Cybersecurity Basics: Essential Knowledge for SMEs
Master the fundamentals of cybersecurity. These guides explain common threats and essential protections in plain language, so you can make informed decisions about your business security.
Threats & Attacks
What is Phishing?
Learn to recognize and prevent phishing attacks—the #1 way hackers target businesses.
What is Ransomware?
Understand how ransomware works, including the shift to data theft-only attacks.
AI-Driven Cyber Threats
How attackers use AI for sophisticated phishing, deepfakes, and automated attacks.
Social Engineering
How hackers manipulate people instead of systems. Recognize psychological tactics.
Account Protection
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Why passwords alone aren't enough and how 2FA blocks 99.9% of account attacks.
Strong Passwords Guide
Create and manage strong, unique passwords. Why password managers are essential.
Access Control
Least privilege, role-based access, and credential hygiene. Control who gets in and what they can do.
Data & Communications
Work Environment
Why These Basics Matter
Most cyberattacks succeed not because of sophisticated hacking, but because basics are ignored:
- 91% of attacks start with a phishing email
- 80% of breaches involve weak or stolen passwords
- 60% of SMEs without backups close after a major attack
- The average breach takes 287 days to detect
Suggested Learning Path
Start with Phishing
It's the most common attack vector—understand it first
Enable 2FA
Quick win that dramatically improves security
Set Up Backups
Your safety net if something goes wrong
Learn About Ransomware
Understand the threat that combines phishing and backup failures
Know Your Response Plan
Be prepared before an incident happens
Ready to Implement?
Knowledge is just the start. Easy Cyber Protection turns these basics into actionable tasks with step-by-step guidance and progress tracking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I start?
Start with phishing awareness—it's the entry point for 91% of attacks. Then enable 2FA on your critical accounts. These two steps alone dramatically reduce your risk.
Is this enough to be secure?
These basics block the majority of common attacks. For compliance with NIS2 or CyberFundamentals, you'll need additional measures. But starting here gives you a strong foundation.
How long does it take to learn these?
Each guide takes about 10 minutes to read. Implementing the recommendations varies: 2FA can be enabled in minutes, while a solid backup strategy might take a few hours to set up properly.