A Resource-Driven Framework for Sustainable Cybersecurity in Digitally Transforming SMEs

Abstract

Information security has become a critical strategic resource for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to safeguard their digital transformation. In this study, which is grounded in the current resource landscape of SMEs, the author focused on the persistent and dynamic nature of digital transformation risks to explore effective security resource management approaches. The author proposed a novel tripartite continuous prevention mechanism integrating lightweight technical protection, scenario-based management protocols, and collaborative resource integration. Through a group-comparison experiment involving 200 SMEs, she empirically validated the mechanism's effectiveness. Results indicated an 84.7% year-on-year reduction in total security incidents and a security return on investment of 1,504.7%, demonstrating the mechanism's ability to optimize security resource allocation and utilization efficiency. This study provides a feasible framework for SMEs to achieve sustainable cybersecurity within limited resources, ultimately fostering synergistic development between security and transformation.