SMEs have been urged to prioritise cybersecurity and take immediate steps to review and strengthen their defences as technology specialist Espria warns businesses are increasingly becoming targets of politically motivated cyber incidents.

Clinton Groome, CEO, at Espria, said: “As tensions spread globally, threat actors will continue to exploit digital vulnerabilities, and neutral businesses may be caught in the crossfire. These organisations offer low-risk targets for these cyber criminals to make an impact.

“The message from the UK government warns businesses of the cyber political risk now prevalent, but the lateness in the message raises concerns over lack of proactive action and teaches an important lesson; businesses should not wait for official alerts to act. Instead, IT leaders should take a proactive stance by investing in integrated defences, educated users, and a clear strategy to prepare.”

He says a common weakness among businesses is human error yet cyber awareness continues to be under-emphasised. Before implementing IT upgrades and new tools, Groome urges organisations to fortify their front line of defence: the human firewall.

“Businesses must recognise that in these politically-driven times, it’s not just systems under pressure – it’s people. Digitalisation tools go hand in hand with adequate cyber resilience as threat actors exploit distraction, fear, and information overload to push social engineering attacks. A recent BT study revealed that 39% of SMEs have not arranged cyber security training for their teams, emphasising the underprepared nature of businesses who are left dangerously exposed.

“Fostering cyber awareness company-wide is essential to business security. This involves resilience drills such as incident response exercises, real-world scenarios, reporting mechanisms, and most importantly, consistent reinforcement to retain the information taught. Continuous education and behaviour-focused defences can form a workforce that is both informed and aware enough to report suspicious activity.”

---