European SMEs are a prime target for cybercrime and supply chain attacks due to weak security and stricter regulations, Orange Cyberdefense warns.
SMEs in Europe are rapidly becoming a primary target for cyberattacks. This is according to the Security Navigator 2025 report by Orange Cyberdefense. While large companies often invest heavily in cybersecurity, SMEs lag behind, and cybercriminals are capitalizing on this.
Popular Target
In Europe, SMEs now account for more than two-thirds of the victims of cyber extortion, which includes ransomware. The number of attacks increased by more than 50 percent last year for both small and medium-sized businesses.
Based on the report, SMEs are up to three times more likely to be targeted than large companies. It is also striking that supply chain attacks are a new entry point: criminals are abusing vulnerable SMEs as a gateway to larger partners in the chain.
The relatively extensive legislation on cybersecurity distinguishes Europe from the rest of the world. This includes not only the GDPR regulations that make companies responsible for the adequate protection of personal data, but also the broader NIS2 directive on cybersecurity. However, these rules do not immediately guarantee more security for everyone. SMEs in particular struggle with translating regulation into daily practice.
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The report shows that internal threats, such as shadow IT, unauthorized software, and human errors, make European SMEs extra vulnerable. Criminals are cleverly using ‘living off the land’ tactics that appear legitimate, making detection difficult. At the same time, the patch policy at SMEs often lags behind, leaving known vulnerabilities open.
Worldwide Situation
Other regions place a different emphasis on their response to increasing cyber threats. In North America, for example, there is also a large threat volume, but the emphasis there is more on protecting OT systems and rapid incident response. In the APAC region, the focus is on the enormous growth of IoT and 5G, which opens up new attack vectors there. Africa and the Middle East, in turn, face weak basic security with rapid digitization.
Europe must address its region-specific challenges by paying attention to the role of SMEs. This requires new strategies and collaborations.
The report was compiled based on EDR/XDR and SIEM data from Orange Cyberdefense’s platforms, collected through fifteen SOCs worldwide. The data comes from approximately 135,000 companies and was collected between October 2023 and September 2024.