Mentoring and Strategic Partnerships for SMEs´ Cybersecurity Resilience Amid Digital Transformation : A Qualitative Case Study on Connecting Windsor-Essex

As Small and medium enterprises (SME) undergo digital transformation in their everyday practices, they increase their exposure to cybersecurity threats. Despite the fact that SMEs have an important role in economic growth, vast amount of them lacks the resources, expertise and structured risk management frameworks necessary to secure their digital transition. This study investigates how SMEs in the region of Windsor-Essex, Canada, integrate cybersecurity risk management into their operations. The research is focusing particularly on the support provided by Connecting Windsor-Essex (CWE) as a regional partnership working with digital initiatives. A qualitative case study design was chosen and was based on semi-structured interviews with 11 SMEs and their stakeholders. The findings show that while most SMEs understand the importance of cybersecurity, many faces major challenges connected to limited budget, inconsistent training and weak internal policies. CWE plays an essential part by providing practical support like training programs and access to useful tools, although not all SMEs make effort to fully utilize these resources. The study concludes that an effective cybersecurity is formed not only on technical tools but also on cultural change, collaboration across the organization and tailored support. This research contributes to the growing literature on SMEs cybersecurity by highlighting the benefits and limitations of regional partnership in encouraging digital resilience in a resource-constrained environments.