SECURING MOLDOVAN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES: STRATEGIES BASED ON IT INFRASTRUCTURE DOMAINS

Abstract

The digitization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has accelerated in recent years, increasing their reliance on information systems to support core business operations. ENISA’s 2021 report showed an important growth in SME dependence on IT, while the World Economic Forum ranked cybersecurity failure among the top five global risks. Although digital transformation brings competitive advantages, it also exposes SMEs to cyber threats. A comparative analysis of scientific studies from the UK, Australia, the EU, Malaysia, and the USA identified social engineering, Denial of Service (DoS) / Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), and Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks as the most frequent threats. This article analyzes the main barriers preventing SMEs from implementing information security frameworks and identifies the lack of national-level regulations in the Republic of Moldova. Based on a structured model developed by the authors, the paper proposes tailored recommendations for improving information system security in Moldovan micro-enterprises. The findings emphasize the need for contextualized, cybersecurity solutions and public policy support targeting risk management and awareness.