The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) recently developed the Small Business Cloud Security Guide. The guide aims to provide the framework for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) to safeguard their cloud environment against common cybersecurity incidents.
ACSC recognises that most SMBs do not have the resources to fully understand the complex online operations and make the necessary preparations against potential cyber risks.
According to Abigail Bradshaw, head of ACSC, the guides were developed with Microsoft. It would allow these businesses to understand risks and guide them in working with managed service providers or their own IT departments.
“The ACSC worked with Microsoft to develop these guides. By working with public and private organisations, we are making Australia a hard target for cybercriminals. We encourage all Australians to join our Partnership Program and receive timely information, such as these guides, to help them keep their systems and networks secure,” added Bradshaw.
ACSC reported receiving more than 76,000 cybercrime reports in the past year, one report every seven minutes. With the guide, SMBs can secure their businesses and data.
“A cybercrime can be devastating and cause significant financial loss for a small business. On average, cyber incidents cost small businesses over $39,000. These guides are designed to help businesses secure their systems and data,” as noted by Alexi Boyd, CEO of the Council of Small Business Organisations.
The SMB Guides provide business owners with the ‘Essential Eight’ principles. These principles aim for users to secure their online environments using Microsoft 365. It includes technical examples of multi-factor authentication, patch management, and application control.
The guides used low-cost or free solutions when possible and were developed with devices configured with Microsoft Intune. However, organisations that wish to make the most out of the guides and adopt the technical examples would need to subscribe to Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
More Stories
Killnet and AnonymousSudan Collaborate to Launch Cyber Attacks on Western Organisations
In recent news, it has been reported that two Russia-sympathetic hacktivist groups, Killnet and AnonymousSudan, have allegedly launched a series...
$4000 Gone In An Instant: Mother Defrauded in Facebook Marketplace Car Deal
A mother of four is warning others to be cautious after believing she had purchased a safe and dependable car...
Shocking Scam: Sydney Family Loses $200K Life-Savings in Suncorp Spoofing Fraud
A family from Sydney has lost their life savings worth $200,000 due to a fraudulent scam. Peter and Madison, who...
Mysterious Money Transfer Leaves Couple Speechless: How They Got an Unsolicited $4000
A young couple in Melbourne claims their bank is making up a personal loan they do not understand. Ashley and...
Phishing + AI + Voice Cloning= Big Trouble: The New Way Criminals are Stealing Your Money
New Alert: Criminals use AI and voice cloning to trick you out of your money. Earlier this year, Microsoft unveiled...
‘Impossible to Spot’ Delivery Scam Email Targets Australia Post Customers – Don’t Fall Victim!
Unsuspecting shoppers should be cautious as a parcel delivery scam that is hard to distinguish targets Australia Post customers. Email...