Top 5 Cybersecurity Threats for SMEs in 2025

In 2025, SMEs in Europe face growing cyber threats, from phishing and ransomware to insider risks. Learn the top five cybersecurity threats for SMEs and how to mitigate them through practical, scalable solutions.

Top 5 cybersecurity threats for SMEs in 2025 and how to defend against them

The cybersecurity threat landscape facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe has intensified over the past year. As attackers become more organised and opportunistic, SMEs are increasingly being targeted due to their perceived lack of robust defences. Early findings from 2024 indicate that cybercriminals are shifting focus away from large enterprises and toward mid-sized organisations that often lack the resources to respond effectively.

In Germany alone, 73% of SMEs experienced at least one cyberattack in 2023, according to Bitkom. This figure highlights the growing scale of the problem and underscores the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity measures across the SME sector. SMEs are particularly vulnerable because they often operate with limited IT budgets, rely on outdated systems, and lack dedicated security staff. Many also underestimate their appeal to cybercriminals, making them easier targets.

Top 5 cybersecurity threats for SMEs in 2025

1. Phishing and social engineering

Phishing remains the most common entry point for cyberattacks against SMEs, particularly in the DACH region, where attackers increasingly impersonate executives, suppliers, or government agencies. These scams rely on social engineering tactics to trick employees into sharing login credentials, making payments, or opening malicious attachments.

SMEs are especially at risk due to limited awareness training and less sophisticated email defenses. Many lack clear protocols for verifying unusual requests, making them more vulnerable to so-called “CEO fraud” and invoice scams. In the UK, 84% of businesses that experienced cybersecurity breaches or attacks faced phishing attempts in 2024.

To mitigate this, SMEs should invest in structured employee awareness programmes. Security training should be mandatory and continuous, not a one-time event. Simulated phishing campaigns are an effective way to help staff recognise red flags in real-world scenarios. On the technical side, advanced email filtering tools can detect and block malicious content before it reaches inboxes. These should be paired with domain-level protections like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM to prevent spoofed emails.

2. Ransomware

Ransomware continues to be a top-tier threat for SMEs in 2025, both in frequency and severity. Criminal groups have evolved their tactics: instead of just encrypting data, they now exfiltrate it first, threatening to leak sensitive information if a ransom isn’t paid. For SMEs this double extortion strategy carries even greater reputational and legal risk, particularly under GDPR. A June 2024 study indicates that 75% of SMEs would struggle to continue operating if targeted by ransomware attacks.

The typical entry points are well known: phishing emails with malicious attachments, unpatched software vulnerabilities, and exposed remote access services like RDP. Once inside, attackers move laterally through the network, identify valuable data, and execute the encryption. For SMEs without segmented networks or active monitoring, these steps can go undetected until it’s too late; mitigating ransomware requires both preparation and prevention.

• First, SMEs should implement a robust backup strategy. Backups must be automatic, encrypted, and stored in a location that’s inaccessible to ransomware, ideally using immutable cloud storage or offline backups. These backups should be tested regularly to ensure they can be restored quickly under pressure.

• Second, network segmentation is critical. Restricting access between departments or systems prevents ransomware from spreading unchecked. Combined with endpoint protection and EDR tools, this can stop an attack early, before damage is widespread.

• An effective response plan is equally important. Staff should know how to isolate infected machines, alert IT, and begin containment. Regular tabletop exercises can make this process second nature.

3. Outdated systems and software

Running outdated systems is one of the most common and easily exploited vulnerabilities in small and medium-sized enterprises. In 2023, over one-third of SMEs globally were still operating unsupported operating systems or legacy software. These outdated tools often contain known security flaws that attackers can exploit with minimal effort.

Older systems may be deeply embedded in operations, making upgrades seem risky or disruptive. However, the longer these systems are left unpatched or unsupported, the greater the exposure to attacks that could cripple the business.

• A structured approach to patch management is essential. SMEs should maintain an up-to-date inventory of all hardware and software assets and monitor them for end-of-life notices from vendors.

• Regular patching cycles (once per month as a minimum) ensure critical vulnerabilities are closed as soon as fixes become available. Where automatic patching is feasible, it should be enabled by default.

• When upgrades aren’t immediately possible, compensating controls like strict network segmentation and limiting internet access for legacy systems can reduce exposure. Isolating these systems from more sensitive parts of the network can prevent an attacker from using them as a launch point for broader compromise.

In parallel, SMEs should begin planning long-term transitions away from unsupported platforms. Migrating critical workloads to cloud-based environments or modern infrastructure allows for more robust, automated security updates and often includes built-in compliance and monitoring tools that legacy environments lack.

