Ransomware doesn't make headlines unless it hits a hospital chain or a Fortune 500 — but the businesses getting crushed every day are the ones nobody writes about. A 12-person dental practice in Phoenix. A 40-employee logistics company outside Atlanta. A boutique law firm in Las Vegas. By 2026, small and mid-sized businesses absorb the majority of ransomware incidents, and most of them never disclose what happened.

The reason is simple: SMBs are profitable targets. They have just enough valuable data to pay a ransom, and rarely enough security infrastructure to stop the attack. The good news is that multi-layered defense is no longer just an enterprise concept .…