Many Quebec SMBs struck by cybercrime

More than six in 10 small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in Quebec were attacked by cybercriminals over the past year and nearly three-quarters of them (74 percent) say their legacy information and operational technology systems are making them vulnerable to attacks, says a KPMG in Canada survey. In addition, almost two-thirds (65 percent) say that they lack the skilled personnel to implement, monitor, and manage cybersecurity risks and just 38 per cent feel strongly that their employees are adequately trained to recognize a phishing or other attack. 

"Small- and medium-sized companies have many competing business priorities and often limited capital and resources, which makes them a target," says Guillaume Clément, partner, cybersecurity services and president, KPMG Egyde Conseils Inc. "A cyber breach can be costly, impair their operations, and damage their reputation. While many SMBs don't think they can afford to have full-time cyber teams, there are options available to them. They can't afford to leave their operations exposed to criminals. They need to regularly assess their vulnerabilities and take action to safeguard their operations.” 

He adds, "Technology can help organizations to improve their cybersecurity when it's deployed appropriately. Companies should also take proactive, preventative measures, such as training to teach employees how to identify phishing attacks, restricting access to essential parts of the network, and partitioning back-up files from the main network.”