Cynch Security co-founder and CEO Susie Jones.
Cybersecurity initiatives for small business were conspicuously absent from the government’s $1.2 billion digital strategy, unveiled yesterday.
The suite of measures, announced ahead of the federal budget next week, pledged ‘over $50 million’ to improve cybersecurity in the government, as well as investment in data centres and telecommunications networks.
But, despite funding designed to boost small business digitisation, none of the cyber spending is heading to SMEs. Experts say this is a blind spot that could leave them more vulnerable than they already are.
Cynch Security co-founder Susie Jones notes that any business operating over the past year has “come to terms with the need to be digital”.
JobAdder chief Martin Herbst.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected most of the world’s 7.8 billion people in some way, in Australia, the small business and startup communities have faced a unique battle.
Small businesses and startups, by definition, are small operations, which means employers and employees often work closely together, both invested in the health and longevity of a business.
For many, this meant when the pandemic hit, and cashflow became critical, managers did everything they could to keep staff on the books in some way.
Working side-by-side, albeit probably virtually, managers and their teams have fought tooth and nail to keep businesses afloat this year, and in the process, their leadership and people skills have accelerated.