A Cyber Security Glossary for Solo Entrepreneurs, Micro Businesses & SMEs

Cybercrime is rising year on year, and smaller organisations are increasingly in the firing line. As part of our ongoing effort to support solo entrepreneurs, micro businesses and SMEs, we’ve put together this practical glossary to make the world of cybersecurity clearer and less intimidating.

Our aim is simple: plain-English explanations that help you understand the risks and make better decisions for your business. If you’d like advice specific to your setup, please reach out.

This guide has been written with three overlapping audiences in mind:

• Solo entrepreneurs - one person, no IT department, security is entirely on you.
• Micro businesses (roughly 2–9 staff) - no dedicated IT person, security is usually someone's side responsibility.
• SMEs (roughly 10–249 staff) - may have in-house IT or an outsourced provider, more systems and more to lose.
  

A

Access Control

Access control is the set of rules and systems that determine who is allowed to view or use specific data, applications, or areas of a network. It's the gatekeeping layer that sits behind every login. Relevant for: Micro, SME. As headcount grows, access control stops every employee defaulting to "can see everything."

Antivirus

Antivirus software scans devices for known malicious programs and blocks or removes them before they can cause damage. It's the oldest and still most basic layer of device protection. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. It's cheap, often built into your operating system, and there's no good reason to run without it.

Authentication

Authentication is the process of proving you are who you say you are before a system grants access - typically a password, code, or biometric check. It's the front-door check before anyone gets near your data. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Weak authentication is the single most common way attackers get into small business accounts.

B

Backup

A backup is a separate, up-to-date copy of your business data, stored away from your main systems, that you can restore from if the original is lost, corrupted, or encrypted by an attacker. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. If you only do one thing on this list, do this - it's the difference between a bad afternoon and losing the business.

Botnet

A botnet is a network of infected computers or devices, controlled remotely without their owners' knowledge, often used to send spam, launch attacks, or mine cryptocurrency. Your laptop could be part of one without you noticing. Relevant for: Micro, SME. A device running unusually slowly or hot, with no obvious cause, is worth checking for botnet infection.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

BYOD is a policy allowing staff to use their personal phones, laptops, or tablets for work purposes, instead of (or alongside) company-owned equipment. It cuts costs but blurs the line around what's secured and what isn't. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. If you're a solo entrepreneur, your phone is your business device - treat it accordingly. For teams, a simple BYOD policy (minimum lock screen, encryption, remote-wipe capability) closes a major gap.

C

Cloud Security

Cloud security covers the practices and tools used to protect data and applications hosted on cloud services like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or cloud accounting software, rather than on physical office servers. Most small businesses now run almost entirely in the cloud, whether they've thought of it that way or not. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Cloud providers secure their infrastructure - you're still responsible for who has access and how strong your passwords are.

Credential Stuffing

Credential stuffing is an attack where stolen username-and-password pairs from one breach are automatically tried against many other websites, betting that people reuse passwords. It works because password reuse is so common. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. A unique password for every account (managed with a password manager) makes this entire attack category useless against you.

Cyber Essentials

Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification confirming a business has five basic technical controls in place: firewalls, secure configuration, access control, malware protection, and patch management. It's increasingly a contract requirement, not just a nice-to-have. Relevant for: Micro, SME. Many public sector and enterprise clients won't even tender with a supplier that lacks it - worth checking before you bid for that next contract.

D

Dark Web Monitoring

Dark web monitoring is a service that scans hidden, non-indexed parts of the internet where stolen data is traded, alerting you if your business's emails, passwords, or other details show up for sale. It's an early-warning system, not a prevention tool. Relevant for: Micro, SME. Finding out your details are circulating before they're used against you buys time to change passwords and lock accounts down.

Data Breach

A data breach is any incident where protected information - customer records, financial data, staff details - is accessed, stolen, or exposed without authorisation. It can be caused by an external attack or simple human error. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Under UK GDPR, breaches involving personal data must be reported to the ICO within 72 hours in most cases - know this before you need it.

DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service)

A DDoS attack floods a website or network with junk traffic from many sources at once, overwhelming it so real customers and staff can't get through. It targets availability, not data theft. Relevant for: SME. Businesses that depend heavily on their website for sales or bookings are the most exposed - resilient hosting and traffic filtering reduce the risk.

E

Email Spoofing

Email spoofing is forging the "from" address on an email so it appears to come from a trusted person or company, when it actually doesn't. It's the technical trick behind most convincing phishing emails. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. If an "urgent" email from your bank, supplier, or even your own boss feels off, check the actual sender address, not just the display name.

Encryption

Encryption scrambles data into unreadable code that can only be unlocked with the correct key, protecting it both while it's moving (in transit) and while it's stored (at rest). It protects data even after something has already gone wrong. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. A stolen laptop with encryption switched on is an inconvenience. A stolen laptop without it can be a reportable data breach.

Endpoint Protection

Endpoint protection is security software that monitors and defends individual devices - laptops, phones, servers - rather than the network as a whole. It's the modern, broader successor to basic antivirus. Relevant for: Micro, SME. As the number of devices connecting to your systems grows, protecting each one individually matters more than protecting the office network alone.

F

Failover

Failover is the automatic switch to a backup system, server, or connection the moment the primary one fails, designed to keep a business running with minimal interruption. It's resilience built into the infrastructure itself. Relevant for: SME. For any business where downtime directly costs money - bookings, transactions, calls - a failover connectivity setup pays for itself the first time it's needed.

Fileless Malware

Fileless malware is malicious software that runs directly in a computer's memory rather than installing a file on the hard drive, making it much harder for traditional antivirus to detect. It's a growing category precisely because it evades older defences. Relevant for: SME. This is one of the reasons modern endpoint protection (which watches behaviour, not just files) has largely replaced old-style antivirus.

Firewall

A firewall is a barrier - hardware, software, or both - that monitors and controls traffic moving in and out of your network, blocking anything that doesn't match your security rules. It's the checkpoint between your business and the open internet. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. A correctly configured firewall is one of the five required controls under Cyber Essentials and usually your first line of defence.

G

GDPR

GDPR (UK GDPR) is the legal framework governing how businesses collect, store, and use personal data, with strict rules on consent, breach reporting, and individual rights. It applies to virtually every UK business holding customer or staff data - including solo operators with a simple client list. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. A data breach isn't just a security problem, it's a legal one - fines for non-compliance can be severe regardless of business size.

Geofencing

Geofencing is a security setting that restricts system access based on physical location, blocking or flagging login attempts from outside an expected country or region. It's a simple way to cut off a large share of automated attacks. Relevant for: SME. If your business has no reason to be logged into from outside the UK, geofencing removes a huge chunk of attack attempts with almost no effort.

Guest Wi-Fi

Guest Wi-Fi is a separate wireless network for visitors and customers that's kept isolated from the main business network used for staff, systems, and data. It lets you offer Wi-Fi without exposing anything sensitive. Relevant for: Micro, SME. If your customer or staff Wi-Fi is the same network your till, server, or office systems run on, that's worth fixing - it's a simple, low-cost change.

H

Hacking

Hacking is gaining unauthorised access to a computer system or network, whether to steal data, cause disruption, or plant further malicious tools. Most hacking aimed at small businesses isn't a skilled, targeted attack - it's an automated scan finding an unlocked door. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. An unpatched system or a weak, reused password is usually all it takes - not a sophisticated attacker.

Hashing

Hashing converts data (like a password) into a fixed-length scrambled code that can't be reversed back into the original - used so that systems can verify a password without ever storing the real one. It's why a company that's properly secured your password can't simply "look it up" and tell you what it is. Relevant for: SME. If a system can email you your actual password rather than reset it, that's a red flag about how seriously it's been built.

Honeypot

A honeypot is a decoy system deliberately set up to look like a real, attractive target, designed to lure attackers in so their methods can be studied or so real systems are left alone. It's a defensive trap, not a real asset. Relevant for: SME. Mostly relevant if you're working with a managed security provider - it's one of the tools they may use to detect attacks early.

