The NSW Government is marking Cyber Security Awareness Month and Small Business Month this October with a new resource for small businesses to help them prevent identity theft and data breaches.
There is a growing need for businesses to better understand their risks online and to be proactive against scams, email attacks, and malicious software.
ID Support NSW has developed a webpage containing information and tips on how to stay cyber secure, as well as free interactive learning modules and printable checklists to help businesses regardless of their size or budget.
ID Support NSW also runs a free fortnightly webinar where business owners can learn directly from experts on how to keep customers’ personal information safe.
Digital technology gives small businesses a unique opportunity to expand their reach, communicate with customers, track trends and allocate resources. However, if not managed appropriately, it can also open the door to cyber criminals and allow them to access private and personal information.
According to an Australian Cyber Security Centre survey released in 2020, 62 per cent of small businesses across Australia have experienced a cyber security incident.
Almost half of those surveyed also rated their cyber security understanding as ‘average’ or ‘below average’ and had poor cyber security practices.
Cyber security incidents are often costly to business owners and challenging to recover from. In the national Annual Cyber Threat Report, it was found that more than $98 million was lost because of business email compromise in 2021/2022 and customers took 34 hours on average to recover their identity.
For more information on how small businesses can stay cyber secure visit small business.
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib said:
“For small businesses, even a minor cyber security incident can have devastating impacts. It might even prove to be something a business can’t recover from, so taking steps to learn how to keep information secure is important.”
“ID Support NSW is making it easier for small businesses to find the information and resources that might make the difference in preventing a cyber security incident.”
“In this highly digital world, keeping clients’ personal information secure is incredibly important to businesses. It makes sense that small businesses would want to arm themselves with information to stay cyber secure, and ID Support NSW has done the work to make it easier to find the right resources in one place.”
Minister for Small Business Stephen Kamper said:
“The theme of this Small Business Month is ‘My Small Business,’ with events tailored to help small business owners and operators learn new skills and strategies to improve their business.”
“In an ever-evolving landscape, cybercrime is constantly changing and becoming more intelligent, making it imperative for businesses to stay vigilant and informed about new scams to safeguard their operations.”
“I encourage all businesses to ensure they understand cyber security and make it a priority to utilise the resources on ID Support NSW so they are set up for success.”