The National Cyber Security Centre have launched a self-assessment tool to help sole traders and micro businesses check how safe they are from cyber threats, and to give advice on areas of improvement.

Cyber Aware is the government’s national campaign on cyber security. It is led by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and delivered in partnership with the Cabinet Office, Home Office and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). The campaign is designed to empower and enable the public, sole traders and microbusinesses to better understand how to stay secure online and to take practical steps to help do so.

We’re spending more time online than ever. So are cyber criminals. Even small businesses are a valuable target to cyber criminals. Online security is as important as physical security.

Luckily, if you work for yourself or run a small business with fewer than 10 employees, there are actions you can take to protect yourself online. And you don’t have to be an IT expert to action them.

Cyber Aware promotes six practical steps. Together, they help protect you from the majority of online crime. They help keep you secure by protecting your passwords, your accounts and your devices. To help businesses prioritise the Cyber Aware advice, the National Cyber Security Centre have created the Cyber Action Plan– an online self-assessment that delivers customised actions based on your response to a small number of questions.

By following the advice, it will be harder for criminals to access your money and business information.

The new tool kit can be downloaded here or for more information please visit here.