line of gateways allows supporting businesses ranging from one to 1,000 employees. They provide SMBs with a powerful combination of AI-powered threat prevention, easy management, and scalability, particularly important as many SMBs struggle with limited cybersecurity resources and expertise. The introduction of these new products aims to empower SMBs to protect their operations effectively and with confidence, amidst the complexities of the current cyber threat environment.

Quantum Spark Gateway 1900 and 2000 users benefit from:

• Accelerated Threat Prevention Performance: AI/ML powered security gateways for heightened defence against cyber threats, significantly boosting threat prevention by over 2x and displaying an impressive 99.8% block rate against phishing, malware, DNS, and IoT (Internet of Things) attacks. Enhance network resilience, efficiency and flexibility with integrated switches and a dual power supply that eliminates the need for external switches and maximizes operations with minimal downtime.
• Integrated Cloud Security Services & Network Connectivity: Revolutionary security software with top-tier reliability, seamless user experience, and augmented capabilities like IoT security, SD-WAN, and more.
• Consolidated Cloud Management for MSPs: Advanced cloud management capabilities for MSPs, now featuring a network operational view that enables streamlined automation of threat management for customers. Our consolidated security operations have further streamlined management for MSPs serving SMBs, with a centralized hub for customer services, licenses, and proactive security monitoring made accessible through a unified dashboard.

“As cyber threats like phishing and ransomware increase, SMBs face more security challenges without the IT expertise and resources needed to defend themselves.  Check Point’s new Quantum Spark 1900 and 2000 network security gateways provide SMBs with AI-powered threat prevention, automated security for SD-WAN and IoT, and unified security management that is easy to deploy and use”, said Pete Finalle Security Research Manager at IDC, “Given their limitations, many SMBs are turning to managed service providers (MSPs) for security solutions. Check Point empowers MSPs to support SMBs with comprehensive security, remote streamlined management and zero-touch deployment, reducing the need for onsite IT staff.”

The Quantum Spark 1900 and 2000 series are available immediately.

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Tell us about the cybersecurity trends for 2023.
We’re entering a new era of hacktivism, with increasing attacks motivated by political and social causes. According to Check Point Software’s cyber security predictions for 2023, Hacktivism, deep fakes, attacks on business collaboration tools, new regulatory mandates, and pressure to cut complexity will top organizations’ security agendas over the coming year. Business and technology executives need to have cyber security as the top priority in view of the fact that cyber-attacks are becoming more sophisticated and their numbers have only increased during the last year. Furthermore, as businesses look to remove cost and complexity from the entire digital and security stack, consolidation will become a “real” priority.

What is the theme of your participation at GISEC 2023?
Check Point Software’s theme of participation at GISEC 2023 is centered around the concept of Unified Security Architecture. We believe that prevention is the best security solution and our focus is on delivering comprehensive, consolidated, and collaborative cybersecurity solutions to our customers and partners. In addition to showcasing its latest security solutions, Check Point Software will be highlighting its commitment to leveling up its engagement with customers and partners to provide the best customer experience.

Which products and solutions will you be showcasing at GISEC 2023?
GISEC is the largest cyber security exhibition and conference in the Middle East and provides a premier platform for industry leaders to showcase the latest innovations and solutions. At the event, Check Point Software will be showcasing the company’s latest prevention-first best solutions including Check Point CloudGuard, Check Point Harmony, Check Point Quantum, and Check Point Horizon.

How are you equipped to help companies overcome digital security and privacy challenges?
Check Point Software offers a range of cyber security solutions that help organizations secure their networks, cloud infrastructure, endpoints, and mobile devices from 5th-generation cyber-attacks. By leveraging advanced threat prevention technologies and centralized management, Check Point Software enables its customers to defend against cyberattacks and prevent data breaches with an industry-leading catch rate of malware, ransomware, and other types of attacks.

Is there a skills gap in the cybersecurity industry? What needs to be done in order to bridge that gap?
Certainly, there is a significant skills gap in the cybersecurity industry. As technology advances, there is a growing need for cybersecurity experts, but there is a shortage of skilled workers to meet this demand. Bridging the skills gap requires a multi-faceted approach that involves education, training, and certification programs, as well as public-private partnerships and government initiatives.

