The Praethorus Story

Cyberattacks are everywhere, affecting not only large companies but also small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In Switzerland, SMEs are the beating heart of the economy, where jobs and innovation flourish. Yet, this does not protect them from cyberattacks, which often leave them defenseless-especially against increasingly sophisticated cybercriminals. The Praethorus solution was created to address this precise challenge.

Cyberthreats now spare no one. Today, Swiss SMEs are on the front line. Several recent studies show that 11% of Swiss SMEs have already been victims of a successful cyberattack, and 4% have suffered a serious attack in the past three years-phishing, ransomware, data theft, and more. Threats have become more diverse and intense, overwhelming organizations that are often ill-prepared for such attacks.

Why target these companies? Because they are numerous, essential, and, as Swiss SMEs, particularly attractive globally. Unfortunately, they are still not sufficiently aware. In many cases, cybersecurity is still seen as a distant, technical, and costly concern-a mistake that can be expensive.

Behind these statistics are real stories: a craft business in Neuchâtel whose e-commerce site was paralyzed for a week, an industrial SME in Fribourg hit by ransomware that froze its production systems, or a service firm in Lausanne whose client files were stolen. These stories, often untold, are symptomatic of a silent emergency.

SMEs make up more than 99% of Switzerland’s economic fabric. They generate two-thirds of the country’s jobs, embody local innovation, and ensure regional vitality. They are the backbone of a decentralized, resilient, and deeply rooted economy.

Yet, in terms of cybersecurity, they often move forward without a safety net. The reasons: limited resources, low IT staff availability, and solutions that are often too complex or expensive. 

So, they improvise-installing consumer antivirus software, raising staff awareness “as best they can,” and relying on luck. This structural fragility exposes them to risk.

As digital transformation accelerates, SMEs are digitizing services, migrating to the cloud, and automating logistics. But this modernization also creates new vulnerabilities. It is in this gray area-between digital ambition and protection gaps-that cybercriminals operate.

The Birth of Praethorus

In response, ELCA, Switzerland’s leading independent IT company, chose not to remain a bystander. In 2023, it launched an ambitious project: to design a cybersecurity solution specifically for Swiss SMEs-not a stripped-down version of a large enterprise product, nor a marketing gadget, but a real, accessible, durable, and practical protection tool.

This ambition gave birth to Praethorus. From day one, development was hands-on: interviews with SME leaders, co-creation workshops, real-world testing. From features to interface, this tool is tailored to the daily realities of small businesses that lack time and IT teams but need high reliability.

But beyond the numbers, a new sense of calm sets in. SMEs can refocus on their core business, without having to become cybersecurity experts.