The Federal Government is on the hunt for a provider to offer free support for small businesses who fall victim to a cyber attack.
Through the Small Business Cyber Resilience Service, the successful provider will help small businesses with free, tailored, person to person support during and after a cyber attack. This involves developing and implementing a specific plan to improve their cyber security.
Once operating, small businesses impacted by a cyber attack will be able to contact the service to receive person to person support, including walking them through the steps that they need to take to recover. Additional case management support will also be available in the immediate aftermath of an incident.
A grant of $8.1m over three years is on offer to deliver the service to small businesses across Australia, in both metropolitan and regional locations.
In the last financial year, nearly 94,000 cybercrimes were reported to the Australian Cyber Security Centre. The average cost of a cybercrime to affected small businesses is now $46,000.
The new services builds on the Cyber Wardens Program which provides free, online training for small business owners and their staff to help drive cultural change and a cyber safe mindset in Australian small businesses and the Digital Solutions Program which offers advice on how small businesses can make the most of digital tools in their business. Applications for the Small Business Cyber Resilience Service grant close on Friday, April 26, 2024.