To address the skills gap, cybersecurity companies must invest in employee training and development programs, and partner with educational institutions to promote cybersecurity education and training programs. By taking a proactive approach to addressing the skills gap, the cybersecurity industry can help ensure that there is a pipeline of skilled cybersecurity professionals to meet the growing demand for cybersecurity talent.

Are you participating in GITEX Global 2022? If yes, which products and solutions will you be showcasing at the event?
Check Point Software is committed to supporting and being part of global platforms such as GITEX to showcase expertise and reach out to our customers. Check Point Software will be present at GITEX through our channel partners and will be exhibiting in Hall no 1 and Hall no 5. At GITEX Technology Week, Check Point Software will be focusing on its Infinity portfolio of solutions and educating attendees on the current threat landscape. Check Point Infinity portfolio of products focuses on those technologies and capabilities that will provide uncompromised security. Check Point Software has taken over 80 products and technologies all managed by Check Point Infinity-Vision, the industry’s leading unified security management solution, and organized them into three main pillars:

1. Check Point Harmony for secure users and access,
2. Check Point CloudGuard to automatically secure clouds environments and
3. Check Point Quantum to protect network perimeters and datacenters, including Check Point Maestro Hyperscale Network Security

Check Point Software will also be showcasing the recently launched  Check Point Horizon – the industry-leading prevention-focused suite of security operations solutions and services that provides XDR/XPR, MDR/MPR, and events management solutions. Horizon’s prevention-first approach offers complete coverage for the network, endpoints, cloud, email, IoT, and mobile devices – all from one pane of glass. It enables SOC analysts to proactively prevent, monitor, detect, investigate, hunt, respond, remediate attacks, and improve defenses to prevent future attacks, and to gain accurate prevention against the most advanced attacks through the power of ThreatCloud, the brain behind all of Check Point’s products.

What are your expectations from the event this year?
The last couple of years has been far from ordinary, both for cybersecurity and business in general.  Every year, certain threats grow rapidly as cybercriminals focus their efforts on a particularly effective or lucrative attack technique, such as ransomware or cryptojacking.

2022 began with massive exploitation of one of the most serious vulnerabilities on the internet, the Apache log4j, and continued with full-blown cyber warfare from the Russia-Ukraine war. Check Point Research (CPR) reported that the second quarter of 2022 saw an all-time peak of 1.2K attacks per organization globally, a 32% increase compared to Q2 2021, whereas UAE observed an average of 970 weekly attacks per organization in Q2 2022, a massive 178% increase year-over-year.

However, one of the most worrying trends in 2022 is the growth of cybercrime across the board becoming firmly entrenched as a state-level weapon, including the new ransomware method of ‘Country Extortion’, state-affiliated hacktivism, and the expansion of ransomware as the number one threat. This year’s GITEX provides an opportunity to educate the customers on the importance of having Gen V solutions to battle the current threat landscape and showcase Check Point Software’s products and solutions that provide end-to-end security from the enterprise to the cloud, to mobile workers’ personal devices.

What will be your theme of participation at GITEX?
Check Point Software focuses on providing organizations with the ability to conduct their business with the highest level of security. At the region’s biggest technology event, Check Point Software will be emphasising exhibiting industry-leading, new, and innovative security solutions that redefine cyber security. GITEX 2022 will also provide the opportunity to network with channel partners to seek new ways of collaborating to provide solutions to their customers.

Do you plan to run any online engagements such as webinars and offline engagements such as tech talks, demos, keynotes,  and so on, alongside GITEX?
We will be hosting visitors at the booth and showcasing our solution highlights:

• We plan to showcase Demo Point to our channel partners and end customers where they get to explore Check Point Quantum (Network), Check Point CloudGuard (Cloud) & Check Point Harmony (User and Access) security products. This is a personalized demo and would be coordinated by one of our security experts
• With digital transformation initiatives gaining traction and more cloud adoption we will have our cloud security architects engaging with customers onsite and showcasing how to address cloud security at scale and speed.
• We will be discussing and showcasing our hyperscale architecture – Maestro solution and engaging with prospects on how it can be relevant to their environment and address some of their use cases.

