Cybersecurity and The "New Economy": How Mid-Sized Businesses Create Value Through Networks and Knowledge
A New Series in Partnership with sekoia.io - Why Cybersecurity Must Evolve to Protect the Key Drivers of Mid-Sized Business Success
Hello Cyber Builders 🖖
I’m excited to launch a new series in collaboration with Sekoia.io, one of Europe’s leading cybersecurity players. Thanks to Fabien (LinkedIn) for his time and our extended and exciting conversation. We’re building a community-driven approach at CyGO Entrepreneurs with the Cyber Builders publication, and I’m always open to collaboration and input.
I value conversations and love exploring how to build great cybersecurity products, services, and companies. Let’s make this journey productive and impactful!
After a deep and insightful conversation with sekoia.io about the future of cybersecurity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-cap companies, we realized there’s a crucial need to rethink how we - the cybersecurity industry - approach security for these businesses. Together, we wanted to explore why current perspectives may be flawed and, more importantly, how we can provide meaningful solutions to these organizations.
This post is the first in a multi-part series where I’ll share insights from this collaboration. We’ll explore various topics, starting with a challenge that many in our industry must face: understanding what truly matters to these companies. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-cap companies often find that cybersecurity professionals are disconnected from the core values that drive them.
In this post
Those working at SMEs and Mid-Caps aren’t focused on security for security’s sake. Their business depends on Networks—the relationships and ecosystems that fuel their growth—and Knowledge, the expertise that makes them competitive.
In this post, I also cover the delusion problem in cybersecurity, where many practitioners need to understand the business context and focus solely on technical defenses.
Finally, we will discuss how we, as security professionals, can adopt the correct posture.
Forget about theory. It’s about practical solutions that understand the needs and values of SMEs and mid-sized businesses, especially in this evolving economic landscape.
The New Economy: Leveraging Networks and Knowledge to Build Strong Mid-Market Companies
In today’s economic landscape, mid-sized businesses—often called SMEs or mid-caps—are becoming the key drivers of innovation and growth. What sets them apart is their size and how they leverage two critical assets: Networks and Knowledge.
These companies aren’t just scaling down what large enterprises do; they’re creating value in unique ways by harnessing relationships and expertise that allow them to compete and thrive in a rapidly changing market.
Take a fictional mid-sized company we will name AeroTech Motors. AeroTech develops highly specialized electric motors for aeronautics and robotics—two fast-evolving industries. Unlike traditional manufacturing firms, AeroTech's value is its ability to leverage a vast network of industrial partners and its deep technical knowledge to maximize efficiency and performance. AeroTech is a prime example of how mid-sized companies create value in the New Economy via Networks and knowledge.
What Defines the New Economy? Network and Knowledge
The New Economy is about agility, innovation, and the ability to connect to markets, partners, customers, and ecosystems. Mid-sized companies have found a sweet spot here. They don’t need large corporations' vast budgets or massive infrastructures to be impactful; they need the ability to build and maintain solid Networks and apply deep industry Knowledge.
For example, companies in advanced technology sectors like robotics. These firms might not be giants, but they dominate their markets by combining technical expertise with the power of Network effects—their knowledge is amplified as it reaches global customers, collaborators, and supply chains. Their ability to iterate quickly, adapt, and scale through their Networks makes them formidable competitors in the New Economy.
Our fictional AeroTech Motors thrives in the New Economy. Its competitive edge comes from its network of industrial partners and customers across aerospace and robotics sectors, combined with its secret sauce—proprietary methods for building motors that save energy and provide superior torque. This specialized knowledge allows them to stay ahead of competitors and deliver custom solutions that address specific use cases in both industries.
In the New Economy, Knowledge is power, and Networks are the lifeblood of businesses. This combination defines the New Economy and reshapes how mid-market companies create and sustain value. Significantly, it also fundamentally reshapes how we think about cybersecurity.
SMEs and Mid-Sized Businesses are the New Economy Powerhouses
Mid-sized businesses are becoming central players. According to recent EU studies, mid-caps—companies with 250 to 1,500 employees—account for more than 13% of overall employment in the European business sector. Still, these companies, such as Electronics, Aerospace and Defence, Energy, and Health, play a significant role in industrial ecosystems crucial to EU competitiveness. What sets them apart is their ability to leverage Networks and Knowledge to create substantial value. You can access the complete EU study here.
A prime example of mid-sized companies thriving in the New Economy is the German Mittelstand—a group of highly successful, often family-owned businesses embodying key characteristics essential to long-term success. These companies are known for their long-term focus, resisting short-term gains in favor of sustainable growth over decades or even generations. Their independence allows them to make decisions that align with their core values, maintaining control over operations and avoiding the pressures of external shareholders.
Innovation is also at the heart of Mittelstand, which focuses on developing new products, services, and processes that keep it competitive in domestic and global markets.
