Businesses are being urged to shift from patchwork defences to secure-by-default strategies.
New research has revealed that 93% of UK companies have faced business-critical cyber incidents yet many still lack tested recovery plans, leaving them dangerously exposed. Against this backdrop, the UK Government has published policy measures for the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to strengthen national cyber defences.
Key provisions include faster incident reporting, tighter supply chain security, and proactive risk management. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), it’s apparent that cybersecurity cannot be treated as an add-on; it must be part of the foundation.
“UK firms have reportedly experienced more cyberattacks than the global average, highlighting a clear gap in security measures in comparison to other businesses across the world. Unfortunately, IT leaders are playing into the hands of hackers by not closing legacy vulnerabilities or effectively integrating security solutions,” said Mark Appleton, Group Lead Vendor Ecosystem Development at ALSO Cloud UK.
“SMEs in digital services and critical infrastructure are especially vulnerable, and this bill is a clear signal that ‘secure by design’ is no longer optional. Businesses must integrate it at an infrastructure level and continuously monitor their security process, avoiding any retrofitted solutions that react to a breach or gap.”
Despite growing awareness, many SMEs continue to fall victim to basic security failures such as exposed passwords, unpatched systems, and vulnerable third-party integrations.
“Third-party risks have surged with attackers exploiting overlooked vendor vulnerabilities and exposed passwords. The shift to mass remote work and rapid digital transformation has also expanded the corporate attack surface, leaving systems protected by weak or breached credentials.
“Retail incidents this year involving Co-op and Marks & Spencer only highlight how even large, well-resourced organisations are vulnerable to third-party risks and operational disruptions. To confront these risks, organisations are layering cybersecurity tools, but the reality is often patchwork platforms with fragmented visibility and hidden blind spots. Treating security as a reactive bolt-on only compounds the risks over time.”
Instead of treating these issues as a crisis response project that ends once the headlines fade, Appleton urges business leaders to integrate security into daily workflows for better benefits.
“When you strip back cybersecurity layers and concentrate on foundational solutions, business leaders can achieve better protection than any security stack. Driving a secure-by-design culture with multi-factor authentication and zero-trust principles can eliminate the attack gaps, reduce data security risks, and align with modern hybrid work environments.
“Stitching together disparate security tools is also an unsecure process which creates complexity instead of clarity. Instead, a platform-level protection which integrates tools under one ecosystem can close the visibility gap. The right IT partner can build secure-by-default service bundles, combining endpoint protection, identity access management, and compliance tools in a unified offering.
Noting compliance issues, Appleton continued:
“For sectors like healthcare, finance, and education where regulatory pressure and data protection is their bread and butter, this service design allows for reactive security and strategic risk management.
“ALSO Cloud UK’s curated vendor ecosystem which includes Microsoft Defender, BitTitan, and QS Solutions, offers proactive threat detection and secure-by-default service bundles. Instead of juggling disconnected security tools, these partners can help businesses differentiate on security while delivering reduced risk and improved response times.”
Appleton concluded:
“The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is not just a regulatory update; it’s a wake-up call. Cybersecurity cannot be bolted on later and this misconception leaves SMEs dangerously exposed.
“No matter the business, resilience must be engineered from the start and in real-world scenarios, foundational resilience is the only viable path forward. SMEs must seize this moment to embed security into their infrastructure. Unified platforms and secure-by-default service models can not only reduce risk but also build trust and ensure compliance.”
