African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have fewer financial, human and technical resources to protect themselves from computer threats. They tend to overlook protection against cyberattacks. As a result, they have flaws and vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cybercriminals. Here are Cédrick Ouedraogo's tips

Cédrick Ouédraogo, computer system consultant, said that SMEs must be aware of the risks to which they are exposed and implement measures adapted to their situation. The first path for SMEs, according to the computer system consultant, is to make a diagnosis of their cybersecurity maturity. “The aim is to assess the current level of protection of its IT infrastructure, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, as well as possible areas for improvement.” The second way is to define a cybersecurity strategy and policy according to the latter. “It's about establishing security goals and priorities, taking into account business needs, budgetary constraints and regulatory obligations,” he said.

The third way is to implement appropriate technical solutions. According to him, it is a question of choosing and installing effective tools to protect his data and systems, such as antiviruses, firewalls, backups, encryption or even VPNs. The penultimate approach is to raise awareness and train its employees. “It's about making employees aware of cyber risks and teaching them best practices to adopt on a daily basis, such as choosing strong passwords, avoiding suspicious attachments, and reporting incidents

Fifthly, you will have to monitor and control your security level. According to Ouédraogo, it is a question of regularly verifying the effectiveness of the measures put in place, by carrying out audits, tests or simulations, and by correcting