Cyber Security Investment Lags Cyber Risk Awareness: Coalition

Coalition Small Business Cybersecurity Study reveals insights into the current state of cyber risk awareness & mitigation

San Francisco, CA (July 17, 2025) — Coalition, the world’s first Active Insurance provider designed to help prevent digital risk before it strikes, has unveiled the results of its Small Business Cybersecurity Study analyzing the perspectives and practices of 1,000 decision-makers from across the globe* who are responsible for cybersecurity at their small businesses.

The Study revealed a stark disconnect between awareness, perception, and real-world protection. Small businesses worldwide recognize that cyber risk is a significant problem. Yet they aren’t prioritizing making informed decisions about where and how to invest their time and money to thoughtfully prevent attacks.

A high percentage of Canadian small businesses (86%) have experienced a cyber attack in the last five years, compared to the global percentage (79%), and most (90%) believe their cyber risk has increased in the last year alone (versus 83% globally). These findings are strong indicators of why more Canadian small businesses spend more than 10 hours per week on cybersecurity-related activities (52%) compared to the global results (41%).

“As evidenced in our Study, cyber has increasingly become the most pervasive risk that small businesses face in today’s technologically dependent society,” commented George Bozanin, Head of Canada at Coalition. “Threat actors not only target the most valuable companies but also the most vulnerable: small businesses. Despite the increased risk, small businesses continue to view cybersecurity tools and services as elective purchases and misunderstand the potential serious impacts an attack could have on their business.”

Other key findings from the Study — specific to Canadian small businesses — include:

• 85% expressed that they are very or somewhat concerned about cyber threats over the next 12 months. (87% globally).
• 70% believe they’re too small to be attractive targets for threat actors and therefore not at risk for cyber attacks (64% globally).
• 74% allocate 10% or less of their total budget to cybersecurity (identical to the global results).

Over the next several months, Coalition will share further insights gleaned from the Study. To view the full global results from this first phase, visit Coalition’s blog: https://www.coalitioninc.com/blog/small-business-cybersecurity-study-june.

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About the Study

* The data presented was derived from an online survey that Coalition, Inc. (“Coalition”) commissioned by Wakefield Research involving 1,000 small business decision-makers responsible for the cybersecurity investments at their organizations, with small businesses defined as those companies with less than $100 million in annual revenue. 500 respondents were from the United States, and 500 were distributed across the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Germany. The information provided is for general information purposes only and is not intended to constitute professional advice or services. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, the content may not always reflect the most current developments, and is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions or concerns you may have regarding a specific issue.

About Coalition

Coalition is the world’s first Active Insurance provider designed to help prevent digital risk before it strikes. By combining comprehensive insurance coverage with cybersecurity tools, Coalition helps businesses manage and mitigate potential cyber attacks. Leveraging its relationships with leading global insurers and capacity providers, including Coalition Insurance Company, Coalition offers Active Insurance products to businesses in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Policyholders can receive automated cyber alerts and access expert advice, as well as global third-party risk management tools through Coalition’s cyber risk management platform, Coalition Control®. For more information, visit www.coalitioninc.com.

Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., an affiliate of Coalition, Inc. and a leading cyberinsurance insurance provider in the United States, is a licensed insurance producer and surplus lines broker (Cal. license #0L76155), acting on behalf of a number of unaffiliated insurance companies, and on an admitted basis through Coalition Insurance Company (“CIC”), a licensed insurance underwriter (NAIC #29530).

Reinsurance products are written or provided by Coalition Reinsurance Services, LLC (“Coalition Re”), a licensed reinsurer intermediary (Lic. #1011787) and resident producer (Lic. #1003226), domiciled in Provo, Utah (USA), acting on behalf of a number of unaffiliated licensed insurance companies. Products may not be available in all countries and jurisdictions, and coverage is subject to underwriting requirements and actual policy language. See licenses and disclaimers for further information.

Coalition is the marketing name for the global operations of affiliates of Coalition, Inc. Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved. Coalition and the Coalition logo are trademarks of Coalition, Inc.

SOURCE: Coalition via Omnia Partners