Cyber security health check for Adelaide small businesses
Plenty of small businesses think they're too small to be a target. The numbers say otherwise. A cyber security health check tells you how exposed you are right now, measured against the basics the Australian Government recommends, and gives you a short list of what to fix first.
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From $690 (ex GST) for a typical small business. Every business is different, so call us and we'll work out the right scope and price together. See all our prices
The short answer
A cyber security health check measures a small business against the government's recommended basics: multi-factor authentication, software updates, backups, email security, admin access, device protection and staff awareness. WaTo Consulting runs these checks for Adelaide businesses and returns a risk-ranked list of fixes. Very small businesses can also get a free cyber health check through IDCARE's government-funded service.
Why it matters for a small business
In the Australian Signals Directorate's 2024-25 threat report, small businesses that reported cybercrime lost an average of $56,600 each, up 14% on the year before. Email compromise and fake invoice fraud were the most common crimes against businesses. The Australian Cyber Security Centre's small business guide says to start with three things: multi-factor authentication, updates and backups. This check tells you whether you've got those covered, and what's next after them.
What we check
Multi-factor authentication
Email, banking, accounting software, remote access and admin accounts. Anything with money or customer data behind it.
Updates
Operating systems, browsers, Office and business apps, plus anything past its end of support date.
Backups
Whether backups run, whether they're kept away from the systems they protect, and whether a restore actually works.
Email and payment fraud
Domain protection (SPF, DKIM and DMARC), filtering, and how staff confirm a change of bank details.
Admin access
Who has admin rights on PCs and online services, and whether day-to-day accounts have more access than they need.
Device protection
Antivirus or endpoint protection, disk encryption and screen locks on laptops and phones.
Staff and process
Password habits, phishing awareness and whether anyone knows who to call if something goes wrong.
Who it's for
- Small businesses that have never had anyone look at their security.
- Owners filling in a cyber insurance proposal who want honest answers to the questions.
- Medical, allied health, legal and accounting practices holding sensitive client records.
- Anyone who has had a near miss, like a fake invoice that almost got paid.
How it works
- We start with a conversation. What systems you use, where customer data lives and how money moves in and out of the business.
- We check the settings. Admin portals, PCs, your domain's email records and backup reports. Mostly remote, with a visit if needed.
- We rank the risks. Each finding gets red, orange or green and a plain explanation of what could happen if it's left.
- You get a short plan. The first few fixes that remove the most risk, then the rest in a sensible order.
Why WaTo for a cyber security health check
- We look after security for Adelaide businesses every day, not just on audit day.
- We start from the government's own small business advice, not a product we want to sell.
- Findings are written for owners, so you understand the risk you're accepting or fixing.
- If you'd rather fix things yourself, the plan tells you how.
Cyber security health check questions
Is there a free cyber health check for small business?
Yes. IDCARE runs a government-funded Small Business Cyber Resilience Service that includes a cyber health check, for businesses with 19 or fewer full-time-equivalent staff and an active ABN. It's a good starting point. Our check goes further into your actual systems and settings, and we can do the fixes.
How is this different from a security audit?
A health check is quick and practical: it ranks risks and fixes. A security audit is a deeper, documented review against a standard like the Essential Eight, usually when an insurer, client or buyer asks for evidence.
Will you try to hack us?
No. That's a penetration test, which is a separate service with written authorisation and a defined scope. A health check looks at how things are set up, not whether they can be broken into.
We're tiny. Do we really need this?
Small businesses are hit precisely because they're less likely to have the basics in place. If you use email and online banking, a check is worth doing.
Related services
- Security audits
- Essential Eight
- Full IT health check
- Cyber insurance readiness
- Website security and compliance audit
Guides on this topic
- Do I actually need cyber security?
- What is the Essential Eight?
- How to spot a phishing email
- IT health check, IT audit or penetration test: which do you need?
Sources & references
How exposed is your business?
Tell us what systems you use and we'll scope a cyber security health check, with a fixed price up front.
Mon to Fri, 8:30am to 5pm
