Cyber guidance issued for small businesses

New guidance has been issued for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on how they could better manage the threat posed by cyber crime.

Although the advice was published by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC), it applies universally and incorporates input from organisations including police forces, rescue services and digital experts.

The report recommends that it is never too early to start protecting a business from cyber crime, starting with considering the level of system access for all employees to curb unauthorised viewing of data.

It also discusses implementing technical controls and basic cyber hygiene, including defence against phishing, creation of strong passwords, securing devices and reporting incidents.

Finally, the publication suggests participating in online cyber resilience training packages to maintain training.

SBRC spokesperson Eamonn Keane said: "The guidance relates to enhancing business resilience and can be applied to all companies. By providing SMEs with a strong foundation in business resilience, this will afford them a greater chance of developing into a sustainable, profitable enterprise."

According to the Federation of Small Businesses, SMEs are collectively subject to almost 10,000 cyber attacks a day.