Whilst generative AI and the rise of Ransomware-as-a-Software poses growing problems for SMEs, AI copilot tools can provide much-needed support, says ALSO Cloud UK.
Ransomware as a Software (RaaS) is on the rise, dramatically lowering the entry barriers for cyber actors to launch relentless attacks on businesses. With the evolution of generative AI, and fuel from both organised and state-sponsored criminal groups, the market has grown to a billion-pound industry.
With this lower barrier of entry, more threats of varying sophistication levels are popping up. Bigger organisations with larger cybersecurity teams can easily deal with these additional threats, but SMEs end up more susceptible to being caught in an attack or targeted by dangerous cyber actors looking for a quick payout. More support is needed for those with smaller profiles and limited resources, lest one ransomware assault put them out of business entirely.
Mark Appleton, Chief Customer Officer at ALSO Cloud UK, believes that SMEs are at greater risk from RaaS attackers due to their more limited, exploitable, security profile. “Whilst business leaders might think their relatively smaller businesses are safe due to being fewer valuable targets, in reality, attackers understand that a smaller business is more likely to pay for attackers to leave them alone and has a weaker security posture to exploit. You can pay in the hopes that your attacker moves on quicker, but instead, this is signalling you’re ready to pay over and over per successful ransomware attempt.”
But hope is not lost entirely. Appleton highlights that whilst generative AI may be a security problem, copilot solutions powered by similar technology hold the solution. “With the power that Copilot is giving RaaS, there is an equal if not greater opposing solution to preventing it. The tools are available in the hands of MSPs, and just require the right expert to integrate into SME security ecosystems.
“Security training does not necessarily require an additional dozen hoops to jump through to coordinate successfully. In entrusting SME security to trusted security partners – always on hand to help and available via partnerships with cloud marketplaces – SMEs can rely on expert help at the click of a button. This helps the SME market self-insure – rather than investing millions of pounds in software to create their own robust security profile, the software to build a partner ecosystem is there via MSP and vendor partnerships.
“Additionally, a unified response to cybersecurity can be achieved by the sum of many partnerships, available once again through tailored vendor support. MSPs can fill the gaps in both knowledge and resources that SMEs don’t have, bringing access to training and lowering the barrier of entry in protecting a smaller business.”
Appleton concludes: “Resources are there to combat the rise in ransomware, and with the development and integration of Copilot tools, suddenly SMEs have an additional pair of hands in their security team. Whilst generative AI undoubtedly has launched a new wave of ransomware threats, it holds the answer to defending against those same attacks as well, going one step further in being able to more easily and proactively prevent crippling cyberattacks before they can occur. Finding the right expert that has all the knowledge and tools in one place is the first step for any SME looking to safeguard their operations and survive the current security landscape.”
About ALSO
ALSO is one of the leading technology providers for the ICT industry currently active in 30 countries in Europe and a total of 144 countries worldwide. In 2023, net sales of the Swiss-based company, which employs about 4,000 people, amounted to 11.1 billion euros. The ALSO ecosystem offers around 135,000 resellers hardware, software and IT services from more than 800 vendors in over 1 540 product categories. In the spirit of the circular economy, the company provides all services from provision to refurbishment from a single source.
ALSO has three business models: The Supply division comprises the transactional range of hardware and software. The Solutions division supports customers in the development of customised IT solutions and ready-to-use IoT applications. Subscription-based cloud offerings for soft- and hardware as well as platforms for cybersecurity, IoT, virtualisation and AI are the focus of the Service area.
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