We’re too small to be a target
This is perhaps the most dangerous myth a small business can believe. It fosters a false sense of security that leads to minimal defences.
Modern cyberattacks are rarely personal. Attackers use automated scanning tools that sweep the entire internet, looking for easy vulnerabilities – like an unpatched server or an open remote access port. They don’t care about your company name; they care about your weak defences.
All we need is antivirus software
Traditional antivirus relies on signatures – a digital fingerprint of known malware. Modern threats, like advanced ransomware, file-less malware, and zero-day exploits, don’t have signatures yet, meaning they fly right past old-school antivirus.
Your minimum modern stack should include:
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Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): This is the next generation of antivirus. It doesn’t just look for known signatures; it actively monitors every process for suspicious behaviour and can stop attacks mid-execution.
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Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW): These can inspect encrypted traffic and block malicious activity before it enters your network perimeter.
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Regular Employee Training: The firewall between your assets and the internet is often your least-trained employee. Training is your best defence against phishing.
Our data is in the cloud, the provider handles the security
Moving to Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or AWS provides enormous operational benefits, but it also introduces a critical area of confusion: security responsibility.
Major cloud providers (Microsoft, Amazon, etc.) operate under a Shared Responsibility Model. They secure the foundation, but you secure your data and users.
If an employee’s access is set too broadly, or if Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is not enforced, that vulnerability is 100% on your business.
We can’t afford better security measures
This myth typically surfaces when a small business tries to budget for security using an enterprise mindset (e.g. trying to hire a full-time Chief Information Security Officer).
The reality of the situation is that there are so many steps you can take that either don’t cost anything (e.g. MFA and tighter policies).