HSD Partner Guardian360 and SIDN Team up to Boost Security for SMEs
In 2018, internet crooks tried to steal money or data from more than half (52 per cent) of Dutch SMEs. The scale of the problem was revealed by the National Cybersecurity Awareness Survey 2018, whose results were published in October as part of the Alert Online campaign. Although SMEs are increasingly aware of the growing risk, many don't yet have appropriate security measures in place. SIDN has therefore teamed up with IT security specialists Guardian360 to offer support to the SME sector.
Making the internet more secure
SIDN and Guardian360 are both committed to making the internet more secure. Guardian360 provides monitoring and scanning services for corporate networks and web applications. By maintaining a constant watch, the company enables clients to stop hacks and data breaches, and reduce their vulnerability to cyber attacks. SIDN is responsible for one of the world's most secure internet domains. To maintain and enhance the security of the .nl domain, SIDN develops new services and invests in abuse prevention. The organisation also works to promote security awareness amongst internet users, especially in the business community.
Realising ambitions
"It's clear that there are vulnerabilities in the SME sector," says SIDN's New Business, Marketing & Sales Manager Arjan Middelkoop. "Our mission is connecting people and organisations to promote safe and convenient digital living. We do that in two ways: by making the .nl domain as secure as possible and by developing new products and services based on digital identities and on-line security. For example, we recently announced a partnership with Privacy by Design, which will involve taking the privacy-friendly IRMA identity platform to the next stage of development and translating it into market-ready applications. Linking up with Guardian360 will help us realise our ambitions in the field of on-line security by delivering new solutions and establishing SIDN as a significant player."
Vulnerability often down to lack of time, know-how or money
"In the SME sector, on-line security doesn't always get the attention it deserves. That's very understandable, because smaller businesses often lack the time, know-how or financial resources to take action. They're increasingly aware that they're vulnerable, but they don't necessarily know exactly how or where, or what they should do about it. In the media, hacking and data breaches are portrayed as serious but unavoidable risks that inevitably cause enormous damage. However, we believe that a lot can be done to mitigate both the risk and the impact. So we'll be working with SIDN to develop a new proposition aimed at helping SMEs do just that, which will obviously benefit internet users as well. Together, we'll be exploring the options over the next few months," explains Jan Martijn Broekhof, Guardian360's CEO.