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"We are too small to be interesting to hackers." It is a phrase that still echoes through many Belgian boardrooms. But the reality of 2026 strongly contradicts that assertion. While multinationals are making their digital fortresses virtually impenetrable, the focus of cybercriminals is shifting to the 'low-hanging fruit': our SMEs.
The recent Cyber Survey Belgium 2025 shows that the digital threat to small and medium-sized enterprises has not only increased, but has also become more sophisticated.
3 Hard Facts You Must Not Ignore
Why are SMEs being attacked more often now than ever before? The figures and trends from the report leave little to the imagination:
1. AI Phishing 2.0: The Perfect Disguise
The era of phishing emails full of awkward sentences and grammatical errors is behind us. Thanks to Generative AI, hackers now send personalized, error-free messages in Dutch, French, or English. They are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing, causing the chance of an employee clicking on a malicious link to increase exponentially.
2. The backdoor strategy (Supply Chain)
Hackers are often not even just after your data. They use your network as a springboard to gain access to your largest customers. Moreover, under the NIS2 directive, cybersecurity is no longer optional; it has become a decisive factor in securing or retaining contracts. Your security is the guarantee for your customers.
3. The 1 in 6 rule
The statistics are sobering: 1 in 6 Belgian organizations actually suffered damage from a successful cyberattack last year. It is no longer a question of whether you will become a target, but when.
Protection without a multi-million budget: What you can do today
Many entrepreneurs fear that solid security is unaffordable. That does not have to be the case. You can take steps today to drastically reduce your risk:
1. MFA as the absolute standard:
Activate Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on every system and every account. It is a simple action that, according to experts, stops up to 99% of common attacks.
2. Follow the roadmap (CyFun® 2025):
Make use of official frameworks such as the CyFun® 2025 Framework. This helps you align your business with international standards (such as NIST 2.0), ensuring your governance and supply chain security meet the strictest European requirements.
3. Choose "Secure by Design":
Cybersecurity must be woven into the core of your IT infrastructure, not added as an afterthought.
Cybersecurity is business continuity
In 2026, cybersecurity will no longer be an "IT thing" that the system administrator just adds on. It is the foundation of your business continuity. An attack can shut down your production for days, damage your reputation, or lead to heavy legal fines. At Brick9, we believe that every SME deserves the same level of protection as a multinational. We navigate this complex landscape together with you and implement the right lines of defense, so that you can focus on what really matters: doing business.
Do you want to know how secure your company really is?
Let Brick9 audit your current IT setup. Together, we strengthen your defenses for the challenges of tomorrow. Contact us for a no-obligation audit.
