Australian small businesses and their employees willtake a leading role in the nation’s defence against global cybercrime, with a $23.4 million investmentin the national CyberWardens program in this week’s federal budget.
The program will create up to 60,000 Cyber Wardens in small businesses within three years, building small business cyber resilience.
Currently cyberthreats and scams targeting small businesses costthe Australian economy an estimated $29 billion a year¹.
The investment in the CyberWardens program is part of the government’s broader efforts to improve the cybersecurity resilience of Australia’s small business sector.
Small businesses are a key driver of the Australian economy, accounting for more than 97% of all Australian businesses in 2022. However, they are also among the most vulnerable to cyber threats, with limited resources to invest in cybersecurity measures.
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 cyber crime.
Cyber Wardens training will make it easier for small businesses to increase their cyber posture to both prevent attacks and become resilient to them.
Chair, Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia Matthew Addison said, “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.”
Telstra Small and Medium Business Executive Anne Da Cunha says 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.” Da Cunha said.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) estimates 43 per cent of all Australian cyber crime is directed at small businesses.
Commbank Group Executive for Business Banking Mike Vacy-Lyle says 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,” he said.
A trained Cyber Warden could save a small business $50,000 by preventing a single business compromised email attack