How have your regional strategies changed in recent months?
Check Point Software is working on driving an impact and changing the cybersecurity game in the region with a series of new strategic directions. We believe this will reshape cybersecurity with the best and brightest thinking around new products, new experiences, and a new mindset. To emphasize this new direction, earlier this year Check Point Software rolled out the new mantra “You Deserve the BEST Security”; with this new mindset, we have been constantly growing and are continuing to invest with more resources in the region.

We are expanding in the UAE by investing in additional sales and technical teams to continuously engage with our stakeholders and educate them on the current threat landscape and how Check Point Software’s solutions can be of value to their organizations. Check Point Software aims to provide any organization with the ability to conduct its business on the internet with the highest level of security. Our long-term goal is to expand our reach – vertically and geographically – in the region by bringing our solutions to businesses in the public and private sectors and continuing to provide our focused insights in the cyber threat landscape in the UAE and overall region.

What is SIM swapping?
SIM swapping happens when a cybercriminal obtains a duplicate of your SIM card. However, in order to do this, they need access to your personal data such as ID, phone number and full name, which they can get hold of using phishing techniques. Then they can simply contact your mobile operator and impersonate you over the phone or the internet or even by visiting a physical store.

Once the duplicate SIM has been obtained, the cybercriminal only has to insert the card into a device to access all the information and data of the victim’s account including call logs and message history. From that point on, s/he has complete control and it is easy to access your banking app and steal your money by moving it to another account. Although this would mean using a verification code, don’t forget the attacker has access to your mobile line, so all they have to do is copy and paste the code that was intended for you.

How to stay safe:

1. Be careful with personal data: this is the information that cybercriminals need to duplicate your SIM. This is why it’s so important to be careful about the websites you visit. Make sure the site in question is official and that it has all the various security measures in place, such as an encrypted connection. Look out for the padlock symbol in the address bar, which shows that it has a valid security certificate and that the URL begins with https://, if it does not include the final -S://, it could be a risky page.
2. Be aware of phishing: you need to know the tell-tale signs of a phishing attack to prevent them from gaining access to your personal data. Look out for emails and text messages with spelling mistakes even if you know the sender. Pay close attention to the domain name to make sure it’s genuine. The same applies to strange-looking links or attachments. Often, these types of details are signs of a phishing attack.
3. Look out for loss of signal: one easy and surefire way to find out that there is a duplicate SIM card is that you will completely lose your mobile signal. This is because you will now have a phone with a SIM card that has no access to a mobile network. As a result, you will no longer be able to make or receive calls and texts. If this happens, you need to contact the authorities and your mobile operator so that they can deactivate the SIM and start the process of recovering your data.

“Cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to steal your data to achieve their goals. It’s important that people are able to spot the signs of an attack. If you’re not aware of these tell-tale clues, you’re putting yourself at higher risk and are more likely to suffer more serious consequences. This could mean having your bank account emptied or you could fall victim to identity theft which would enable the criminal to buy goods and services over the internet in your name,” warns Ram Narayanan, Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East.

Supply chain attacks aren’t new. If the past couple of years has taught businesses anything, it’s that the impact of supply chain cyber-attacks is now, universal, from the fallout of the SolarWinds software breach to the exposed Apache Log4j vulnerability and Kaseya last year. Unfortunately, when such supply chain attacks hit smaller businesses who are usually the suppliers to larger enterprises, their impact is especially prohibitive.

For SMBs already feeling the prolonged impact of the pandemic, the added pressure of dealing with sophisticated and frequent cyber attacks in real-time, is a heavy burden, as they try to protect their business against financial, legal, and reputational damage, as well as their own suppliers and larger clients’ security. It is now more important than ever for SMBs to implement strict security hygiene and effective cybersecurity processes to ensure their business is prepared for the event of cyber attacks happening.

