In a world that’s increasingly digital, cybercrime is one of the greatest business risks of our time. Attacks are growing in scale and sophistication, and small and mid-sized organisations remain the most vulnerable. Many lack the resources, expertise, or budgets of large enterprises. Yet they are subject to the same regulations, face the same threats, and risk the same reputational damage if they are breached.
CyberSmart was founded to address this gap. Its mission is simple but ambitious: to change the underlying economics of cybercrime for SMEs. By making cybersecurity accessible, automated, and affordable, CyberSmart empowers businesses that would otherwise struggle to defend themselves.
Today, the company partners with over 1,000 channel partners to protect more than 6,000 organisations every day and is redefining how businesses think about digital risk. Its platform delivers continuous compliance and monitoring, helps companies meet regulatory requirements, and supports the growing need to align cyber risk management with insurance. In other words, they deliver Complete Cyber Confidence. We spoke with CEO Jamie Akhtar about his vision for CyberSmart, the lessons he has learned on the journey, and what it takes to build a company that helps businesses not only survive but thrive in the digital age.
Q&A with Jamie Akhtar
What’s the vision behind CyberSmart?
Our vision is to change the underlying economics of cybercrime. Today, attackers have an advantage: they can launch thousands of attempts with very little cost, while businesses bear the huge burden of defending themselves. We want to flip that equation. For us, that means making cybersecurity accessible to every business, not just the big ones with deep pockets and in-house teams. Small businesses represent 99% of the economy. If they’re not protected, the economy as a whole is at risk.
At CyberSmart, we’ve built a platform that automates and simplifies cybersecurity. With our Complete Cyber Confidence framework, our solution continuously checks compliance, monitors devices, and makes sure organisations meet standards without manual effort. By reducing complexity and cost, we level the playing field.
How do you make cybersecurity accessible for SMEs?
The truth is, most businesses don’t fail at cybersecurity because they don’t care. They fail because it’s too complex, too expensive, and too time-consuming. We’ve taken a different approach. Instead of building for experts, we build for the everyday business owner. Our platform is no-code, automated, and designed so that even without a dedicated IT team, an SME can achieve compliance and stay secure.
We also provide education. Many of our customers are at the beginning of their cyber journey and don’t know or understand the intricacies of the directives and regulations out there, but they know they need to be secure to win contracts or to get insured. By simplifying the process, turning it from weeks of paperwork into something that can be done quickly and with confidence, we help them move forward.
And because cybersecurity is always changing, our model is continuous. It’s not a one-off certification that expires in 12 months. It’s about constant monitoring and assurance. That’s what really makes businesses resilient.
What role do compliance and regulation play?
Regulation is both a challenge and an opportunity. Standards like the Cyber Essentials certification scheme in the UK or NIS2 across Europe create a baseline that businesses must meet. For SMEs, that can feel like a burden. But if you turn it around, it becomes a huge opportunity. Compliance is often the driver that finally gets businesses to act. Once they do, they not only reduce their risk, but they also open doors. They can access new contracts, work with larger partners, and demonstrate trustworthiness to their customers. Our job is to take the pain out of compliance. Instead of a box-ticking exercise, it becomes a catalyst for growth.
How do you see the relationship between cyber risk management and cyber insurance?
They’re inseparable. Insurance without risk management is unsustainable. And risk management without insurance leaves you exposed. We’ve always believed the two need to come together. That’s why we work closely with insurers. Our platform gives insurers the confidence that customers are compliant and secure. For the business, it means lower premiums, smoother claims, and a stronger overall posture.
As threats evolve, this alignment will only become more important. It’s not just about protecting against attacks but about building resilience into the entire ecosystem.
How has your leadership evolved as CyberSmart has scaled?
In the early days, I was very much a “doer.” I wrote copy, onboarded customers, even handled support tickets. As we’ve grown, my role has shifted to being an enabler. My job now is to make sure the right people are in the right seats, that they have the resources they need, and that we’re aligned on vision and culture.
It’s a constant evolution. You have to let go of certain things and trust your team. At the same time, you can’t lose touch. I still spend time with customers, because that’s where you really understand what’s working and what’s not. Leadership at scale is about balance: being strategic while staying connected to the details that matter.
How do partnerships and investors support your journey?
Partnerships have made all the difference, especially in the tougher moments. When we raised our Series B, the market was very different. It wasn’t easy. Having partners like Oxx who really understood SaaS metrics, who could challenge us but also back us when it counted, was invaluable.
What I appreciate most is honesty and engagement. It’s not about cheerleading; it’s about having people around the table who are candid, constructive, and genuinely invested in your success. Oxx has been that for us, everyone’s brought experience, insight, and a willingness to get hands-on. At the end of the day, choosing investors is like choosing co-founders. You want people you can trust, who will tell you the truth, and who share your ambition. We’ve been fortunate to have that.
What excites you most about the future of CyberSmart?
The scale of the opportunity. Cybercrime isn’t going away. If anything, it’s increasing. That means the need for accessible, affordable cybersecurity is only going to grow. SMEs are realising they can’t ignore it. Governments are pushing harder on regulation. Insurers are demanding better risk management.
CyberSmart is at the centre of all three. We make compliance achievable, we help businesses manage risk, and we align with insurers to make the ecosystem sustainable.
What excites me most is the impact. Every business we protect, every breach we prevent, every contract won because a company could demonstrate compliance – that’s what drives me. And we’re only just getting started.
Key lessons & learnings from CyberSmart’s journey
- Make cybersecurity accessible: SMEs don’t need complexity, they need simplicity.
- Turn compliance into opportunity: regulations like NIS2 and schemes like Cyber Essentials can unlock growth.
- Risk management and insurance must converge: resilience depends on both.
- Leadership evolves: from doing everything to enabling the right people.
- Choose the right partners: honesty, candour, and engagement matter most when times are tough.
