How to improve your cyber security; affordable, practical advice for businesses.

Foreword
This guide has been produced to help small businesses protect themselves from the most common cyber attacks. If you’re a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) then there’s around a 1 in 2 chance that you’ll experience a cyber security breach. For micro / small businesses, that could result in costs of around £900.
Following the advice in this guide will significantly increase your protection from the most common types of cybercrime. The 5 topics covered are easy to understand and cost little to implement. This guide can’t guarantee protection from all types of cyber attack, but it does show how easy it can be to protect your organisation’s data, assets, and reputation. You can find more help in the ‘find out more’ section at the bottom of each topic. If you need to improve your cyber security further, then you can also seek certification under the Cyber Essentials1 scheme, which has the benefit of demonstrating to your clients (or prospective clients) that you take the protection of their data seriously. And if you’re a larger business, or face a greater risk from cybercrime, then the 10 Steps to Cyber Security2 can further help your approach to cyber security.

The National Cyber Security Centre want to make it easy for people to understand how to protect their
information and IT against cyber attack3, in the same way that everyone understands how to protect their
property from other types of crime. The NCSC is not just here to look after the IT systems of government and the UK’s critical national infrastructure. Whether you run a small business, a charity, oversee the IT systems in a school, or simply want to make sure your devices at home are more secure, our mission
is to make the UK the safest place for everyone to live and do business online.

Sarah Lyons
NCSC Deputy Director
Economy & Society Engagement