I

Identity Theft

Identity theft is the use of someone's personal or business details - without permission - to commit fraud, typically to open credit, make purchases, or impersonate them. For businesses, this increasingly includes company identity theft used to defraud suppliers or customers. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Monitoring your business credit file and Companies House record for unexpected changes is a low-effort way to catch this early.

Incident Response

Incident response is the planned, organised approach a business takes when a security breach or attack happens - covering who does what, how systems are contained, and how operations recover. Without a plan, the first hour of a real incident is usually chaos. Relevant for: Micro, SME. Even a one-page plan (who to call, what to shut down, who to notify) makes a real difference compared to improvising under pressure.

IoT (Internet of Things) Security

IoT security covers protecting internet-connected devices beyond computers and phones - smart cameras, door locks, printers, payment terminals - which are often shipped with weak default security. Every connected device is a potential entry point. Relevant for: Micro, SME. Changing default passwords on smart devices and keeping their firmware updated closes one of the most overlooked gaps in small business security.

J

Jailbreaking

Jailbreaking (or "rooting" on Android) means removing the manufacturer's security restrictions on a phone or tablet to install unauthorised apps or settings, stripping out built-in protections. A jailbroken device connecting to business systems has effectively walked out of the manufacturer's security perimeter. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. This matters more every year as BYOD becomes the default way small businesses operate.

Juice Jacking

Juice jacking is an attack where a compromised public USB charging port or cable is used to install malware or steal data from a phone the moment it's plugged in to charge. It exploits the fact that USB connections carry both power and data. Relevant for: Solo, Micro. Frequent travellers and anyone charging at airports, cafes, or conference venues should use a personal charger or a "charge-only" USB adaptor.

Just-in-Time (JIT) Access

Just-in-time access grants elevated permissions to a system only for the specific window of time they're needed, then automatically revokes them - rather than leaving high-level access switched on permanently. It shrinks the window an attacker has to exploit a compromised account. Relevant for: SME. Worth raising with an IT provider if staff hold "admin" rights on systems they only occasionally need to administer.

K

Keylogger

A keylogger is malicious software (or, rarely, hardware) that secretly records every keystroke a user types, capturing passwords, card details, and private messages without their knowledge. It's a quiet, patient form of attack. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Keyloggers are how a lot of "password theft" actually happens - not guessing, but silently watching you type it.

Key Management

Key management is the process of generating, storing, rotating, and retiring the encryption keys that protect business data, so that lost or outdated keys don't leave data permanently inaccessible or insecure. Poor key management can make even strong encryption pointless. Relevant for: SME. If your business handles encrypted data, make sure someone other than one person knows how to recover the keys if that person is unavailable.

Kill Switch

A VPN kill switch automatically cuts a device's internet connection if its VPN connection drops, preventing any data from accidentally travelling unprotected. It's a small safety net for an otherwise invisible failure. Relevant for: Solo, Micro. Worth checking is switched on if you or staff regularly work from public Wi-Fi via a VPN.

L

Lateral Movement

Lateral movement is what happens after an attacker gains an initial foothold in one device or account and then moves sideways through a network toward more valuable systems and data. The initial breach is rarely the real damage - what happens next is. Relevant for: SME. Network segmentation and least privilege both exist specifically to slow or stop this stage of an attack.

Least Privilege

Least privilege is the principle of giving every user, system, and account only the minimum access they need to do their job - nothing more. A junior staff member doesn't need admin rights to finance systems they never touch. Relevant for: Micro, SME. When (not if) one account gets compromised, least privilege limits how far an attacker can move - high impact, low cost.

Login Monitoring

Login monitoring tracks sign-in attempts across business systems, flagging unusual patterns like logins from new locations, odd hours, or repeated failures. Most cloud platforms (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace) include this for free - it just needs switching on. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Turning on login alerts is a five-minute task that gives you an early warning the moment something looks wrong.

M

Malware

Malware is a catch-all term for any software designed to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorised access to a system - including viruses, ransomware, spyware, and trojans. It typically arrives through email attachments, malicious links, or compromised downloads. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Staff awareness of what not to click is as important as any technical tool in stopping it.

