The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has issued an urgent cyber self-hygiene check to small businesses.

Following recent attacks on major corporations, the ASD says all operators should take stock of their ability to respond effectively.

It has released ‘Exercise in a Box’ (EiaB) attack prepping that an “organisation can use to assess and improve its cyber security practices”.

“This specially designed tool has proven very successful in the UK. It has been customised to help small-to-medium businesses in the Australian threat environment,” says Stephanie Crowe, first assistant director-general for Cyber Security Resilience at the Australian Cyber Security Centre.

“Last year the ACSC received over 76,000 cybercrime reports, an increase of almost 13 per cent from the previous financial year. Ransomware remains the most destructive cybercrime threat in Australia due to its significant financial and reputational costs.

“Exercise in a Box works by taking a small group of your key staff through a series of structured questions relating to an area of cyber security,” Ms Crowe said.

“By completing the exercises, you will understand the risks your organisation is currently exposed to, and what you can do about it. Each exercise concludes with a report that offers practical guidance on improving the cyber security of your organisation.”