The cybersecurity of an SME is only as strong as its weakest link, and the vast majority of cyber-attacks begin with a human error.
In Australia, small and medium businesses are most at risk from cyber-attacks, and are less able to employ expensive cyber defences and programs to protect themselves.
That’s why the federal government in the 2023-24 Budget committed more than $23 million to scale the Cyber Wardens program around the country.
Run by data, strategy and delivery agency 89 Degrees East and the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA), Cyber Wardens is a free online training program targeted at helping small business owners and staff protect themselves from cyber crime.
It offers training and resources to help these businesses understand and mitigate the cyber threat, and garner a culture of cyber-safety within the entire workforce.
“Cyber Wardens is about giving people in small businesses the confidence to take simple steps that make a huge difference to their cyber safety,” Cyber Wardens director Fleur Anderson said.
“It’s about building resilience across the businesses that are the backbone of our economy.”
89 Degrees East and COSBOA’s Cyber Warden program is a finalist in the InnovationAus 2025 Awards for Excellence in the GovTech Project, Product or Service category. The InnovationAus 2025 Awards for Excellence winners and finalists will be celebrated at a black-tie gala dinner at Sydney Town Hall on Thursday, November 27. You can book your tickets here.
The GovTech Project, Product or Service category is proudly sponsored by TechnologyOne.
The category celebrates outstanding achievements in digital transformation, cloud-based platforms, automation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, blockchain and other emerging technologies aimed at enhancing government operations and citizen engagement.
The idea for Cyber Wardens stemmed from the idea of empowering all employees across an organisation to take the lead on cyber safety.
“The lightbulb moment was when we were thinking about first aid officers and office fire wardens,” Anderson said.
“You don’t need to be a doctor to administer first aid, and you don’t need to be a firefighter to know how to reduce the risk of fire and the basic steps in case of an emergency.
“A Cyber Warden is not a tech professional. It is an individual who cares about the safety of those around them.”
The program offers practical, day-to-day cyber behaviours and is accessible for those without IT experience.
More than 24,000 people have enrolled in courses, and there have been more than 13,000 course graduates since it launched.
Other partners on the Cyber Wardens program include Telstra, the Commonwealth Bank and the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
Anderson said the nomination will help bring awareness to the importance of cybersecurity for Australian SMEs.
“This nomination is a real honour,” she said.
“It shines a light on the small business community and the importance of making cybersecurity support accessible to them.
“We’re proud to be building something that helps individuals, and has both national impact and global potential.”
The 2025 InnovationAus Awards for Excellence will be held on November 27 at the magnificent Sydney Town Hall. You can secure individual seats or book a table here. Purchase a table of 10 and have your logo displayed on screens across the venue and in the event programme as a ‘Table Sponsor’.
The InnovationAus 2025 Awards for Excellence are proudly supported by ACS, PEXA Group, the CSIRO ON Program, Griffith Hack, TechnologyOne, Q-CTRL, National AI Centre, University of New South Wales, Investment NSW and IP Australia.
Protecting your great ideas with intellectual property (IP) rights can lead to lasting benefits for your growing business. IP refers to creations of the mind, such as a brand, logo, invention, design or artistic work. Head to the IP Australia website to find out more about IP, and how it might help your business.
Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.