Man-in-the-Middle Attack

A man-in-the-middle attack is when an attacker secretly intercepts and potentially alters communication between two parties - for example, between your laptop and a website - without either side realising. Public, unsecured Wi-Fi is the most common place this happens. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. A VPN on public Wi-Fi is the standard, low-effort defence against this.

MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)

MFA extends two-factor authentication to require three or more independent checks before granting access - something you know (password), something you have (phone or key), and sometimes something you are (fingerprint). It's the gold standard for protecting important accounts. Relevant for: Micro, SME. Apply MFA first to your most valuable accounts: email, banking, accounting software, and any system holding customer data.

N

Network Monitoring

Network monitoring is the ongoing tracking of traffic and activity across a business's network to spot unusual behaviour - unexpected data transfers, strange login times, unfamiliar devices - before it becomes a full incident. It's the difference between noticing a problem in minutes versus months. Relevant for: SME. Most breaches go undetected for weeks; active monitoring is what closes that gap.

Network Segmentation

Network segmentation means splitting a business network into separate, isolated zones, so a problem in one area (say, guest Wi-Fi) can't spread into another (say, your finance systems). It's a containment strategy, not a prevention one. Relevant for: Micro, SME. Without segmentation, one infected laptop can potentially reach everything on the network. With it, the damage stays boxed in.

Non-Repudiation

Non-repudiation is the security property that ensures someone cannot later deny having sent a message, made a transaction, or approved an action - typically achieved through digital signatures or detailed audit logs. It matters most where proof of who-did-what is legally or financially important. Relevant for: SME. Relevant if your business handles contracts, approvals, or payments digitally and needs a clear, defensible record of who authorised what.

O

Open Port

An open port is a communication channel on a device or network left available for incoming or outgoing connections - necessary for some services to work, but a risk if left open unnecessarily. Every open port is a potential entry point. Relevant for: SME. Attackers routinely scan the internet for open ports as a first step; closing anything not actively needed shrinks exposure at no cost.

OSINT (Open Source Intelligence)

OSINT is information gathered from publicly available sources - social media, company websites, press releases - and used (by both attackers and defenders) to build a profile of a target. Attackers use it to make phishing and whaling attempts far more convincing. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Think about what an attacker could learn about your business, suppliers, and routines just from your public website and social media before sending a tailored scam email.

Outsourced IT / Managed Service Provider (MSP)

An MSP is a third-party company that manages some or all of a business's IT and security needs remotely, for a recurring fee, instead of the business hiring in-house IT staff. For most small businesses, this is the realistic alternative to "doing it yourself." Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. If security feels like too much to manage alongside actually running the business, this is usually the right next step rather than trying to become an IT expert yourself.

P

Password Manager

A password manager is software that generates, stores, and automatically fills strong, unique passwords for every account, so users don't need to remember (or reuse) them. It directly removes the single biggest cause of account compromise: password reuse. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. This is one of the highest-impact, lowest-cost changes any business of any size can make, often for free.

Patch Management

Patch management is the process of regularly applying software updates that fix known security vulnerabilities, across every device and system a business uses. Most major breaches exploit vulnerabilities that already had a fix available - just not yet applied. Relevant for: Micro, SME. Turning on automatic updates wherever possible removes most of the manual effort this requires.

Phishing

Phishing is a scam email, text, or message designed to trick someone into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware, or handing over login details or money, usually by impersonating a trusted sender. It remains the most common way attackers get into a business. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. No firewall stops a convincing email asking someone to "urgently" pay an invoice - staff awareness is the main defence.

Q

Quarantine

Quarantine is the isolation of a suspicious or infected file by security software, keeping it from running or spreading while preventing its outright deletion in case it turns out to be harmless. It's a safety holding pen, not a verdict. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. If your antivirus reports something quarantined, don't ignore it - but you also don't need to panic before checking what it actually flagged.

Quishing

Quishing is phishing carried out through a malicious QR code rather than a link or attachment - scanning it takes the victim to a fake site or triggers a malware download. It's grown fast because QR codes bypass the email link-scanning tools many businesses rely on. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. A QR code on a fake parking notice, invoice, or poster can't be "hovered over" to check its destination the way a link can - a harder scam to spot, especially on mobile.

