A survey by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology revealed that around a third of all small businesses will have experienced some kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months, and that phishing was the most common form of attack. 

According to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), phishing emails are getting harder to spot, so it is more important than ever that employees are aware of what the risks are and how to protect themselves online. 

Staying Safe Online: Top Tips for Staff is a free e-learning employee training package produced by NCSC and aimed at an audience who may have little or no existing knowledge of cyber security. 

The pack takes around 30 minutes to complete, and as well as explaining why cyber security is so important, covers three key areas: 

• defending yourself against phishing 

• using strong passwords 

• securing your devices 

For more information on cyber security for sole traders and small business owners visit the NCSC’s page on Small and Medium Organisations and the NCSC’s Small Business Guide. 

HMRC are keen for you to help them fight cyber crime. You should forward suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599, emails to [email protected] and report tax scam phone calls to HMRC.   

If you would like to stay updated on the latest information, services and resources from NCSC for small and medium businesses, you can sign up to the NCSC’s Small Organisation Newsletter. 

This article reflects the position at the date of publication shown above. If you are reading this at a later date you are advised to check that that position has not changed in the time since.   

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