Research from independent internet service provider Beaming, reveals startling figures that UK businesses encountered 2,192 online cyber-attacks a day, on average, one every 39 seconds.

Small businesses have become prime targets for phishing attacks and according to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024, this is once again the most common method of attack experienced by businesses across all industries.

The reason why small businesses are so vulnerable? Cybercriminals know there is often a lack of IT resource among those running smaller ventures, which means a higher chance of inadequate cyber security. The currency that hackers want access to is the highly sensitive data a company holds such as employee details, financial records, email addresses, bank details, supplier lists, legal correspondence, contracts to name a few.

All this information makes it an attractive opportunity for crooks to launch attacks and threaten to leak such data publicly unless a ransom is paid. The detrimental effects of a crime like this happening cannot be underestimated.

Raising staff awareness about threats

Human error is often reported as the most common reason why an attack or breach has occurred. For your business to be safer from online dangers, staff awareness training is a must. A UK Government study says that in the last 12 months, only 18% of businesses provided some form of cyber training.

We appreciate that small businesses may not have the resources or IT support to be able to do this but that’s where the Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales (WCRC) comes in. The centre was set up in 2021 as a Home Office-funded, police-staffed company, which means we operate with a public service ethic, putting the needs of the Welsh business community above all else.

We offer security awareness training which has been designed for those with little or no cyber security or technical knowledge. It’s delivered in small, succinct modules, using real-world examples tailored to each individual audience to provide the right level of skills and context for that business.

What to expect from WCRC security awareness training

Our training covers a wide range of cyber security topics, including social engineering, ransomware, and phishing attacks. The session provides simple and effective knowledge for people to understand their environment and provides the confidence to challenge when something doesn’t look right.

It’s an affordable service run through our Cyber PATH programme, where local university students are trained and mentored by senior ethical hackers to deliver all our services and to work with staff to build their cyber awareness, understand the latest cyber threats and secure a business’s online environment.

The trainers are highly knowledgeable, personable, and friendly and pride themselves on providing the right setting so that every participant is engaged and feels comfortable to ask questions.

Ready to boost your cyber defences?

We are currently offering a discounted rate on training for businesses with 10 or less employees but for those outside this criterion, please contact us for a cost-effective, bespoke quote.

If you haven’t already done so, we highly recommend joining our community today. Our core membership is a free programme in which your business will be supported through implementing the changes needed to make your company safer from cyber risks.

We provide national guidance, regular cyber updates, resources, practical toolkits, a monthly newsletter and more. If you have additional requirements, we also have a variety of budget-friendly services that we can recommend.