Small businesses across the UK are being urged to take simple, practical steps to protect themselves from growing online threats - and a new free toolkit from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) aims to make that much easier.
The Cyber Action Toolkit, launched this week at the NCSC’s Annual Review, offers tailored guidance to help sole traders, micro businesses and small organisations strengthen their cyber security.
NCSC’s latest annual review warns that every organisation with digital assets is a potential target for criminal cyber attackers. NCSC’s CEO, Dr Richard Horne, urged all businesses to ‘act now.’
A growing problem
Recent figures show that 42% of small businesses reported a cyber breach in 2024, while more than a third of micro businesses faced phishing attempts. Many small firms admit they simply don’t know where to start - often because cyber protection feels complicated or time-consuming.
The NCSC’s new toolkit aims to help with that. It breaks cybersecurity down into simple, achievable steps for businesses, with straightforward actions tailored to their size and needs.
What the new toolkit offers
The Cyber Action Toolkit is free to use and provides:
- Personalised cyber security guidance.
- Step-by-step actions tailored to business size.
- Progress tracking and rewards to recognise each improvement you make.
It’s structured around three levels - Foundation, Improver and Enhanced - so businesses can progress through the levels at their own pace and build their resilience gradually.
As you put in place the basic measures recommended by the toolkit, this can be a good starting point in later working towards Cyber Essentials certification.
Taking the first step
For busy business owners, cybersecurity can easily fall down the to-do list. But the reality is that small steps now can save a lot of time and stress later, and the Toolkit seems to be a useful tool in helping with that.
You can access the Cyber Action Toolkit free through the NCSC website.
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