No Business Is Too Small: GetSmart on Why Cyber Defense Must Be a Priority for Every SMB

"We're too small to be a target." This belief is a common refrain among small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Many assume that without millions in the bank or high-profile data, they have nothing of interest to cybercriminals. GetSmart Cyber Defense asserts that this mindset is misguided and dangerous. With a mission to help SMBs strengthen their operations against cybercrime, the consulting and services firm reminds enterprises that no matter their size, they hold valuable information that can be a treasure trove to the wrong people.

GetSmart doesn't view digital security as an information technology (IT) checkbox. It regards it as a business imperative that needs to be holistic, adaptive, and embedded into a company's operations, not a mere afterthought. Hence, it shares a growing concern regarding the complex challenges in the current landscape for SMBs.

According to GetSmart, many boards and executives underestimate their exposure and assume their basic IT practices suffice. Yet, it becomes clear how shallow those assumptions are when breaches occur. "Leadership teams focus on growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction, and that's a given," says Principal Ted Alben. "The problem is they usually neglect to ask whether their current practices protect the very assets that fuel those goals."

Some companies offer superficial training or outsourcing IT responsibilities, attempting to check the boxes. The workforce often resents having to go through the process of having to go through these training exercises. "Many are required to change their passwords every 30, 60, 90 days. And for what purpose? Why should it be their responsibility, their burden?" GetSmart argues that this piecemeal approach doesn't stand up to the complex threat landscape. "We always say that cyber defense must be viewed through the lens of risk governance because it's more than just technology management," Alben states.

Adding to the issue is that many small and medium-sized companies find themselves unprepared for the changing demands of digital risk management. This unpreparedness becomes highlighted when they try to scale. Larger contracts, especially with enterprise clients in sectors like healthcare, finance, or supply chain, come with stringent cyber defense requirements. This can include data encryption, access controls to mandatory attestations, and incident response planning.

GetSmart engages the digital workforce in the frontline of cyber defense, bridging the gap between business strategy and security. First, GetSmart's process starts with defining the client's goals and objectives across each department in the context of preparing, defending, and responding to risk. This rigorous assessment incorporates recognized frameworks traditionally associated with cybersecurity, including: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). "What is unique about GetSmart is that we apply governance standards to the workforce, not just IT systems," says Alben.

"Our meticulous process allows us to analyze gaps that identify vulnerabilities not just in systems but in people, processes, and partnerships," Principal Rob Yates, Process Management Expert, says. "What's also unique is that we actually author policies for our clients that may not have the experience or resources required to do so."

While policies are often a great place to start, GetSmart's clientele is guided through the execution and validation of policy implementation to take ownership of these tenets. This is called an attestation, which demonstrates that the business leader fully understands how the organization is compliant rather than just providing "lip service".

GetSmart provides ongoing support to businesses so they can stay ahead of threats and contract stipulations as they evolve in response to an ever-changing landscape. That means reviewing third-party agreements and facilitating compliance with cyber insurance requirements, market conditions, and new and emerging threats to shareholder value.

The impact of GetSmart's work is visible across industries, especially among SMBs embedded in larger ecosystems. These smaller firms usually discover too late that they must adhere to stringent defense protocols dictated by enterprise clients. They suddenly face multiple requirements, from endpoint protection to encrypted communications. To make things worse, they have no roadmap to compliance.

"We step in as a translator, strategist, advocate, and partner. We can turn our clients' compliance burdens into structured plans. This is how we help them retain contracts and position themselves competitively in their markets," Yates remarks.

Ultimately, the lesson for all organizations, especially SMBs, is to build a cyber defense strategy early. GetSmart warns that delaying this investment can cost more than lost data. It can mean lost opportunities, broken trust, and irreparable damage to a business's future. "When a business starts to view cyber defense as part of its strategy, as something that supports growth, reputation, and operational integrity, that means we did our job," Alben states. "Our goal has always been to help businesses feel secure knowing they can defend what they build."