AustCyber- Cybersecurity and small business as critical infrastructure in Australia

Key Points

• ​As an increasing number of Australian small businesses are working remotely due to the economic shock of COVID-19. They are faced with an increasing volume and variety of malicious cyber-attack. These hacking attempts threaten to disrupt their business in the best case and put them out of business in the worst.
• The WA AustCyber Innovation Hub modelled the short-term economic impact of investing $1 million (AUD) into 5000 small businesses in Western Australia over a six-month period.
• There is no Cyber Triple Zero phone number to call when a small business falls victim to a cybercrime.
• The creation of a Cyber Intervention Emergency Response effort will work to prevent disruption of the critical Australian small to medium enterprise supply chain over a six months period.
• 12% OF SMALL BUSINESS EXPERIENCE A CYBER EVENT