National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN): a series of practical guides has been released to support SMEs in protecting themselves against cyber risks.

The National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) has concluded its awareness campaign “Let’s Switch on Cybersecurity. Let’s Protect Our Businesses”, targeted at Italian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), through the publication and wide dissemination of practical guides designed to strengthen companies’ digital defenses.

Italian SMEs, often operating within strategic production chains and high-risk contexts, are increasingly exposed to cyber threats such as ransomware attacks, phishing, and IT system compromises. The ACN campaign aims to provide operational and easily applicable guidance, addressing both corporate executives and IT professionals.

 

The guides cover the key aspects of corporate cybersecurity, including:

• the integration of digital security into overall business strategy;

• the importance of continuous employee training;

• incident management and business continuity planning;

• the adoption of tools such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), data encryption, secure backups, and threat monitoring;

• the selection of qualified providers and the conscious use of SaaS cloud services;

• the necessity to restrict user privileges and implement approaches such as Zero Trust.

Particular emphasis is placed on the appointment of a cybersecurity officer and the evaluation of IT providers, as these are key elements in ensuring an adequate and sustainable level of protection. The recommendations contained in the ACN materials aim to bridge the skills and resource gap often affecting SMEs, supporting them in achieving a level of digital resilience consistent with emerging regulatory (e.g., the NIS2 Directive) and technological challenges.

 

The campaign, launched in July 2024 in cooperation with the Department for Information and Publishing of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, implements Measure 71 of the National Cybersecurity Strategy. The initiative engaged hundreds of companies nationwide through an eight-stop roadshow across Italy and promoted cybersecurity guidance through an extensive institutional campaign that reached over 113 million television viewers. On social media, the campaign videos gathered nearly 1 million views, while digital content recorded almost 21 million views.