A new project funded by the Home Office is looking at how to improve cyber-security behaviour in small businesses and charities.

It is estimated that around a half of businesses will suffer a cyber breach or attack in anyone year. So, it is not so much a question of if but when a business is going to be attacked. Fortunately, there a simple actions a business can take to dramatically reduce the chances of cyber breach. These actions are encapsulated in various Government backed campaigns, such as Cyber Aware, Cyber Essentials and Take Five. Unfortunately, many businesses, and even more charities, are not following this basic advice. That is the equivalent of leaving your car with the keys in the door and the windows wide open.

So, how can we get businesses to act? Government Campaigns have primarily been about raising awareness. Our project will look at how we can turn greater awareness into positive action. The main part of the project will be a targeted intervention on 160 small businesses and charities. The participating organisations will receive a free cyber health check from KITC Solutions to inform and advise on how security in their organisation can be improved. We will survey the organisations before and after the health check to evaluate its effect. Our approach draws on the latest insights from behavioural economics, and will help inform policy around cyber security behaviour.

More information on the project is available on the project web page.