A Lightweight Network Intrusion Detection System for Smes

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face increasing cybersecurity threats but often lack access to practical and affordable intrusion detection solutions. This article proposes a lightweight, modular Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS) tailored to SME environments, emphasizing low resource consumption, ease of deployment, and scalable functionality. The system integrates signature-based detection with streamlined behavioural analysis to deliver strong threat identification without overwhelming infrastructure or administrative capacity. A structured evaluation framework and comparative benchmarking against existing lightweight IDS solutions demonstrate the system’s potential to achieve high detection accuracy, efficient resource usage, and real-time responsiveness. By aligning security capabilities with SME operational realities, the proposed solution aims to bridge a critical gap in cybersecurity resilience, enabling smaller organizations to strengthen their defences and contribute to broader digital ecosystem security.