Business owners are being urged to ‘lock the door’ on criminals as the UK government launches a new campaign to provide practical ways for organisations to protect themselves from common online threats.

Appearing across social media, podcasts, radio and business networks, the campaign aims to reach SMEs, encouraging them to engage with the government’s cyber essentials scheme which sets out practical steps they can take to protect themselves from the most common cyber attacks. This includes keeping software up to date and controlling who has access to accounts and data to immediately boost their cyber resilience.

It comes as new figures show the scale of threat facing businesses. Significant cyber incidents cost an average of £195,000 and half of all small businesses have suffered a cyber breach or attack in the last 12 months. The government said that last year, 92% fewer insurance claims were made by organisations with cyber essentials in place.

Baroness Lloyd, cyber security minister, said: “No business is out of reach from cyber criminals. SMEs play a vital role in our economy, and business owners work incredibly hard to build something valuable, but too many still assume cyber criminals only go after big brands. The reality is criminals look for easy opportunities, and without basic protections in place, any business of any size can become a target.

“I know smaller firms don’t have large IT teams, and that is exactly why cyber essentials matters. It provides a straightforward checklist to lock the door on cyber criminals, without needing specialist expertise. Cyber risk is business risk, just like fire or theft, and the protections are just as essential. I urge businesses to take action and adopt cyber essentials now.”

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