Adelaide small businesses are being urged to take their cyber security seriously, with new research revealing more than one in three Australian small businesses have already experienced a cyberattack.
The findings, commissioned by Optus, have been released as Scams Awareness Week gets underway, highlighting a significant gap between the number of businesses experiencing cyber incidents and those actively preparing for them.
According to the research, 35 per cent of Australian small businesses have experienced a cyberattack, yet more than half (52 per cent) do not believe they are a target.
Even more concerning, 60 per cent do not have a cyber response plan in place, while small businesses are spending an average of just two hours each month on cyberattack prevention.
One in five businesses reported spending no time at all on cyber prevention.
Cybersecurity expert Karissa Breen said, “Cyber attacks aren’t slowing down, particularly with AI tools, they’re becoming more automated and opportunistic, and small businesses are increasingly being targeted as ‘low hanging fruit’. While many businesses have basic protections in place, overall security practices aren’t strong enough, leaving gaps attackers can easily exploit.”
Sole traders appear to be particularly vulnerable, with 79 per cent reporting that they do not have a cyber response plan and 38 per cent saying they took no action after experiencing a cyber incident.
For businesses that are targeted, the consequences can quickly extend beyond the initial attack.
The research found that 31 per cent of affected businesses experienced time and resource costs associated with recovery, while 21 per cent lost productivity due to system outages and 18 per cent suffered direct financial losses.
Phishing and email scams were the most common type of incident, accounting for 38 per cent of reported attacks, followed by malware or virus infections at 24 per cent and hackers impersonating a trusted contact at 24 per cent.
“Common vulnerabilities that attackers typically seek out and exploit include reused passwords, browser autofill and minor password variations,” said Karissa. “Small businesses should adopt strong password hygiene, enforce multi-factor authentication, and invest time in cyber awareness training to reduce these risks.”
To help Adelaide businesses tackle some of these challenges, Optus is bringing its FutureFit cybersecurity workshops to the city during Scams Awareness Week.
FutureFit is a series of free, expert-led interactive workshops designed specifically for small businesses, with sessions focused on helping business owners build their digital skills and resilience.
The Cybersecurity workshop provides practical strategies businesses can use to strengthen their cyber defences, with participants also developing a tailored action plan for their own business.
The aim is to help businesses improve security practices, educate staff and prepare an effective response should an incident occur.
David Johns, Optus Local General Manager, South Australia, added, “Small businesses know cyber risk is real, but with limited time or expertise, many don’t know where to begin. At Optus, we’re helping by providing personalised, practical plans that cut through the complexity and fit each business’s needs. Cyber resilience doesn’t have to be hard – it just needs to be intentional.”
The free FutureFit: Cybersecurity workshop will be held in Adelaide on Wednesday, August 26th, during Scams Awareness Week.
Registrations are currently open, with the workshop offering Adelaide small business owners an opportunity to get practical advice and develop a cyber plan tailored to their business.
For more information, click here.
