The NCSC’s Cyber Action Toolkit helps you to protect your business from online attacks.
There are 5.5 million small organisations in the UK with between 0 and 49 employees. And while most of us are familiar with the damaging cyber attacks on M&S and Jaguar Land Rover, what’s less well-known is that small businesses are increasingly victims of online crime.
The statistics are stark. Half of small businesses suffer a cyber incident every year. So if you think your business is too small to be a target, think again.
We know that many small businesses – particularly those who are new to cyber security – believe that it’s either too complicated, too expensive, or simply not a priority. For this reason, the NCSC has produced the Cyber Action Toolkit, a new way of providing cyber advice in a format that encourages small businesses like yours to take action.
The Cyber Action Toolkit is free, easy to follow, and provides instant protection from the start, even if you’re new to cyber security. The toolkit turns advice from the experts at the NCSC into simple, achievable steps, allowing you to track your own progress.
As you work through the toolkit, you’ll build layers of protection around your organisation which defend against cyber attacks such as email hacking, phishing attacks and ransomware. You don’t need to be a technical expert to use the toolkit, and it could protect you from a devastating attack on the business you’ve worked so hard to build.
Once you’ve completed the Cyber Action Toolkit, we’re encouraging all organisations to get Cyber Essentials certified.
Cyber Essentials demonstrates to customers and suppliers that your business takes cyber security seriously. It builds on the basic protections you’ve put in place from completing the toolkit, but gives greater protection against the most common cyber attacks. Cyber Essentials also includes free cyber insurance, access to a 24/7 emergency helpline, and opens doors to the growing number of organisations that demand their suppliers are certified.
Getting Cyber Essentials certified is easier than you think. Resources like the Readiness Tool and Knowledge Hub are available to help you get started, and if you need in-person support, our NCSC-assured Cyber Advisors are specially trained to explain cyber security in a way that small businesses will understand.
The UK’s 5 million+ small organisations are essential to driving economic growth. This is why the NCSC’s CEO, together with the Minister for Digital Economy and the Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation recently wrote an open letter to the UK’s small business owners and entrepreneurs, encouraging them to try the Cyber Action Toolkit. By doing the same, you’ll be protecting your organisation – and the UK’s economy – from the growing threat of cyber attacks.
You can find more advice and guidance for on the National Cyber Security Centre business pages here.
