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background . Small businesses have asked for a tool that can help them review their current level of protection so they can obtain targeted advice on next steps . IASME has responded to this need by developing a free online tool with basic level guidance to the five core controls and related topics written in ‘ plain English ’. the appropriate guidance based on their answers to the questions . Upon completion , the business owner will understand their level of preparedness for undertaking Cyber Essentials and will be presented with a tailored action plan and detailed guidance for the additional requirements or steps there are still to achieve .

Although accomplishing Cyber Essentials is the end goal , it may be that there are many steps along the way that need to come first . Small spoonfuls of information about cybersecurity will be available , allowing someone who describes themselves as ‘ nontech ’ to learn at their own pace .

How far is consumer demand for trusted , secure services impacting SMEs ’ approach / strategy ?

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the threats from cybercrime and they do not want their username / passwords compromised , their data stolen or their account hacked . Organisations need to be seen and prove that they are taking cybersecurity seriously . This is reflected in the steps being taken by the UK Government to bring in new legislation around the security of consumer IoT devices .

MANY SMALL

BUSINESSES HAVE USUALLY GOT ALL THEIR

RESOURCES TIED UP RUNNING THE BUSINESS RATHER THAN FOCUSED ON IT AND

CYBERSECURITY .

We are also adapting our guidance to include the education sector and are working towards making the Cyber Essentials journey tailored and accessible for schools and colleges .

How do you help reduce technical complexity for SMEs ?

This is something we are particularly focused on , through the accessible presentation of guidance , blogs and webinars / seminars as well as the already mentioned Cyber Essentials readiness tool that launches this month .

The readiness tool is accessible in the form of a free of charge set of questions on the IASME website . The process of working through the questions will inform a business owner about their own level of understanding and what aspects they need to focus on . They will be directed towards

Both our new schemes , the IoT Security Assured and the Counter Fraud Fundamentals are there to help protect customers and to assist them in identifying organisations that can prove they have the fundamentals in place .

What advice would you offer SMEs for delivering impactful security awareness training ?

Effective security training has to be meaningful to all staff . Training should be made relevant to the business which will engage staff by making situations real .

As we mentioned , 90 % of cyberattacks start with emails so start training there , encourage staff to take their time before responding to a request to ‘ click the link ’ or ‘ open the document ’.

Then , as the business develops its security processes , training requirements will become apparent . �