Smaller businesses are being offered a 75% discount on the government-backed Cyber Essentials certification programme.
The discount, covered by £2.4m of government funding, will be on a first come first served basis to micro, small and medium businesses who have not been certified in the last four years.
The programme is the minimum standard of cyber security recommended by the government for organisations of all sizes. It is designed to protect against the majority of common internet-based cyber-attacks.
The new discount means micro-businesses(nine employees or fewer), small (10-49 employees) and medium (50-249 employees) sized businesses could pay between £80 and £125 (plus VAT) to “get peace of mind that their organisation is protected against the most common online threats”.
Recent government research suggests a significant cyber-attack on a UK business or organisation could cost on average £195,000 and estimates approximately 6,000 new businesses could benefit from this funding.
Cyber security minister, Liz Lloyd said: “Small and medium-sized businesses employ millions of people across our nation, and should not be left vulnerable in the age of rising cyber threats.
“We are not going to sit back and let malicious actors take advantage – we will back our SMEs and help them be protected and secure.
“We are making it easier and cheaper to access expert cyber support, identify and plug vulnerabilities in their digital systems, and achieve certification through our Cyber Essentials scheme.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re sitting at the head of the table in the boardroom, or working from the kitchen counter at home – if you run a business, no matter the size, securing your digital systems must be a top priority and we’re equipping businesses for the evolving digital future.”
The certification is based on a verified self-assessment questionnaire, which organisations can download for free from the IASME website.
Registration is open now and businesses must register for the programme before 31st March to receive the discount.
