Enhancing Cybersecurity for SMEs: A Structured Framework for IT Security Assessment

The rapid pace of technological advancement, coupled with fierce global competition and government investment in Industry 4.0, has democratized access to sophisticated digital and IT tools, even for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This newfound access, however, presents a double-edged sword. While it empowers businesses with greater capabilities, it also exposes them to new cybersecurity challenges. Facing cybercrime often requires expensive solutions and the personnel equipped to manage them necessitate extensive training and ongoing education. These realities can turn technological advancement into a double-edged sword for SMEs, offering immense potential alongside significant cybersecurity risks. This paper introduces an IT security assessment framework structured on the distinctive requirements and resource limitations inherent SMEs. It recognizes the resource constraints and unique needs of this business segment, aiming to enhance their cybersecurity posture in a practical and cost-effective manner. The framework outlines a systematic approach to identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing potential IT security risks, allowing SMEs to make informed decisions about their cybersecurity investments. The proposed classification method aims to achieve two primary objectives: firstly, to render the security level of a company's diverse assets quantifiable and comparable, and secondly, to categorize remediation plans in order to establish a prioritized scale.