It’s never too late ! After a year of gestation, the government has finally launched one of the blades of its “cyber shield”, this anti-cyberattack plan which combines audits, anti-scam filters and shared platforms. Called “Cyber PME”, this support system for small and medium-sized businesses will be led by the general management of businesses and managed by BpiFrance.
This new tool should make it possible to “support SMEs and mid-sized companies in their increase in cybersecurity skills as part of the France 2030 plan”, an investment plan with 54 billion euros, summarize the public authorities. “Cyber PME” will be allocated a budget of 12.5 million euros.
An expert to advise
Concretely, the support system must make it possible to carry out diagnoses, implement an action plan and finally advise on the purchase of solutions. Each time, an expert is made available to assist the companies. “Cyber attacks can have disastrous consequences for a company or for its supplier,” recalls Jean-Noël Barrot, the minister in charge of digital technology in the press release published on this launch.
The public authorities specify that two sectors have been deemed priorities, those of civil aeronautics and energy. Jean-Noël Barrot initially expected 750 SMEs and ETIs working in the sectors covered by the NIS2 directive. “This system will provide valuable support to several hundred companies which will be affected from autumn 2024 by the requirements of the NIS 2 directive and [qui] must already prepare for compliance,” he now specifies.
Community cyber journey
This system is inspired by the cyber courses launched for the benefit of communities and health establishments by Anssi. Funded as part of the “France Relance” plan, it had made it possible to support 950 beneficiaries, including 715 local authorities, the French cyber firefighter reported in its latest annual report.
In a recent report, the Cyber Campus recommended that the Anssi courses intended for communities be adapted for the benefit of small and medium-sized businesses. “Although SMEs are increasingly aware of cyber risk, they do not know where to turn,” noted the authors of the report.