Implications of the National Cybersecurity Strategy for SMB’s

With deepening dependencies on digital technologies by industry and public sector entities and increasing software-systems complexity, the White House recently announced the National Cybersecurity Strategy to secure our digital ecosystem over the next decade

This strategy aims to:

• “rebalance the responsibility to defend cyberspace by shifting more of the burden for cybersecurity onto the organizations that are most capable and best-positioned to reduce risks for all of us.” and

• “realign incentives to favor long-term investments by striking a careful balance between defending ourselves against urgent threats today and simultaneously strategically planning for and investing in a resilient future.”

The strategy is built around 5 pillars:

• Defend Critical Infrastructure

• Disrupt and Dismantle Threat Actors

• Shape Market Forces to Drive Security and Resilience

• Invest in a Resilient Future

• Forge International Partnerships to Pursue Shared Goals

The White House is calling on large enterprises and cloud service providers to further strengthen their cybersecurity defenses since they have comparably greater resources and house the majority of our nations data. This shifts some burden away from individuals and smaller companies.

While some SMB owners may perceive this effort will reduce their need to strengthen their cybersecurity program, a close read of the strategy indicates all federal agencies and their suppliers must do more to bring about a defensible, resilient digital ecosystem for the nation. Therefore, it’s time to evaluate your program and establish a plan to fill gaps and make improvements. Starting with a cybersecurity maturity assessment is the way to go!

About AXIOTROP, LLC:

AXIOTROP’s mission is to make cybersecurity accessible, attainable, and sustainable for small and medium-sized businesses so they remain competitive and poised for growth. We simplify cybersecurity by working closely with businesses to right-size their program for their needs, resulting in client retention, business expansion, and reduced risk.