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Guardz Report Finds Nearly Half of U.S. SMBs Have Experienced a Cyberattack
Nearly half of U.S. small and midsize businesses have already been hit by a cyberattack, according to Guardz’s 2025 SMB Cybersecurity Report, which surveyed 800 SMB owners across multiple industries. The report found that 43 percent experienced at least one attack in the past five years, with phishing, ransomware and employee error cited as the most common threats. Despite rising awareness—80 percent of respondents said cyber risk has increased—more than half of SMBs still rely on business owners or untrained staff to manage security, often without professional support.
The data shows a clear link between preparation and resilience. By contrast, only 34 percent of SMBs have such a plan in place, and 27 percent lack cyber insurance altogether. While many businesses reported a quick recovery, a small but notable percentage suffered lasting harm. The findings underscore a growing opportunity for managed service providers, as fear of attacks and responsibility to customers increasingly drive SMBs to seek outside expertise. As threats increase, a formal incident response plan is paramount for reducing damage and maintaining operational resilience. The report also showed that 80 percent of SMBs with proper incident response plans in place were able to avoid major damage in the event of attacks.
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Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on December 17, 2025