Top "IT" Concerns for SMBs in 2025 and 2026 and How Streamline Networks Can Help
- jason15065
- Nov 30, 2025
- 6 min read
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face a rapidly changing IT landscape as technology advances and cyber threats evolve. In 2025 and 2026, these businesses will confront new challenges that could impact their growth, security, and daily operations. Understanding these concerns is critical for SMBs to stay competitive and secure. Streamline Networks offers practical solutions tailored to these challenges, helping SMBs navigate the complex IT environment with confidence.
1. AI‑assisted cyber threats & identity‑centric attacks
Cyberattacks continue to grow in frequency and sophistication, targeting SMBs that often lack the resources of larger enterprises. In 2025 and 2026, ransomware, phishing, and data breaches will remain top concerns.
Attackers are using GenAI for more convincing phishing, deepfakes, and faster social engineering; ransomware remains the leading business‑disruptor with multi‑layered extortion. Identity theft and credential abuse are outpacing classic perimeter breaches.
SMB breach costs and incident volumes rose again in 2025; many firms still lack proof‑of‑controls demanded by cyber insurers (MFA, logging, tested recovery, segmentation).
Why it matters: SMBs hold valuable customer data and intellectual property. A breach can lead to financial loss, legal penalties, and damage to reputation.
Common challenges: Limited IT staff, outdated security measures, and lack of employee training increase vulnerability.
Provides comprehensive security assessments to identify vulnerabilities.
Implements multi-layered defenses including firewalls, endpoint protection, and intrusion detection.
Offers employee cybersecurity training to reduce human error.
Sets up regular backups and disaster recovery plans to minimize downtime after an attack.
For example, a local retail SMB faced repeated phishing attempts. Streamline Networks introduced advanced email filtering and staff training, reducing successful attacks by 90% within six months.
2. Runaway cloud spend & FinOps maturity gaps
Moving to cloud services for flexibility and cost savings, please do not let the cost get out of hand.
“Managing cloud spend” and “security” are the #1 and #2 cloud challenges; FinOps adoption is growing, but idle/over‑provisioned resources, misconfigured storage, and shadow IT still waste 25–35% of budgets.
SMBs need cost governance (tagging, rightsizing, commitment strategies, automated anomaly detection) without slowing delivery.
Why it matters: Just as the options and growth are almost limitless, so can the costs. Costs must be monitored and kept in check.
Common challenges: Lack of long-term governance controls for platform growth and storage expansion. Reactive scaling without cost accountability, leading to overspending and resource sprawl. Limited visibility into unused or underutilized resources, making optimization difficult
Designs customized cloud plans that minimize downtime.
Ensures systems are fully utilized
Forecasting expected spend based on utilization.
Long-term budget controls to reduce the outlay of spending.
Streamline Networks has built solutions that optimize the virtual world of cloud. Most, SMB companies do not need a server at all, which helps reducing risk and cost while improving uptime. When the need is there, we are also here, with cloud services to keep your applications safe, while keeping costs under control.
3. Staying Compliant with Data Regulations
Data privacy laws are becoming stricter worldwide, and SMBs must comply to avoid fines and legal trouble.
Why it matters: Non-compliance can lead to penalties and loss of customer trust.
Common challenges: Understanding complex regulations, implementing proper controls, and maintaining documentation.
How Streamline Networks helps:
Reviews current IT practices against relevant regulations such as GDPR or CCPA.
Implements data protection measures including encryption and access controls.
Provides guidance on record-keeping and audit preparation.
Offers ongoing compliance support as regulations evolve.
Even if you are not directly required to comply, you must maintain portions of compliance as a business partner to someone who is.
4. Hybrid/remote endpoint management, identity, and Windows lifecycle
Since 2020, hybrid work environments have become the new normal for attracting talent and keeping quality employees.
Why it matters: Hybrid workers are 33% less likely to quit compared to full-time office employees, according to Stanford research. Flexibility is now a business imperative, not a perk. 73% of employees prefer hybrid or remote options; 41% would consider leaving if flexibility is removed
Common challenges: Fragmented device management and inconsistent compliance across on-prem and remote systems. Identity and access controls often lack rigor, with incomplete conditional access and overprivileged accounts creating security gaps. Patch and update cycles are disrupted by connectivity issues, while legacy applications complicate Windows 10 end-of-life migrations. Enforcing security baselines such as encryption and antivirus remotely remains difficult, and balancing user experience with zero-trust requirements introduces performance bottlenecks. Together, these challenges increase risk, strain IT resources, and demand a unified approach to lifecycle management and security.
