Cyber Security Guide for Small Businesses

In today’s increasingly digital-first world, we must know small businesses' online risks. Cybercrime impacts businesses through lost time, financial loss and reputational damage, and without the correct precautions in place, your business can be closed overnight if a cyber attack targets it.

Cyber attacks on small businesses can be as simple as clicking the wrong link in an email – but the effects can be wide-reaching. With our ,small business guide, you can improve your knowledge of cyber security as a small business owner and significantly reduce the chances of your business becoming a victim of cybercrime.

This small business guide includes the following:

1 - What is Cyber Security?

2 - What is Ransomware?

3- What is Account Compromise?

4 - What are the signs of Business Email Compromise?

5- Back-ups

6- Reporting & Useful Resources

32% of small businesses experienced Cyber Attacks in the last year

Almost one in three businesses and a quarter of charities (24 per cent) reported having cyber security breaches or attacks in the last 12 months, according to new figures from the Government’s 2023 Cyber Security Breaches Survey, with 19% of businesses facing attacks at least once a month.

Whether you know very little about cybercrime or why criminals would target your business, or you just want to know how to protect your business - this ,small business guide gives you simple tips on how to spot the signs of an attack, how you can protect your business and links to further free resources & support.

If you've heard any of these ,Cybersecurity Myths, we're here to set the record straight.

Commenting on the new small business guide, Managing Director of the NWCRC, Neil Jones, said:

“Small business owners will understandably have a lot of questions when it comes to cyber security. Whilst many larger companies are starting to offer more security awareness training and invest in vulnerability assessments of their own networks, we know many micro and small business owners simply can't afford this. This small business guide has been made available to offer trusted guidance and support to the North West business community and reinforce the cyber security basics with owners and staff alike. We also want to thank our colleagues at the Scottish Business Resilience Centre for working in partnership with us on this guide."

What happens if I think my business has been attacked?

No security is ever perfect; cyber, Incidents will happen to businesses, so we must be all prepared to deal with them. Police forces in the North West have dedicated specialist teams who are highly trained and experienced in investigating cybercrime and putting the victim’s needs at the forefront of the investigation.

It is really important if you are a business, charity or other organisation which is currently suffering a live cyber-attack (in progress), that you call the Police at any time on 101 or ,report the attack to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 immediately.

You can also download our ,Cyber Incident Response Pack, which contains documents to help support your business plan its response to a cyber incident. These documents are designed to complement any existing plans or assist you in creating one.