• This innovative government approach in delivering support provides a free, personalised toolkit that will empower millions of sole traders, micro businesses and small organisations to protect their people, money and reputation from growing online threats.
• The Cyber Action Toolkit turns cyber security protection into simple, achievable steps for businesses, with straightforward actions tailored to business size and needs.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of GCHQ, has today launched the Cyber Action Toolkit: a single destination for sole traders, micro businesses and small organisations to start building their cyber defences.

Recent figures show that 42% of small businesses reported cyber breaches in 2024, while 35% of micro businesses faced phishing attacks. Despite this threat, many small businesses struggle to know where to start with achieving cyber protection against the most common threats.

In its latest annual review, the NCSC warns that every organisation with digital assets is a potential target to cyber criminal attackers. The NCSC CEO Dr Richard Horne is urging all businesses to ‘act now’ to build the UK’s collective resilience and close the widening gap between the rising pace of the cyber threat and our current capabilities.

The toolkit personalises recommendations based on specific business needs, focusing on high-impact, low-effort actions first. Users progress through Foundation, Improver and Enhanced levels at their own pace, with built-in rewards recognising each step completed.

Key features include:

The Cyber Action Toolkit is the latest in a series of NCSC products, services and guidance designed to support organisations in improving their cyber resilience. The toolkit is a strong starting point to help small businesses put in place basic measures and develop confidence to work towards Cyber Essentials – the government-backed certification scheme that demonstrates an organisation meets the recognised UK minimum standard for cyber security.

Jonathon Ellison OBE, Director of National Resilience at the NCSC, said:

In our digital-dependent society, it is vital that businesses take responsibility for their cyber security to defend against and recover from common cyber attacks. However, we know it can be hard for sole traders and small businesses to know where to begin.

That is why we have designed the Cyber Action Toolkit: a personalised, user-friendly entry point that equips you to start building a strong cyber security foundation.

Every step taken makes the UK more resilient, and by putting this toolkit into practice, you can work towards making yourself and your business more confident and capable.