- Crisafulli Government partners to deliver free cyber security training programs.
- Small business owners and staff will be able to access free training to become Cyber Wardens.
- Tailored industry guides to help small and family businesses across multiple sectors to mitigate financial risks associated with cyber threats and boost cyber security resilience.
- Partnership is a commitment under the Crisafulli Government's Small and Family Business First Action Statement.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering free online training to help Queensland small and family businesses level up their cyber security defences.
In a Queensland-first, small business owners, sole traders, and staff will be offered training to become Cyber Wardens in the next 12 months, bringing frontline protection against online attacks that threaten their businesses.
This partnership will deliver:
- free Cyber Wardens training to help small and family businesses, and their staff, to mitigate financial risks associated with cyber threats
- training materials for key Queensland industries, including healthcare, construction, and tourism
- education on secure usage of digital identity schemes, including Digital lD and Digital Driver's Licences
- weekly, industry-specific cyber security webinars and on-demand options.
Training is now available through a partnership between the Crisafulli Government and Cyber Wardens, a national initiative funded by the Australian Government and delivered by the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia (COSBOA).
The average cost to small businesses of dealing with cyber issues rose by eight per cent in 2023-24 to $49,600.
Figures show a cyber attack is reported every six minutes in Australia with four in five small businesses across the country experiencing a cyber incident in the past year.
Minister for Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business Steve Minnikin said the program was underpinned by the Crisafulli Government's Small and Family Business First Action Statement, backed by more than $130 million in additional funding.
"In a world of growing online threats, small and family businesses must be equipped to prevent and respond to cyber risks," Minister Minnikin said.
"Email and banking fraud are among the highest cyber threats for small and family businesses and the cost of these threats is rising.
"This is an alarming statistic, and we need to act now to protect Queensland's thriving small business sector."
"This partnership with Cyber Wardens will help small businesses build resilience and implement effective cyber risk preparedness plans.
"These important partnerships are part of our government's Small Business First policy agenda and commitment to creating the right operating environment for our small and family businesses to grow."
COSBOA chair Matthew Addison welcomed the partnership and called on other states and territories to follow suit.
"The collaboration with Cyber Wardens and the Queensland Government signifies how seriously Queensland are taking the rising threat of online attacks," he said.
"This is a critical step toward a nationally consistent approach to cyber resilience and we are urging every state and territory to follow Queensland's lead.
"The Cyber Wardens program empowers small businesses with practical tools and frontline knowledge to prevent attacks before they happen.
"The growing suite of free online training courses, resources and webinars is tailor-made for small businesses.
"The program helps owners and their staff spot common red flags, use AI safely and take simple steps that could stop cyber criminals from launching a devastating attack."