How Streamline Networks helps:
Unified Device Management - Centralized policies and real-time compliance monitoring for on-prem and remote endpoints.
Enforces MFA, conditional access, and least-privilege controls to close security gaps.
Automated Patching & Upgrades
Optimizes VPN/ZTNA for secure remote access without sacrificing user experience.
Continuous oversight, risk reduction, and predictable IT operations.
Available 24×7 Support & Resilience
Advanced rotation services to keep people working with minimal downtime.
5. Skills/talent constraints, vendor risk, and “doing more with less”
Economic uncertainty, rapid tech adoption, and rising cyber threats have amplified the need for efficiency and resilience without expanding headcount.
Why it matters: 62% of SMBs report critical IT skills gaps in security, cloud, and compliance. Vendor-related breaches account for over 50% of SMB incidents, according to industry reports. Budget constraints mean tool sprawl and inefficiencies directly impact profitability and risk posture.
Common challenges: Limited internal expertise slows response to security and compliance demands. Overlapping tools and manual processes waste time and money. Vendor risk management is often reactive, leaving SMBs exposed to supply-chain vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, leadership expects IT to deliver more automation, better resilience, and cost optimization—without adding staff.
How Streamline Networks helps:
Augment Limited IT Staff – 24×7 managed services, monitoring, and remediation to fill skill gaps.
Automation & Tool Consolidation – Deploy RMM, patching, and workflow automation to reduce manual tasks.
Vendor Risk Management – Assess third-party security posture, enforce compliance standards, and monitor performance.
Cost Optimization Strategies – Identify overlapping tools, streamline licensing, and implement cost-saving measures.
Resilience & Business Continuity – Tested backup and disaster recovery solutions to minimize downtime.
Expert Advisory & Training – Guidance on best practices, compliance frameworks, and security awareness.
6. Ensuring Reliable Network Performance and Connectivity
Fast and reliable network connectivity is essential for SMBs to operate efficiently, especially with remote work and cloud applications becoming standard.
Why it matters: Network downtime or slow speeds can cause lost productivity and frustrated customers.
Common challenges: Aging infrastructure, bandwidth limitations, and lack of monitoring tools.
How Streamline Networks helps:
Conducts network audits to identify bottlenecks and weaknesses.
Upgrades hardware and optimizes network configurations.
Implements monitoring systems that alert to issues before they impact users.
Supports secure remote access solutions for mobile and remote employees.
A consulting firm experienced frequent network outages that disrupted client calls. Streamline Networks upgraded their routers and introduced 24/7 monitoring, reducing downtime by 75%.
7. Managing Cloud Migration and Integration
Many SMBs are moving to cloud services for flexibility and cost savings, but migration can be complex and risky without proper planning.
Why it matters: Cloud adoption can improve collaboration and scalability but may cause disruptions if not managed well.
Common challenges: Data loss during migration, compatibility issues, and unclear cloud security responsibilities.
How Streamline Networks helps:
Designs customized cloud migration plans that minimize downtime.
Ensures seamless integration between cloud and on-premises systems.
Advises on the best cloud platforms based on business needs.
Implements cloud security best practices to protect data.
For example with over 90% of our serviced customer base moved to the cloud, Streamline Networks has successfully migrated thousands of mailboxes, and millions of files, along with specialty applications and cloud servers into Azure. Our service teams are for your migration project.
8. Keeping IT Costs Predictable and Affordable
Budget constraints are a constant concern for SMBs. IT expenses can quickly escalate due to unexpected hardware failures, software licensing, or emergency fixes.
Why it matters: Unplanned IT costs can disrupt cash flow and limit investment in growth.
Common challenges: Lack of IT budgeting expertise, reactive spending, and inefficient resource use.
How Streamline Networks helps:
Offers fixed monthly pricing for managed IT services, making costs predictable.
Provides proactive maintenance to prevent costly breakdowns.
Recommends cost-effective technology solutions tailored to business size and goals.
Helps optimize software licensing to avoid overpaying.
For instance, a manufacturing SMB reduced its annual IT spending by 20% after Streamline Networks implemented a managed service plan and optimized their software licenses.
Comments