R

Ransomware

Ransomware is malware that encrypts a business's files and systems, then demands payment - usually in cryptocurrency - in exchange for the decryption key. It is one of the most financially damaging attacks a small business can face. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Paying doesn't guarantee you get your data back. Reliable, tested backups are the single best protection.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Security

RDP is a Microsoft tool that allows remote access to and control of another computer over a network - useful for remote work, but a frequent attack target when left exposed to the open internet with weak passwords. Poorly secured RDP is one of the most common entry points for ransomware attacks specifically. Relevant for: Micro, SME. If RDP is in use, it should sit behind a VPN and MFA, never exposed directly to the internet.

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is a structured review of what could go wrong in a business - what assets are valuable, what threatens them, and how severe the impact would be - used to prioritise where security effort and budget should go. It turns "we should probably do something about security" into an actual plan. Relevant for: Micro, SME. You don't need to protect everything equally - a risk assessment tells you what genuinely matters most to protect first.

S

Social Engineering

Social engineering is manipulating a person - rather than a system - into breaking normal security procedures, often by impersonating a colleague, supplier, or authority figure. Phishing is the most common form, but it also includes phone calls, fake invoices, and in-person tactics. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. The strongest technical defences mean little if someone can simply be talked into handing over access - always verify unusual requests through a second channel.

Spyware

Spyware is software installed without a user's knowledge that secretly monitors activity - browsing habits, messages, even camera and microphone - and sends the information back to an attacker. It's designed specifically to go unnoticed. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Unexplained battery drain, data usage, or sluggish performance on a device are worth investigating.

SSL/TLS Certificate

An SSL/TLS certificate encrypts the connection between a website and its visitors, and is what produces the padlock icon and "https" in a browser address bar. Without it, any data entered on a site - including payment details - travels unprotected. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. If your business website doesn't show a padlock, this is a same-day fix with most hosting providers, and it also affects search ranking.

T

Threat Intelligence

Threat intelligence is up-to-date information about current attack methods, active scam campaigns, and known malicious actors, used to anticipate and defend against emerging threats rather than just reacting to known, old ones. It's how defences keep pace with attackers who are constantly changing tactics. Relevant for: SME. Usually delivered through a managed security provider rather than something a business tracks itself.

Trojan

A trojan is malware disguised as legitimate, useful software, that performs its hidden malicious function once installed by an unsuspecting user. The disguise is the entire point - it relies on looking trustworthy. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Only download software from official sources and verified vendors - a "free" version of paid software is a classic trojan delivery method.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication requires a second piece of proof beyond a password - usually a code sent to a phone or generated by an app - before granting access to an account. It's one of the cheapest, highest-impact security upgrades available, often for free. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Even if a password is stolen or guessed, 2FA stops most attackers cold.

U

Unauthorized Access

Unauthorized access is any instance of a person or system gaining entry to data, accounts, or systems without permission - the broad category that most specific attacks (hacking, credential stuffing, social engineering) are trying to achieve. It's the outcome every other control on this list is trying to prevent. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Logging who accessed what, and when, makes unauthorized access far easier to detect and investigate after the fact.

URL Spoofing

URL spoofing is creating a fake web address designed to look almost identical to a genuine one - swapping a letter, adding a hyphen, or using a different domain ending - to trick visitors into thinking they're on a trusted site. It's the foundation many phishing attacks are built on. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Always check the full web address, not just how the page looks, before entering login details anywhere.

USB Security

USB security covers the policies and tools controlling how removable USB drives and devices can be used with business computers, since they're a common route for both data theft and malware introduction. An unknown USB stick should never be plugged in out of curiosity. Relevant for: Micro, SME. Disabling unused USB ports, or restricting them to approved devices only, is a low-cost control worth considering for any business handling sensitive data.

