Small to Medium Enterprise Cyber Security Awareness: An Initial Survey of Western Australian Business

Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) represent a large proportion of a nation’s business activity. There are studies and reports reporting the threat to business from cyber security issues resulting in computer hacking that achieve system penetration and information compromise. Very few are focussed on SMEs. Even fewer are focussed on directly surveying the actual SMEs themselves and attempts to improve SME outcomes with respect to cyber security. This paper represents research in progress that outlines an approach being undertaken in Western Australia with SMEs in the northwest metropolitan region of Perth, specifically within the large local government catchments of Joondalup and Wanneroo. The high order goal of the project was to assist with measures to improve their cyber security resilience and resistance to threats. This paper documents outcomes of an initial survey of SMEs and its implications for interventions to improve information security and make the businesses less susceptible to computer hacking incidents.