SMBs as an indirect avenue of cyber attacks
The ‘new normal’ opened the door to several new vulnerabilities; cyber-attacks globally increased by 50% on average in 2021, compared to 2020. Our Check Point Threat Intelligence report revealed that an organisation in the United Arab Emirates is being attacked on average 906 times per week in the last six months. While security breaches are on the rise, the top threats impacting SMBs have remained the same. In Check Point’s Small and Medium Business Security Report from 2020/2021, we revealed phishing, malware, credential theft, and ransomware to be the top four threats impacting these businesses. So, what does this mean for them?

The reality is threat actors have taken advantage not only of the now-entrenched remote working model to target organisations, but also the usual limits preventing SMBs from bulking up on their cyber security defenses, mainly lack of budget and expertise. SMBs often do not have a dedicated IT or security department, meaning with no in-house security expertise and reduced focus on security patching, these companies are easier to socially engineer and infiltrate.

Adding to this, SMBs usually have employees doing multiple roles, and thus wider access to valuable areas of the business and information is given to them, and so if breached, they pose a  threat to multiple areas within the business. In addition, the business IT infrastructure is often shared for personal use communication as well eg. social media, personal emails allowing easier access to hackers, as the data is often not secured.

Threat actors often target SMBs as low-hanging fruit for their vital role in supply chains. This is especially so as such attacks wreak havoc on not only one organisation but entire businesses within the supply networks. By leveraging tactics such as phishing, cybercriminals gain access to an organisation to launch a malware attack, steal data and credentials or instigate ransomware.

Take, for example, the attack against Target USA where hackers used stolen credentials from an SMB vendor that serviced the HVAC systems in Target stores, to gain access to the retailer’s network and then laterally move to the systems that kept customer payment information. As a result, the global retailer was breached and 40 million credit and debit card details stolen.

The key factor to preventing cyberattacks is threat prevention. With minimal time and lack of cyber expertise or manpower, SMBs must adopt a prevention mindset to minimise potential cyber-attacks and threats.

Why cybersecurity readiness is paramount for SMBs
Beyond the immediate financial impact and reputational blow as a trustworthy, reliable partner, SMBs can also face legal or regulatory repercussions, operational disruption, flow-on costs for system remediation and cyberattack response, customer churn, and the loss of competitive advantage that can make or break a smaller business. In fact, a tarnished reputation as an avenue of attack can be even more detrimental to an SMB organisation, as the loss of trust with a larger organisation could mean a loss of potential business and revenue down the line with them or other new, potential customers.

With this in mind, budgetary constraints to keep computers and corporate networks protected should never be an excuse, as keeping sensitive data and information protected will bring many advantages and benefits to companies. This can range from overall cost savings, compliance with data protection laws, gaining the trust of customers and suppliers, to protecting your documents and information to the maximum by preventing any type of data breach.

How SMBs can prevent supply chain attacks
By applying stronger cyber defences, SMBs are in a position to provide larger organisations with assurance that larger companies they supply to will not be compromised via the SMB partner or third-party vendor. Whilst there are multiple means to prevent such supply chain attacks, the first step is to have good software capable of covering the entire company, protecting the company’s endpoints and devices, supported by regular backups so that, in the event of a cyberattack, they have the possibility of restoring all the data.

Any device that connects to the network can become a security breach, so it is important to secure all endpoints. It is especially critical for remote or hybrid workforces to avoid security breaches and data compromise. Also, all employees should be trained in cybersecurity so that they themselves become the first barrier to any attempted attack, such as phishing via email or SMS. Keep in mind that prevention is one of the best protection measures available.

A viable option for SMBs is to also consider engaging an experienced Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), who will have the skilled resources, updated security software and experienced expertise to monitor for and analyse threats on behalf of the SMB player. This is especially useful for SMBs who have neither the time nor resources to adequately enforce threat detection and response.

Partnering with a cybersecurity expert equipped with best-in-class security and scalable solution such as Check Point Software can put SMBs in good stead to protect against the most sophisticated attacks and generate trust among larger potential players. Ultimately, SMBs seek a simple plug-and-play solution with best-in-class threat protection, given their lack of financial funding and skills. With an effective cybersecurity strategy, SMBs are better placed to demonstrate their credibility as secure partners to larger organisations, opening up more business opportunities.