Gyeonggi Institute to Support 66 ICT SMEs Against Cyber Threats

Gyeonggi Institute of Economic Science & Technology is recruiting participant companies for the 'ICT SME Information Security Support Program' to help protect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the province from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats such as ransomware, supply chain attacks, and personal data leaks.

This program is organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), with the Gyeonggi Information Security Support Center of the Institute acting as the regional implementation agency for Gyeonggi Province.

Cyber threats targeting SMEs, including ransomware and supply chain attacks, have been continuously increasing in recent times. However, many SMEs face difficulties in systematic response due to a lack of specialized information security personnel and insufficient investment capacity in security measures.

The Institute plans to enhance the information security level of participating companies and strengthen their cyber response capabilities by providing tailored information security consulting and security services.

The program will support a total of 66 companies this year. It aims to recruit 10 companies for information security consulting, 10 companies for IT security packages, and 46 companies for cloud-based security services (SECaaS) packages.

Selected companies will receive professional information security consulting, during which their personal data management systems and broad ICT infrastructure, such as servers and networks, will be examined for security vulnerabilities and recommendations for improvement will be provided.

Based on the results of the consulting, support will also be provided for the adoption of an 'IT Security Package' or a 'Cloud-Based Security Service (SECaaS)' solution suitable for each company’s environment. Subsequent follow-up checks will ensure that security measures are implemented and that vulnerabilities have been improved.

Financial support covers 80% of the supply cost. Each company can receive up to 4.8 million won for the IT security package and up to 3.6 million won for the cloud-based security service (SECaaS) package.

ICT Small and Medium Enterprise Information Security Support Project Guide Poster

This allows SMEs to reduce the burden of initial investment in security and to establish a professional information protection system.

The Gyeonggi Information Security Support Center is the regional information security specialist institution designated by the Ministry of Science and ICT and KISA. It provides information security consulting, security solution support, cyber incident prevention activities, and security training for SMEs in the province, serving as a local hub for cybersecurity.

Applications for the program can be submitted online through the local information security support center webpage of the Korea Internet & Security Agency until the end of November. The application process may close early if the budget is exhausted.

Hyun Chang-ha, Executive Director of Future Industrial Division at the Institute, stated, "As digital transformation accelerates, cybersecurity has become a core competitive edge for the sustainable growth of enterprises. Through this program, we will fully support SMEs in Gyeonggi Province in proactively responding to cyber threats and establishing a secure digital management environment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.