Why SMEs need a new kind of cybersecurity: Introducing Micro-SOC

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are now four times more likely to fall victim to cyberattacks than larger organizations. That’s one of the key findings in the new Security Navigator 2025 by Orange Cyberdefense. And yet, most SMEs still rely solely on preventive tools. That’s no longer enough. To address this growing risk, Orange Cyberdefense is launching Micro-SOC, a service tailored to the real-world needs, maturity, and budgets of small businesses.

Not long ago, SMEs were less attractive to cybercriminals. The potential payout simply didn’t justify the effort. But that mindset has changed dramatically. “There are a few reasons for this,” explains Simen Van der Perre, Strategic Advisor at Orange Cyberdefense. “Large organisations have raised their security maturity. So attackers are now targeting easier prey. SMEs often lack the resources, budget, and know-how of bigger players. Many still believe they’re not a target, which makes them even more vulnerable.”

Hackers are also becoming smarter at pricing their ransom demands. “They know what revenue an SME makes, and what kind of ransom is ‘realistic’. By asking for an amount that a company can afford, they increase the chances of payment. Even if the ransom is smaller, this market remains lucrative,” says Van der Perre. AI, automation and the rise of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) have made techniques like phishing, vishing, and social engineering more accessible and effective. “Even though we haven’t yet seen AI take full control after the initial breach, it’s only a matter of time.”

A SOC service tailored for SMEs

So what can SMEs do to protect themselves? Visibility is key. Large companies use a Security Operations Center (SOC) to monitor their environment and detect abnormal behaviour. But for an SME, that kind of solution has been out of reach, until now. “A traditional SOC is simply not aligned with the needs or possibilities of an SME,” Van der Perre explains. “We can give someone a Formula 1 car, but if they don’t know how to drive it, they won’t make it around the track.”

That’s why Orange Cyberdefense developed Micro-SOC: a service that fits the knowledge, budget, and reality of an SME. “In the market, you’ll find a lot of tools that claim to be fully automated. But in real life, it’s more complex. Micro-SOC automates much of the heavy lifting, but also gives you access to a real security analyst when it matters.”

From prevention to detection

Whereas most SME solutions are still focused on prevention, a SOC approach is about detection and response. “Today, SMEs often still believe they can stop criminals from getting in,” says Van der Perre. “But that’s no longer realistic. With Micro-SOC, they can detect intruders before ransomware is triggered. And many businesses don’t even realise they’re already compromised. If we see something suspicious, we pick up the phone. We explain what’s happening in plain language, and we help remediate.”

Smart automation keeps it affordable

“People are the most expensive component in cybersecurity. That’s why Micro-SOC uses our analysts as efficiently as possible,” explains Van der Perre. “Instead of one analyst for every two or three companies like in our classic SOC, Micro-SOC analysts monitor dozens of clients. That’s possible thanks to smart automation and tuning for groups with similar risk profiles.”

The service has already proven its value in France, where over 3,000 customers (mostly with 20 to 1,000 assets) are actively protected by Micro-SOC. “In total, we manage over three million assets. And we offer threat hunting too: proactively searching for threats, even if no alerts are raised. If a threat is spotted at one or two businesses, it’s likely others in the same category face similar risks.”

Micro-SOC provides the protection SME's need in a threat landscape where attacks are becoming more frequent and sophisticated. Even businesses with limited budgets and low security maturity can now detect threats before they become disasters.