V

Vishing

Vishing ("voice phishing") is a scam phone call designed to trick someone into revealing sensitive information or making a payment, often impersonating a bank, supplier, or even HMRC. It works because a real voice on the phone feels more trustworthy and urgent than an email. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. Legitimate organisations won't pressure you to act immediately or pay over the phone - hang up and call back on a known, verified number if in doubt.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A VPN creates an encrypted connection between a device and a private network, so data travelling between them - even over public Wi-Fi - can't be easily intercepted or read. It also hides the user's real location and IP address. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. For anyone working remotely or from client sites, a VPN is what stops a coffee shop Wi-Fi network becoming a security hole into the business.

Vulnerability Scanning

Vulnerability scanning is the automated process of checking systems, software, and networks for known security weaknesses, so they can be fixed before an attacker finds them first. It's a proactive check rather than a reaction to an incident. Relevant for: SME. Usually run periodically by an IT provider - worth asking how often, if at all, this currently happens for your business.

W

Whaling

A whaling attack is a targeted phishing attack aimed specifically at senior executives or decision-makers, using detailed, convincing impersonation to authorise large payments or share sensitive data. It's phishing with a much bigger, more carefully researched target. Relevant for: Micro, SME. Because whaling emails are tailored and well-researched, they're harder to spot - and the financial stakes are usually much higher than generic phishing.

Wi-Fi Security

Wi-Fi security covers the settings and practices that protect a wireless network from unauthorised access, including strong encryption (WPA3), a non-default password, and a hidden or separated guest network. A weakly secured Wi-Fi network is an open invitation sitting in plain sight. Relevant for: Solo, Micro, SME. If your business Wi-Fi password is still the one printed on the router, that's worth changing today.

Worm

A worm is self-replicating malware that spreads automatically across networks and devices without needing a user to click or open anything, unlike a virus or trojan. Its ability to spread unaided makes it especially fast-moving once inside a network. Relevant for: Micro, SME. Network segmentation is one of the most effective controls against a worm spreading beyond its initial point of entry.

X

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Cross-site scripting is a website vulnerability that lets an attacker inject malicious code into pages viewed by other users, often to steal session data or redirect visitors elsewhere. It's a risk specifically for anyone running their own website, not just visiting one. Relevant for: SME. Worth asking your web developer or agency directly whether your site's input fields (contact forms, comments, search boxes) are protected against this.

XDR (Extended Detection and Response)

XDR pulls together data from endpoints, networks, email, and cloud systems into one view, so threats that might look harmless in isolation are spotted when the pattern connects across systems. It's the evolution of traditional antivirus into a joined-up detection system. Relevant for: SME. Modern attacks often move across multiple systems in stages - XDR is designed to catch that movement instead of looking at each system alone.

Y

Yearly Security Audit

A yearly security audit is a scheduled, structured review of a business's overall security posture - policies, systems, access, and incidents - used to catch drift and gaps that accumulate gradually over a year of normal operations. Security isn't a one-time setup; it decays without regular review. Relevant for: Micro, SME. Even a half-day annual review against a simple checklist catches more than most businesses expect.

YubiKey (Hardware Security Key)

A YubiKey is a small physical device, plugged into a USB port or tapped via NFC, that provides a hardware-based second factor for logging in - one of the strongest forms of two-factor authentication available, because it can't be phished or copied remotely. Relevant for: Solo, SME. Particularly worth it for solo founders protecting one critical account (like their main email or domain registrar) and for SMEs protecting their most senior or highest-risk users.

Z

Zero-Day Vulnerability

A zero-day vulnerability is a software flaw that's discovered and potentially exploited by attackers before the software maker has released a fix - meaning there are "zero days" of protection once it's known. It's why patching quickly, the moment fixes are released, matters so much. Relevant for: SME. This is largely why automatic updates and prompt patch management exist - to close the window between a fix being available and it being applied.

Zero Trust

Zero trust is a security model built on the principle of "never trust, always verify" - no user or device is automatically trusted, even if it's already inside the network, and every access request is checked. It replaces the older idea of a secure perimeter with continuous verification. Relevant for: SME. With remote work, cloud apps, and personal devices now the norm, the old "inside the network = trusted" model no longer holds up - this is the direction the industry is moving.

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