The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) is pleased to launch the Small Business Cloud Security Guides. These were developed to help small businesses secure their cloud environments and better protect themselves from the most common cyber security incidents.
“The ASD’s ACSC worked with Microsoft to develop these guides. By working alongside organisations, both public and private, we are making Australia a hard target for cybercriminals” said Abigail Bradshaw, Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
We recognise owners and operators of small businesses may not have the resources or time to understand online complexities or establish complicated responses to potential risks. Guides such as these can assist businesses in understanding cyber risk and how to work with a managed service provider, or internal technical employees to ensure a robust cyber posture.
Over 76,000 cybercrime reports were submitted to the ASD’s ACSC in the 2021-22 financial year. On average that equates to one in Australia every 7 minutes.
“As technology advances, so should our cyber security. A cybercrime can be devastating and can cause significant financial loss for a small business. On average, cyber incidents cost small businesses over $39,000. These guides are designed to help businesses secure their systems and data” said Alexi Boyd CEO Council of Small Business Organisations Australia.
The Small Business Cloud Security Guides are just some of the resources available at cyber.gov.au, which help individuals and businesses improve their cyber security.
The Australian Signals Directorate’s Cyber Security Partnership Program enables the sharing of insights and collaborative opportunities to lift the cyber resilience across all sectors of the Australian economy.
“We encourage all Australians to join our Partnership Program and receive timely information, such as these guides, to help them keep their systems and networks secure,” said Abigail Bradshaw.
Australian businesses can sign up to become an Australian Signals Directorate's Cyber Security Partner.
The ASD’s ACSC is here to help all Australians impacted by cyber incidents. Cyber security advice and assistance is available 24/7 through the Australian Cyber Security Hotline on 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371). You can also report a cybercrime or cyber security incident at ReportCyber.