Practical, jargon‑free guidance to help small and medium‑sized businesses make confident cyber security decisions.
These flagship resources are designed to give SMEs clarity, confidence and control when choosing cyber security vendors, planning budgets, reviewing risks or building a practical roadmap. Each guide is written to be immediately useful — no jargon, no scare tactics, no upselling.
Why these resources exist
Most SMEs are overwhelmed by cyber security:
- Vendors sound identical
- Pricing is inconsistent
- Claims are difficult to verify
- Support quality varies
- Regulations keep changing
These resources solve that problem by giving SMEs clear, structured, evidence‑based guidance they can use right away.
Our Five Flagship SME Cyber Security Resources
1. SME Cyber Security Vendor Evaluation Framework
A complete 3‑part system for choosing the right cyber security vendor.
This framework helps SMEs cut through marketing noise and evaluate vendors based on:
- Business fit
- Technical capability
- Compliance evidence
- Support quality
- Cost transparency
- Long‑term risk
It includes an interactive scorecard, weighting model, and step‑by‑step decision process.
2. SME Cyber Security Buyer’s Guide
What SMEs need to know before speaking to any vendor.
This guide helps SMEs define their needs clearly so they don’t get pushed into the wrong solution. It includes:
- The 8 questions to answer before buying
- The 10 questions to ask every vendor
- Common buyer mistakes
- A printable one‑page checklist
3. Cyber Security Vendor Red Flags Handbook
How to spot risk before you sign anything.
This handbook highlights the early warning signs that a vendor may not be suitable, including:
- Commercial red flags
- Technical red flags
- Compliance red flags
- Support red flags
- Behavioural red flags
4. Cyber Security Budgeting & Cost Transparency Guide
What cyber security should cost — and why.
This guide explains:
- The real cost drivers
- What good pricing looks like
- What bad pricing looks like
- SME budget benchmarks
- A simple budget planning template
5. Practical Cyber Security Roadmap for SMEs (12‑Month Plan)
A realistic, achievable plan for SMEs without internal security teams.
This roadmap breaks cyber security into four manageable quarters:
- Q1: Foundations
- Q2: Strengthening
- Q3: Maturity
- Q4: Optimisation
It’s designed to be practical, not overwhelming.
12‑Month RoadmapHow to use these resources
You can:
- Read them online
- Download the PDF versions
- Share them with your team
- Use them during vendor calls
- Apply them to your internal planning
They are designed to support SMEs at every stage of the decision‑making process.
Need help applying any of these?
If you’d like support interpreting vendor proposals, reviewing contracts, or planning your cyber security roadmap, Lockdown Market can help.