Government urges SMBs to get "streetwise" on cyber security

A Government-led campaign aimed at helping SMBs and their employees become more internet savvy has launched in the UK.

At the centre of the "Cyber Streetwise" initiative is a website featuring animations and interactive click-through elements to highlight key cyber security issues.

The site include guidance about keeping devices and operating systems updated, banking safely online, identity protection, password security and identifying insecure websites.

The campaign is being funded by the National Cyber Security Programme, and features input from several Government departments, including the Home Office, the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Furthermore, Cyber Streetwise has also won the backing of anti-crime organisations Action Fraud, Crimestoppers, Financial Fraud Action UK, the Fraud Advisory Panel and the National Crime Agency.

A number of private sector firms have also thrown their weight behind the project, including Barclays, Natwest, RBS, Capital One, Noddle, Trend Micro, Sophos and Symantec.

Security minister James Brokenshire, said the campaign is designed to highlight the "few simple steps" people can take to keep themselves and their data safe online.

"The internet has radically changed the way we work and socialise. It has created a wealth of opportunities, but with these opportunities there are also threats," said Brokenshire.

"As a Government, we are taking the fight to cyber criminals wherever they are in the world. However, by taking a few simple steps while online the public can keep cyber criminals out and their information safe."

The campaign comes on the back of findings from the recent National Cyber Security Consumer Tracker, which suggests more than half the population are failing to cover the basics when protecting themselves online.

Forty-four per cent of the survey's 22,762 respondents said they always install internet security software on new equipment, while just 21 per cent said they installed patches on mobile devices. In contrast, 37 per cent said they do this on their PCs.