Category: Digital Trust Center

Secure digital business

As an entrepreneur or security manager, would you like to receive notifications of serious cyber threats to companies in your mailbox? Then join the DTC Community . To support entrepreneurs, there is also a wide range of cybersecurity information and a toolbox with cyber tools . Want to test whether you already have the basics in order? Take the CyberSafe Check for self-employed persons and SMEs .

The 'My Cyber-resilient Business' subsidy scheme will reopen on September 2. Micro and small businesses can receive a subsidy through this scheme for the costs of purchasing and implementing one or more important cyber resilience measures. This year, the Digital Trust Center (DTC) is making a total of €1,000,000 available to lower the financial threshold. Small companies in particular experience this barrier when taking basic measures that increase resilience against cyber attacks.

Cyber ​​resilience in small businesses

Many small companies lag behind in their cyber resilience and do not yet take sufficient basic measures. The fact that a so-called 'cyber resilience gap' is emerging between cyber threats and the measures taken by small companies is confirmed in the Cybersecurity Monitor of Statistics Netherlands and the advice of the Cyber ​​Security Council . Analysis of the data from the CyberSafe Check for self-employed persons and SMEs shows that the top 3 measures already taken consist of antivirus software (76%), backups (74%) and recognizing phishing (68%).

If we divide the answers of almost 10,000 entrepreneurs who completed a cyber scan into the sectors in which they operate, we see differences in the extent to which cybersecurity measures have been taken.

View more data from the CyberSafe Check, with a score per sector for each basic measure.

Incentive for small businesses

With practical information, self-scans and the sharing of experience stories from entrepreneurs who have been affected by a cyber attack, the DTC encourages entrepreneurs to get the basics in order. However, this does not encourage every entrepreneur to improve cybersecurity. The evaluation of the pilot of 'My Cyber ​​Resilient Business' in 2023 shows that a financial incentive ensures that small companies start working on their cyber resilience and move more quickly to purchasing and implementing cyber security measures. That is why the DTC is reopening this subsidy scheme and this time making a larger subsidy budget available.

My Cyber-Resilient Business in short

The subsidy can be applied for by self-employed entrepreneurs and SMEs with a maximum of 50 employees and an annual turnover of up to € 10 million.
Eligible are measures that fall under the following categories:
Secure network access/wifi
Password manager
Two-factor authentication (2FA), two-step verification and multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Patch management
Antivirus software
Set up and test backups
Risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E)
Cyber ​​awareness training

The subsidy amounts to 50% of the costs for purchase or implementation, with a maximum of €1,250 per applicant.
The budget will be distributed in order of receipt of applications until the subsidy budget has been exhausted.

Apply for a subsidy in 3 steps

You can apply for a My Cyber-resilient Business subsidy in three steps. The first step is to know where your company's cybersecurity still falls short. With the CyberSafe Check for self-employed persons and SMEs you can download your own action list (PDF) with…

Getting started with cybersecurity

Do you have no knowledge and experience yet? Then tackle the subject of cybersecurity in a practical and phased manner with the CyberSafe Check for self-employed persons and SMEs . Know within 5 minutes what you need to do today to better protect your company against cyber attacks. Download your own to-do list and get started today with our practical instructions and tips.

Today the Digital Trust Center (DTC), part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ), published its 20th entrepreneurial story in a series in which real companies share their experiences with cybercrime. In the 20th story, the director-owner of Hoppenbrouwers tells how the Kaseya hack led to a impactful ransomware attack on the technology company. The story series aims to warn entrepreneurs about the increasing threat of cyber attacks and provide them with valuable advice to protect themselves.

The entrepreneurial stories provide insight into how companies, ranging from small businesses to medium and large companies, have fallen victim to various forms of cybercrime. The entrepreneurs had to deal with ransomware attacks , fake emails , identity fraud and brute force attacks . The stories highlight not only the impact of the attacks, but also the recovery strategies and preventative measures these companies have taken since then.

The latest entrepreneurial story is about the hack at technical service provider Hoppenbrouwers . Hoppenbrouwers suffered a ransomware attack in the summer of 2021. They were victims of the global Kaseya hack , which infected and encrypted their devices. The ransomware had spread to all booted computers during the afternoon.

For entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs

The recently published TNO research report “Safe digital entrepreneurship – Insight into motivations and barriers through target group segmentation” shows that entrepreneurs can be classified into five different groups based on their attitude towards cyber security. For example, the 'overconfident' and the 'indifferent' have been identified. For these groups, experience stories told by entrepreneurs are more effective in creating awareness. The stories of other entrepreneurs confront these groups of entrepreneurs with the reality of cyber threats and the serious consequences you experience if your company falls victim.

For the overconfident, who often underestimate the risks, stories about similar companies that fell victim can be an eye-opener. These stories help them realize that they too are vulnerable and this motivates them to take additional protective measures.

The indifferent generally have little confidence in the effectiveness of cybersecurity measures. Success stories of entrepreneurs who have managed to prevent or limit cyber attacks through timely and adequate action can be of great influence to them. By sharing these stories, these entrepreneurs can be inspired to take steps to increase their cyber resilience.

Inspiration and activation

Drawing attention to entrepreneurial stories is in line with the recommendations in this study, which emphasizes that customization and the right communication strategies are essential to effectively reach and activate various entrepreneurial target groups.

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Secure digital business

As an entrepreneur or security manager, would you like to receive notifications of serious cyber threats to companies in your mailbox? Then join the DTC Community .
To support entrepreneurs, there is also a wide range of cybersecurity information and a toolbox with cyber tools . Want to test whether you already have the basics in order? Take the CyberSafe Check for self-employed persons and SMEs .