Looking Ahead to 2025: The Year Cybersecurity Must Prioritize SMBs

As we look ahead to 2025, one thing is clear — cybersecurity isn’t slowing down. Investment is at an all-time high, with new tools, platforms, and technologies flooding the market. However, despite the surge of innovation, one critical group continues to be underserved: small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). 

While large enterprises have the luxury of full security teams and platform-based solutions, SMBs are left grappling with complex tools they can’t fully utilize and resource constraints that limit their capacity to hire in-house cybersecurity experts. This gap has become one of the most pressing issues in cybersecurity today. 

It’s also a key focus of my recent fireside chat with Mark Carney, President of Evolve Security, titled "The State of Cybersecurity in 2025." This discussion explored the megatrends shaping our industry, the investment landscape, and how companies can prepare for the year ahead.

The Reality for SMBs: Platforms Aren’t the Answer Platforms promise simple-to-use "all-in-one" solutions, but the reality for SMBs is far different. For startups and smaller businesses, security is about maturity, visibility, and automation. Unlike larger enterprises, SMBs don’t have the luxury of dedicated security teams. Instead, they need accessible, scalable solutions that fit their size and budget and, more importantly, do not have the complexity and high costs of enterprise platforms.

At Endari, SMBs need more than just platforms; they need partners who understand their specific needs. They need service providers to help them develop maturity over time, provide clear visibility into their security posture, and leverage automation to handle tasks that would otherwise require costly, dedicated headcount. This approach allows smaller companies to focus on growth while maintaining a strong security foundation.

2025 Cybersecurity Macrotrends My conversation with Mark Carney surfaced several key trends that every business — regardless of size — should watch in 2025. Here are the top three:

Rising Attack Sophistication & Security Complexity

Cyberattacks are increasing in frequency and sophistication, with cybercriminals finding more creative ways to exploit vulnerabilities in systems, software, people, and processes. As threats compound, businesses face heightened complexity and tighter budgets, making it harder to keep pace. This evolving landscape demands a shift from reactive to proactive security strategies. Companies must strengthen threat detection and incident response and balance investments across key risk areas—or risk being caught off guard by emerging threats.

The Cybersecurity Talent Shortage Continues

The cybersecurity talent shortage is growing as demand for specialized roles in threat hunting, cloud security, and incident response continues to outpace supply. With too few skilled professionals available, companies are often turning to outsourced providers and AI-driven automation to fill the gap. SMBs, in particular, are feeling the pinch as they lack the resources to compete for top talent. As the skills shortage continues, reliance on service-based security models is expected to increase.

Venture Capital & Misaligned Innovation

Venture capital is pouring investments into cybersecurity startups, but are these investments addressing the right problems? While many new tools aim to solve legacy security issues, there’s growing concern that true innovation is lacking. Too much attention is placed on developing cutting-edge tech while foundational cyber hygiene remains missing for a large part of the economy. This oversight leaves smaller companies particularly vulnerable, as they often lack the time, budget, and staff to shore up basic defenses.

The Path Forward for SMBs For too long, the cybersecurity industry has focused on enterprise-sized solutions. But that needs to change in 2025. 

SMBs don’t need platforms—they need partners. They need service providers built for them—providers that understand their unique needs and can support them with solutions that grow with them. Unlike enterprises, SMBs don’t have the luxury of dedicated security teams, so they require purpose-built, continuous, always-on solutions that provide real-time visibility.

This approach allows SMBs to focus on business growth while knowing their security foundation is strong. They need access to build better maturity, increase visibility, and implement more automation without the burden of hiring and maintaining an in-house security team. 

If you want clear insights into where the industry is headed, please watch the full version of the fireside chat. We discuss the key cybersecurity challenges going into 2025 and how businesses can prepare for what's ahead.

2025 is the year to prioritize security maturity, visibility, and automation. With the right partners by your side, you don't have to do it alone.