Queen Mary University of London to begin project to improve cyber security for small businesses

The project, which has been awarded almost £700,000 funding from EPSRC, will establish pilot Cyber Security Communities of Support (CyCOS), bringing together Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and advisory sources for practical help and support. The team, which also includes academics from the University of Nottingham and University of Kent, will investigate the support needs of small businesses to establish their current understanding and confidence around cyber security, and their awareness and perceptions of available support.

Small businesses are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks due to their limited resources and lack of knowledge in cyber security. The research aims to enhance national cyber resilience by developing Cyber Security Communities of Support to guide SMEs in understanding the need for security and how to achieve it.

According to Maria Bada, the lead QMUL researcher on the project, “SMEs are critical to the UK economy. The UK has 5.5 million SMEs, accounting for three fifths of UK employment, yet very little is known about their security strategies, day-to-day security challenges, and more importantly how to encourage and support their pursuit of cyber security.”

Bada also notes that the project is aligned with the UK National Cyber Strategy 2022, which aims to ensure SME resilience to cyber-attacks and protect businesses in the supply chain. The project is supported by key partners such as the Home Office, IASME, (ISC)2, the Chartered Institute of Information Security, and Cyber Resilience Centres.

The project is set to commence in September 2023 and will run for 3 years. The findings from the research will be used to develop guidelines and best practices for small businesses in cyber security.