"Everything around working from home is a target for cybercriminals"

Cybersecurity and an appropriate IT infrastructure remains the top priority for Belgian companies. After all, cyber risks continue to evolve rapidly and IT infrastructures are becoming increasingly complex. Organizations such as the Brussels Europe Hospitals and Technord, which helps companies in the transition to Industry 4.0, can speak for themselves. Aubrey Beelen of BKM-Orange, Orange Belgium's ICT integrator, offers some tips for SMEs.

A survey by Beltug, the sector association of ICT managers, recently showed that cybersecurity and IT infrastructure are among the top priorities for Belgian companies in the coming year. Aubrey Beelen confirms that: "We too are noticing an increase in maturity around cybersecurity and the demand for appropriate solutions. Companies are questioning their existing security faster and are willing to invest."

This is absolutely necessary, as increased home-based work makes cybersecurity challenging. "Anything to do with working from home is an obvious target for cybercriminals. We see that many SMEs are really relying on their IT partner for security because they have difficulty recruiting suitable profiles themselves. So having the same partner for both connectivity and IT services definitely adds value," Aubrey said. "Another trend is that more and more IT security solutions are cloud-integrated. As a result, we have a lot more computing power at our disposal to combat cyber attacks."

More than ever, SMEs must step up to the plate to secure themselves. "They are equally targeted and affected by cybercriminals. While their IT infrastructure is less adapted to the latest trends. My advice: allocate sufficient budget for cyber security. For example, it is very useful to have an assessment of your IT infrastructure. And know that the more integrated the solutions used, the greater the success of your security will be."

BKM-Orange's expert has more tips: "Every employee has a responsibility in cybersecurity. Pay sufficient attention to awareness. You can gauge this through user awareness tests, such as a phishing simulation. Another piece of advice is to put more effort into detection as well. We must be aware that not every attack can be avoided. Good security solutions with detection and response functionalities can help with this," concludes Aubrey Beelen.