Cybersecurity Essentials for Hungarian SMEs

TL;DR: Most cyberattacks are not sophisticated — they exploit a lack of basic hygiene. Five measures (multi-factor authentication, regular patching, tested backups, security awareness, and a simple incident plan) deliver disproportionate risk reduction. Cyber risk today is a leadership issue, not just an IT one.

Why this matters to you

Small and medium-sized companies often assume they are "too small to be a target." The reality is the opposite: they are targeted precisely because their baseline defences are weaker, and attacks often reach a larger company through its supply chain. A ransomware attack or data breach can halt operations for days. The good news: the biggest risks can be reduced most with a few relatively inexpensive measures.

The threat picture — what the data shows

🟡 Recommendation / data. The ENISA Threat Landscape 2025 report (July 2024 – June 2025, 4,875 incidents analysed) shows the primary intrusion vector is phishing (~60%), followed by vulnerability exploitation (~21%). DDoS accounts for 76.7% of incidents (largely hacktivist), while the most impactful threat remains ransomware. The report notes that over 80% of global phishing campaigns now use AI-generated or AI-assisted content.

🟢 Good practice / data. The Sophos State of Ransomware 2026 survey finds that 79% of ransomware attacks start from compromised identities (stolen password, hijacked account), and 56% succeeded in encrypting data. A key lesson: where compromised credentials were the root cause, 97% had some form of MFA — so MFA is necessary but not sufficient; implementation quality matters.

⚪ Opinion. According to the WEF Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, cyber risk is now a strategic, board-level topic — not merely an IT matter. We share this view: decision-makers should treat cyber risk as business risk.

The five most important baseline measures

1. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) everywhere

🟢 Enable MFA on all important accounts, especially administrator and remote access. Prefer phishing-resistant methods (e.g. hardware key or app-based) over SMS.

2. Regular patching and vulnerability management

🟢 Quickly patching publicly known vulnerabilities is one of the highest-return defences. Keep an inventory of all systems and devices and prioritise critical fixes.

3. Tested backups

🟢 The 3-2-1 principle (three copies, two media types, one off-site) and regular restore testing determine whether the company recovers in hours or weeks after ransomware. A backup is only worth something if it can be restored — so test it.

4. Security awareness

🟢 Since most attacks start via human error (phishing), regular, short, practical awareness training and phishing simulations are cost-effective defences.

5. A simple incident plan

🟢 A one-page plan — who does what, whom we notify, how we communicate — prevents panic and missed reporting deadlines. Details in Incident Response & Business Continuity(HU).

What this means in practice — 10-step baseline hygiene

1. Asset and data inventory (what are we protecting?).
2. MFA on important accounts.
3. Strong, unique passwords / a password manager.
4. Regular patching and vulnerability management.
5. Tested, offline backups (3-2-1).
6. Endpoint protection (antivirus/EDR).
7. Least-privilege access.
8. Security-awareness training and phishing tests.
9. A simple incident plan and contact list.
10. Regular review.

Link to NIS2

If your company is in scope of NIS2, these baseline measures also form the core of the mandatory risk-management measures. Baseline hygiene is therefore not an "extra" but the starting point of compliance.

Risk and opportunity

Risk: downtime, data loss, ransom, customer loss and — where NIS2 applies — supervisory consequences. Opportunity: demonstrable baseline security reduces damage, lowers cyber-insurance costs, and builds trust with customers and partners.

How Regcytech helps

Regcytech provides a cybersecurity maturity assessment, baseline hygiene setup, a security-awareness programme, and support for implementing technical controls — aligned with NIS2 and ISO preparation. (Advisory and preparation, not certification.)

FAQ

How do I defend against ransomware? With tested offline backups, MFA, fast patching, and security awareness — together these reduce risk the most.

Is MFA enough? Necessary but not sufficient. In most cases the victim had MFA; implementation quality (phishing-resistant methods) and other controls also matter.

What is the most common attack method? Phishing — the primary intrusion vector in roughly 60% of incidents.

Related content

• NIS2 Compliance in Hungary
• Incident Response & Business Continuity(HU)
• ISO 27001 & Governance Frameworks(HU)