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COSBOA’s Cyber Wardens program warns businesses to be alert for scams and other cyber crime during the Christmas season.
The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia’s Cyber Warden’s initiative has released a Christmas guide to help small businesses protect themselves from cyber harms this holiday season.
The guide – Deck the Halls with Cyber Safety – details easy-to-follow steps to secure digital resources for both business owners and their employees.
The Christmas season commonly sees a spike in scams involving fake invoices, refund requests, and customer complaints, all of which are becoming harder to spot thanks to the increasing use of generative AI in creating scam content.
The costs of such attacks are rising. According to the latest figures from the Australian Signals Directorate, the average cost of a cyber attack upon a small business is now more than $49,000.
Luke Achterstraat, COSBOA’s CEO, said the new guide is an important tool to keep small businesses safe this year.
“It’s no secret that small businesses have done it tough this year, and owners should be able to look forward to the festive season with a sense of positivity and hope – not fear of a cyber attack,” Achterstraat said in a statement.
“But the reality is cyber criminals know small businesses are juggling holiday orders, staff schedules, and last-minute to-dos, so they ramp up their efforts, hoping to catch you off guard. Cyber criminals are becoming increasingly savvy and tactical, and it is critical that every small business takes steps to shore up [its] online defences. The Cyber Wardens program is free and easy to complete, and the introductory course only takes 10 minutes.”
You can find the Deck the Halls with Cyber Safety guide here.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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