For many small and mid-sized businesses, cybersecurity efforts focus inward—firewalls, antivirus, employee training. But in 2026, some of the most damaging breaches don’t start inside your organization at all. They start with vendors, partners, MSPs, SaaS tools, or contractors that already have trusted access to your systems. Attackers increasingly target these third parties because they know SMBs often lack visibility and control beyond their own perimeter. One compromised s