Written by Julien Ricciarelli-Bonnal

18 December 2025

Why SMEs Are Now the #1 Target for Cyberattacks

For years, conventional wisdom claimed that cybercriminals mainly targeted large corporations. In 2025, that belief is obsolete. Small and medium-sized businesses — long convinced they were too small to matter — have now become the primary targets. Not because they hold more money, but because they are far more vulnerable. Attacks no longer follow the logic of prestige; they follow the logic of opportunity.

What alarms experts is not only the rise in cyberattacks, but their industrialization. Cybercrime now operates like a business sector of its own, with automation, segmentation, ready-made attack kits and scalable models. In that environment, SMEs are the equivalent of poorly locked doors in neighborhoods that still believe break-ins only happen to others.

The dangerous myth that size equals safety

Many business owners still cling to the comforting belief that they are irrelevant to hackers. “We’re too small to be interesting.” This illusion has become a survival risk. Hackers no longer target companies — they scan for vulnerabilities. Millions of IP addresses, thousands of open ports, outdated systems, weak configurations…

They are not hunting brands. They are hunting mistakes. And SMEs, with limited time, budget or cybersecurity culture, accumulate more weaknesses than they realise. Unlike large corporations, they lack teams, governance and structured processes, making them exceptionally vulnerable to phishing, ransomware and data theft. A single human mistake can freeze the entire business. It is precisely why a strategic audit is no longer optional.

A technological landscape too complex for unprepared companies

SMEs rely on more digital tools than ever: CRMs, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, payment platforms, SaaS tools, automation services. But this technological expansion was not matched with security awareness. The result is an enormous attack surface. Every poorly configured tool becomes an access point. Every employee becomes a potential vulnerability. Every process becomes a risk if it is not controlled. Cybersecurity is no longer just technical. It has become a matter of organization, clarity and governance — which connects directly to marketing consulting, because protecting a company starts with structuring its flows, permissions and internal communication.

Ransomware: a business model optimized for SMEs

Why do hackers increasingly target SMEs? Because the model works. Ransomware is now an industrial chain: automated infection, instant encryption, calibrated ransom, and even support to ensure the victim pays. SMEs often have no alternative.

Backups are untested, recovery plans nonexistent, continuity fragile. They end up paying because not paying would cost more. The efficiency of this model explains why attackers now prioritize small companies.

The invisible damage: trust, contracts and relationships

A cyberattack doesn’t just compromise data — it undermines trust. Its most destructive effects are often intangible: clients who hesitate, prospects who choose safer competitors, partners who demand compliance, insurers who refuse to cover the incident.

A cyberattack exposes a fundamental weakness: the company did not control its digital environment. In an economy based on trust, such a signal is devastating.

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From reaction to prevention: the real challenge for 2025

Most SMEs still treat cybersecurity as a crisis response. In 2025, this approach must change. True resilience requires mapping tools and access, documenting processes, training teams, planning scenarios and embedding security into the company’s strategy. These steps depend on clarity, structure and consistency — the foundations of a proper strategic audit. Strong companies are not those who avoid attacks; they are those who are prepared.