It's time cybersecurity moved beyond just critical sectors

A penny for your thoughts: If a cyberattack hits a national power grid, it’s a crisis. If it hits your local clothing startup or an e-learning platform? Most people shrug. But here’s the catch: Cybercriminals don’t make that distinction and it’s time we stopped doing that, too.

Welcome back to The Tech Thread, where we talk about how tech is dismantling and reshaping our tomorrows. From trends worth tracking to strategies you can actually use to stay ahead, today we bring you a full dime’s worth of insights.

Beyond the “critical” comfort zone

Governments and enterprises have long prioritized protecting critical infrastructure, like banking, healthcare, utilities, and defense—and rightly so. But as digital transformation reaches every nook and cranny of the economy, non-critical sectors are becoming prime targets; not because they’re more important, but because they’re often less protected.

We’re talking major sectors where a lot of consumer data is involved.

• E-commerce platforms that process thousands of customer orders daily
• Education providers, from online course creators to digital classrooms
• Tourism operators managing bookings, passports, and personal data
• Startups and small- to medium-sized enterprises trying to scale fast—but often without a cybersecurity team

They handle personal data, process transactions, and rely on the cloud just like any big corporation, yet many lack the resources, talent, or awareness to defend themselves.

Source

A growth in digital touch points equals an increase in entry points for cybercriminals. Smaller businesses are often connected to larger ecosystems or rely on third-party platforms, making them ideal targets for lateral attacks. Increasingly, attackers are taking advantage of zero-day vulnerabilities in widely used software that can go unpatched for weeks, especially in smaller organizations with limited IT support. This allows threat actors to breach systems quietly and pivot to more high-value targets.

What needs to change?

If every business is now a digital business, then every business needs to think like a security-first one.

Source: Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2023

The first shift is mindset. Cybersecurity can’t be treated like an afterthought or a once-a-year compliance exercise. For smaller businesses especially, it needs to move from “nice to have” to non-negotiable. We need systems that are built to support those who don’t have a CISO on speed dial because the longer it takes to respond to a data breach, the more damaging and expensive it becomes. 

This means:

• Affordable, easy-to-deploy security tools that don’t require a full-time IT team to manage
• Stronger partnerships between governments, large enterprises, and tech vendors to help small players secure their digital presence
• Clear, inclusive policies and frameworks that protect all types of businesses
• Security training as a standard, not just for tech teams but for anyone with a login screen

A digital ecosystem is only as strong as its weakest link

Too often, cybersecurity is just treated as a protective layer. But in reality, cybersecurity is infrastructure. Just like roads and power lines keep cities running, digital security keeps businesses operational, reputations intact, and economies stable.

And here’s the shift we don’t talk about enough: Cybersecurity is now a competitive advantage. Customers are becoming more privacy-conscious. Regulations are tightening. Partners want to know you’re not the weak link in their supply chain. Being secure isn’t just about defense. It’s about earning trust, proving maturity, and standing out in a noisy, high-risk market.

The companies that survive the next wave of cyberthreats will be the ones with the right awareness and cybersecurity solutions that bake security into their culture and prioritize resilience at every level.

The takeaway? If a business is online, it’s a potential target. If we want a safer digital world, we need to start treating cybersecurity as a basic requirement and not just something for the “big guys.”

Because in a world where breaches are inevitable, how you prepare and how you respond is what really sets you apart.

Thanks for reading. If you’re building solutions for underdog sectors or working on cyber resilience beyond the obvious, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Until next time!