Mastercard Turns Cyber Threats Into Teachable Moments

Watch more: What’s Next In Payments: Mastercard, Mark Barnett

As the global economy edges into the final quarter of 2025, business leaders are bracing for an “October surprise.”

Traditionally, the term evokes late-stage political or market shocks, but for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the real disruption may already be quietly unfolding in the background. It’s not about elections or earnings. It’s about cybersecurity.

Digitization is no longer optional for small or medium-sized businesses. But what that also means is you now have a digital footprint open to attack by bad actors, said Mark Barnett, global head of Small and Medium Enterprises at Mastercard, told PYMNTS during a discussion for the October 2025 What’s Next in Payments series “October Surprise.”

“That’s the tradeoff that comes with digital transformation,” Barnett said.

After all, the digital revolution has been both a blessing and a curse for small businesses. The rise of cloud computing, AI, eCommerce platforms and mobile payments has leveled the playing field, letting small shops and startups reach global markets with unprecedented ease. Digital tools streamline operations, simplify supply chains and connect local entrepreneurs with global customers.

But on the other side lies exposure. Every new payment terminal, account created, app downloaded, or software used widens the attack surface. What was once a nuisance, such as a phishing email or a stolen password, can now shutter a business or deeply impact its operational viability.

Mastercard’s own philosophy is rooted in resilience, not prediction.

“You can’t protect against every shock,” Barnett said. “Resilience is about being able to withstand and recover from cyber incidents without losing focus on growth.”

That mindset marks a shift from reactive security, such as patching after a breach, to proactive digital resilience. Mastercard’s own global survey found that while 75% of SMEs struggle to assess their cyber risks, most want simple, intuitive protection that doesn’t demand technical expertise. In fact, 80% want solutions that “protect them without requiring technical skills.”

It’s not enough for cybersecurity tools to exist; they must be usable by the millions of business owners who are short on time, cash and IT staff. That recognition has guided Mastercard’s efforts to “democratize cybersecurity.” Large corporations have dedicated security operations centers and multimillion-dollar defenses. Small businesses, by contrast, often rely on a single overworked owner or manager juggling finance, marketing and operations.

“It’s about creating a foundation for resilience,” Barnett said. “Every one of those millions of new digital businesses has vulnerability. Our goal is to make sure protection scales with opportunity.”

Mastercard’s My Cyber Risk platform, powered by RiskRecon, addresses that imbalance with a straightforward proposition: at the push of a button, an SME can initiate a scan of its digital footprint, receive a risk report and see actionable steps to rectify any vulnerabilities to their online platforms.

The company’s partnerships with cybersecurity firms like Viking Cloud and Cyber Monks provide direct, human guidance. With Viking Cloud, SMEs can access risk scoring capabilities and the resources to remediate any threats. With Cyber Monks, they can unlock a comprehensive cyber risk monitoring dashboard and monthly reports, giving SMEs a holistic view into their cyber defense posture.

For SMEs, cyber risk isn’t just a technical issue; it’s existential. According to Mastercard’s research, nearly one in five small businesses that suffer a cyberattack close their doors within a year.

“If you’re focusing on recovering from an attack, you’re not growing” Barnett said, “ And if consumers lose trust because of a data breach, they’re not coming back. Two-thirds of customers say they’d stop shopping at a store that had been hacked. Growth and protection now go hand in hand.”

That interdependence is reshaping how small businesses allocate their budgets. Where cybersecurity was once seen as overhead, it can now be a prerequisite for digital expansion. Secure systems inspire customer confidence, attract investors and sustain cross-border transactions.

AI-driven risk scoring, predictive analytics, and real-time fraud detection are making a secure vision of a digital future feasible even for the smallest merchant. But beyond technology, the deeper change may be cultural: resilience as part of the business identity.

“Every SME that becomes more resilient strengthens the economy as a whole,” Barnett argued. “It’s not just about one coffee shop or one online retailer. It’s about preserving the fabric of global commerce.”

“Digital resilience isn’t a luxury anymore. Cybercrime is a reality. And small businesses need to be protected as well as they can be,” he said.

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