Australian small businesses and their employees will take a leading role in the nation’s defence against global cyber crime, with a $23.4 million investment in the national Cyber Wardens program in this week’s federal budget.
The program is anticipated to create up to 60,000 Cyber Wardens in small businesses within three years, building small business cyber resilience.
Currently cyber threats and scams targeting small businesses cost the Australian economy an estimated $29 billion a year.
The Cyber Wardens program is an accessible education tool designed to build a cyber-smart small business workforce.
Similar to how workplace safety officers help to keep small businesses safe from physical hazards, Cyber Wardens will use their skills to help small business employees prevent and protect against digital threats.
Designed specifically for non-technical small business employees, Cyber Wardens is a free and easy-to-use online program for small business employees to identify and manage their risks against cybercrime.
Cyber Wardens training will make it easier for small business to increase their cyber posture to both prevent attacks and become resilient to them.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) estimates 43 percent of all Australian cybercrime is directed at small businesses.
A trained Cyber Warden could save your small business $50,000 by preventing a single business compromised email attack.
Cyber Wardens is an initiative of the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia, supported by an industry alliance led by Telstra, CommBank and the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
“For small businesses to thrive in an online ecosystem vulnerable to cyber threats, increasing employees’ cyber literacy and motivations to act in a cyber-safe manner is essential. This critical investment from the Albanese government will help give small businesses the skills they need to meet the cyber burden,” said Matthew Addison, Chair, Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia.
“Managing small business risks online shouldn’t be like the dark arts. We believe the solution lies not just in protecting devices and your internet connection, but also in the cyber safety culture you create. Telstra is a proud foundational partner of this program and welcomes the government’s commitment to supporting small businesses,” said Anne Da Cunha, Telstra Small and Medium Business Executive.
“Developing a cyber-safe mindset and empowering small business teams to identify and manage cyber threats is an essential skill. We’re excited to see the expansion of the Cyber Wardens program with the Government’s support, providing more small businesses with access to this crucial training,” said Mike Vacy-Lyle, Commbank Group Executive for Business Banking.
1 Figure based on identifying and preventing a single email attack as detailed in the Australian Cyber Security. Centre’s Cyber Threat Report 2020/21.
2 Cyber Wardens Small Business Cyber Security Report.
3 Ibid.
4 Figure 9: Average reported losses per successful BEC cybercrime report made in financial year 2020–21
compared with financial year 2019–20, ACSC Cyber Threat Report 2020/21.
5 Cyber insurance premiums soar 80pc as claims surge, AFR, 12 September 2022.