Their deep customer mindset—often working closely with clients to provide highly tailored solutions—sets them apart, creating solid relationships built on trust and mutual benefit.
AeroTech Motors, with around 500 employees, is a mid-sized business. Unlike large corporations with resources to spare, AeroTech’s agility comes from its ability to leverage specialized knowledge and maintain strong relationships with its industrial partners. This combination of expertise and connectivity allows AeroTech to sell globally.
These characteristics make Mittelstand a model for mid-sized companies worldwide, showing that size is no barrier to market leadership when a business is driven by innovation, independence, and customer-centricity.
New Economy Stakeholders mandate changes.
Stakeholders' demands are reshaping the landscape for mid-sized companies. Emerging regulations, such as GDPR, NIS2, CRA, and AI Act in Europe - damn how the EU regulator is creative! - and similar data protection laws worldwide are increasing pressure on businesses to adopt more robust security measures.
Shareholders also push for tighter cybersecurity controls, recognizing that a single breach can undermine trust and lead to significant financial and reputational damage.
Customer RFPs are becoming more demanding, with clients asking for proof that businesses can safeguard their data and maintain operational integrity. If you are an Airbus subcontractor, you have to comply with Airbus (🇫🇷/🇩🇪/🇪🇸) cybersecurity requirements. Same for BMW(🇩🇪) or BP(🇬🇧).
Insurers are now conducting thorough cybersecurity audits as part of their risk assessments, often making robust security protocols a prerequisite for coverage.
Combined with broader business requirements, these evolving mandates mean that mid-sized companies must integrate robust cybersecurity frameworks.
The Delusion Problem in Cybersecurity: Shifting Focus from Defense to Business Value
AeroTech’s management understands that even with the best motor technology, their business is at risk if their cybersecurity strategy isn’t aligned with protecting what truly matters. They are looking for solutions that help maintain their means of operation, be resilient to attacks, and keep their Network and Knowledge safe and sound from attackers who are relentlessly looking to hit the weakest links in the chain.
For too long, cybersecurity has been seen as a protective shield—a necessary expense to defend against threats. But for mid-sized businesses in the New Economy, cybersecurity is much more than that.
Cybersecurity must become a business enabler. Protecting Knowledge and Networks means more than just securing assets. It means ensuring businesses continue innovating, connecting, and growing without disruption.
When cybersecurity is done right, it ensures that mid-sized companies can safeguard their intellectual property, maintain their reputations, and keep their vital networks of partners and customers intact.
Without these protections, these businesses could suffer devastating losses, threatening their existence in the global marketplace.
Here’s where we, as cybersecurity professionals, must shift our perspective: it’s not enough to defend for defense’s sake. We must align our efforts with the unique ways mid-sized businesses create value. That means focusing on how Networks and Knowledge are used and what these businesses truly need to succeed in their environments.
Our role isn’t just to protect—it’s to enable.
But let’s be honest: one of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity today is the “delusion problem.” Too often, security professionals get lost in the technicalities of defense—implementing tools, firewalls, and monitoring systems—without truly understanding the business context.
They also tend to misread customers' expectations, whose reality is far from the exciting realm of security operations. For them, IT and Cybersecurity should just “work.” This mindset leads to a dangerous disconnect.
The reality is that these businesses don’t exist to perfect their security posture—they exist to grow, innovate, and build solid Networks and Knowledge. It’s about protecting the mechanisms that generate value—ensuring confidential customer data stays secure or maintaining uptime for critical systems. When cybersecurity focuses only on risk reduction without considering the broader business goals, it becomes a pain rather than an enabler.
The Right Cybersecurity Posture: Practical, Not Overwhelming
Adopting a practical cybersecurity posture is critical for mid-sized businesses. These companies don’t have the time, resources, or interest to become cybersecurity experts. They need security that works in the background to protect their operations without adding unnecessary complexity.
As security professionals, we need to shift our mindset. Instead of overwhelming these businesses with technical jargon or endless lists of security protocols, we need to offer solutions tailored to their needs that are easy to integrate.
Simplicity is key.
Let me repeat: Simplicity is key.
Security measures should enhance business processes, not slow them down. This means adopting intuitive, scalable solutions that don’t require a dedicated team of in-house experts.
At the same time, mid-sized businesses need a trusted cybersecurity partner who understands their unique challenges. They’re not looking for someone to throw technology at them—they need a partner who can guide them, help assess risks specific to their operations, and offer tailored solutions that align with their business goals.
Conclusion
Mid-sized businesses are at the heart of the New Economy, where networks and knowledge drive growth.
As this series continues, we’ll explore practical ways to align cybersecurity with business needs and solutions tailored for mid-caps. Stay tuned for the next post, which will examine overcoming security challenges in fast-evolving industries.
This series is part of an ongoing collaboration with sekoia.io, and I’m excited to continue sharing insights that can help safeguard the future of these businesses.
Let’s keep building together!
Thanks for this content and very aligned with your philosophy!