Cybersecurity for small businesses

Most people assume that IT will take care of cybersecurity, however you this doesn’t guarantee that your business is protected from cybercrime.

Cyber criminals do not break in, they log in. Through social engineering they manipulate a victim into actioning a request, such as clicking a link, opening an attachment, providing login credentials and paying an invoice. Actioning such a request can lead to malware infection (including ransomware), disruption to business, data loss, monetary loss, reputational damage, and much more.

It’s not about spending a crazy amount of money on protection. It’s about self-awareness, being vigilant and careful. By implementing some basics of cyber hygiene and knowing how to spot cyber threats makes you less vulnerable to an attack.

Chen TSUI is Cyber Protect & Prevent Officer Serious Fraud & Cyber Unit at Hertfordshire Constabulary. She gave this presentation at the International Conference in 2025 which covered: 

• Cyber threats
• Social engineering
• Impact of cyber attacks on small businesses 
• How small business can stay safe 
• Reporting
• Further resources

National Cyber Security Centre