4. Insufficient access controls

Weak or misconfigured access controls are a frequent cause of breaches in SMEs. Without proper restrictions on who can access what, attackers who compromise a single account can often move freely across a network. This problem has grown more acute with the rise of remote work and cloud services, where employees access sensitive systems from a variety of devices and locations.

84% of organisations experienced an identity-related breach in 2023, many of which stemmed from missing or poorly implemented controls like multi-factor authentication (MFA) or excessive user permissions. In SMEs, it’s common to find shared logins, administrator accounts used for routine tasks, and little to no formal identity management. These practices create unnecessary exposure and make it difficult to contain an incident once a user account is compromised.

• Improving access controls starts with enforcing MFA across all critical systems, including email, VPNs, cloud platforms, and administrative consoles. This alone significantly reduces the risk of account takeover. Password policies should also require strong, unique credentials and disallow reuse.

• Just as important is the principle of least privilege. Every user should only have access to the data and systems they need to do their job, nothing more. This requires role-based access controls and periodic reviews of user permissions to ensure they remain appropriate as roles change.

• Remote access must be tightly managed. Services like RDP or SSH should never be exposed directly to the internet. Instead, SMEs should use secure VPNs with MFA and consider context-aware policies (such as geofencing or device trust) for added protection.

• SMEs should also consider adopting Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA) frameworks. Instead of trusting users by default once they are inside the network, ZTNA continuously verifies every request based on identity, device posture, and context. This approach limits lateral movement and ensures that even if a credential is compromised, attackers cannot easily escalate their access.

Access control is not just about preventing external attacks. It also helps limit the damage from internal errors or misuse, which are common in smaller organisations without formal IT oversight. By treating identity as a security boundary, SMEs can dramatically strengthen their resilience against a wide range of threats.

5. Insider threats

Insider threats remain one of the most difficult cybersecurity challenges for SMEs. These threats can originate from current or former employees, contractors, or business partners who have or had legitimate access to systems or data. While malicious insiders do exist, the majority of incidents are unintentional and stem from carelessness, poor training, or overly broad access rights.

According to the 2024 Ponemon Institute report on insider threats, 56% of insider-related security incidents were caused by negligence, not intent. In SMEs, where informal processes and close-knit teams are common, the risk of accidental exposure is often underestimated.

Common examples include employees sending sensitive files to personal emails, using unsecured USB drives, or misconfiguring cloud storage settings. These actions may not seem dangerous in the moment, but can result in significant data breaches, financial loss, or regulatory consequences if personal or customer information is exposed.

• To address this, SMEs must establish clear data governance and acceptable use policies. Staff should know exactly what data can be shared, where it can be stored, and how it should be handled. Security awareness training should include real-world examples of accidental breaches and stress the importance of vigilance.

• From a technical standpoint, user activity monitoring and data loss prevention (DLP) tools can flag unusual behavior, such as large file transfers, use of unauthorised devices, or access to restricted documents. While full-scale DLP may be too complex for some SMEs, even basic monitoring and logging of access to sensitive data is a strong starting point.

• Access should also be tightly controlled and regularly reviewed. Former employees’ accounts should be disabled immediately upon departure. Privileged access should be limited to a few trusted users, and logs of administrative activity should be audited periodically.

Insider threats are not always the result of ill intent, but without proper safeguards, even a simple mistake can lead to serious consequences.

Turning awareness into action

For SMEs across Europe, and especially in the DACH region, cybersecurity in 2025 is more complex and unforgiving than ever. From phishing schemes and ransomware to outdated infrastructure, weak access controls, and insider threats, smaller businesses face the same risks as large enterprises, but often with far fewer resources.

What ties these five threats together is their preventability. In most cases, breaches occur not because attackers are exceptionally sophisticated, but because basic defenses were missing or misconfigured. Outdated systems are left unpatched. Employees receive no training on spotting phishing emails. Access is granted too broadly and reviewed too rarely.

This is why cybersecurity can no longer be considered an IT issue alone; it is a leadership responsibility. SME decision-makers must ensure that risk management, staff training, and technology upgrades are prioritised alongside other core business functions. Even incremental improvements in security posture can make a meaningful difference in an environment where attackers look for the easiest target.

If you’re unsure where to begin or how to scale your cybersecurity capabilities, Getronics offers a range of solutions tailored for SMEs, including risk assessments, managed detection and response, and security awareness training. Visit our Security Services page to learn how we can support your next step toward a more secure business.