EUROPOL reports that “58% of victims are small businesses”. Despite this high vulnerability, only 14% of Micro/Small & Medium Enterprises are prepared to tackle cyber threats (“State of Cybersecurity in Small & Medium Size Businesses” Keeper, 2018).

Another industry report (“SME Cyberthreat Study”, Keeper, 2019) confirms that MSMEs are neither aware of cyber-risks nor ready: 66% of senior decision-makers at small businesses believe they are unlikely to be a target of online criminals. Similarly, 60% MSMEs have no digital defence plan whatsoever.

Official policy papers and reports of the EU Commission highlight the pressing need to equip micro and small businesses with competences and tools to tackle cyber threats and be more resilient in case of cyber-attack:

a) “Cybersecurity Strategy: An Open, Safe and Secure Cyberspace”
b) “Supporting specialised skills development: Big Data, Internet of Things and Cybersecurity for SMEs”
c) “Identification of Future Skills Needs in Micro-Craft-Type Enterprises up to 2020”

The EU’s “Cybersecurity Strategy: An Open, Safe and Secure Cyberspace” call for immediate action to achieve cyber resilience, especially for the micro and small businesses that represent 92% of EU companies and 53% of EU jobs.

Cyber MSME - Objectives and target groups are:

- bridge the skill gaps identified at EU and national levels for micro and small businesses on cybersecurity
- contribute to the competitiveness and growth of EU micro and small businesses by providing more relevant and high-quality training and products to tackle the challenges of cybersecurity and better manage.
- develop innovative training to provide new skills and competences to entrepreneurs and staff of MSMEs
- make it possible for young people to become “cybersecurity experts” and identify new jobs in MSMEs


Cyber MSME - Results are:

- Innovative training resources, courses and materials for MSMEs to empower their staff with skills and competences on cybersecurity
- Guides with operational tools to implement cybersecurity at enterprise level
- Increased capacity of MSMEs to understand, anticipate, manage and contain cyber threats.
- Enhanced operational ability to implement cybersecurity in MSMEs
- Validated and relevant training resources for the professional profile of “Cybersecurity Expert for MSME”