Grants of up to $2,100 for small business cybersecurity checks: Here’s how to apply

Small businesses will be able to apply for up to $2,100 in funding to help get their cybersecurity tested under a new government initiative announced today.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said $10 million will be committed to a new grant scheme, designed to address digital security shortcomings among small firms.

Businesses with 19 or fewer employees will be eligible to apply for the grants, with applications open for the next two years or until all the funding is committed.

The grants will cover half the cost of a cybersecurity health check, which will be run by approved Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers (CREST) service providers.

CREST itself will receive a $2 million grant from the federal government to improve its ability to help small businesses with cybersecurity issues.

The measures round out commitments made in the government’s 2016 cybersecurity strategy, and, according to Andrews, will help bolster confidence among businesses and consumers.

“The Liberal-National Government recognises that confidence in the security of data is vital both to businesses and their customers,” Andrews said in a statement. Read more

Matthew Elmas - Smart Company - 3 Dec 2018