ESET Executive Discusses Cybersecurity Risks for Small Businesses
An interview with ESET's Tony Anscombe covers the cybersecurity challenges facing small businesses. He argues that security should be treated as a business risk rather than only an IT issue. The conversation also addresses 24/7 monitoring, managed services, and how AI is changing the threat landscape.
Tony Anscombe serves as ESET’s Chief Security Evangelist and has spent about three decades in technology and cybersecurity. His background includes early work as a COBOL and FORTRAN programmer, and he now speaks with media, partners, and organizations about evolving threats.
The interview, conducted by Leland McFarland and published on October 7, 2026, examines how small firms with constrained IT teams handle round-the-clock monitoring, patching, staff security, compliance, and AI-related dangers. It also covers managed detection and response, managed service providers, and which duties should stay in-house.
Small business owners, employees, customers, and suppliers could feel the effects of how these cybersecurity choices are made. Treating security as a business risk may encourage stronger protections for sensitive data and reduce costly disruptions. At the same time, growing reliance on managed services and AI-driven threats may leave less-resourced firms more dependent on outside expertise, potentially widening resilience gaps across local economies.