Cyber Wardens Uplift for Australian Small Business
Step up from the free Cyber Wardens programme to practical incident response and Essential Eight Maturity Level One readiness
Take the foundations from the ASBFEO and CommBank Cyber Wardens programme and turn them into a working incident response capability, a defensible Notifiable Data Breaches position, an underwriting-ready insurance evidence kit, and a 90-day uplift plan to ACSC Essential Eight Maturity Level One.
At a Glance
Who it's for
- Small business owners who have completed (or want to complete) the free Cyber Wardens programme
- Office managers and admin staff acting as the de facto IT and security lead
- Bookkeepers, practice managers and operations leads holding customer or patient data
- Franchisees, trades and professional services firms preparing for cyber insurance renewal
Course Details
Course Overview
The Cyber Wardens programme run by the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) with the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) and CommBank gives small businesses solid awareness foundations. This uplift course is the next step. In one half-day, or two short evening sessions, owners and staff move from awareness to a working playbook: a documented call tree for the first hour of an incident, plain-English Notifiable Data Breaches mechanics under the Privacy Act 1988 and OAIC guidance, an underwriting-ready cyber insurance evidence kit, and a costed 90-day plan to reach ACSC Essential Eight Maturity Level One.
What You'll Learn
Course Curriculum
Module 1: Incident response readiness for small business: the call tree, the lawyer, the insurer
60 min- The first hour: who calls who, in what order, and from which device
- Building a one-page call tree covering owner, MSP, lawyer, insurer, bank and key customers
- When to call your insurer before you call the IT person, and why
- Preserving evidence without making it worse: laptops, logs, mailbox rules
- Tabletop exercise: a ransomware note appears on the office PC at 4:45pm Friday
Module 2: Notifiable Data Breaches in plain English
60 min- What the Privacy Act 1988 and the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme actually require of small business
- The "eligible data breach" test and the 30-day assessment window
- Using the OAIC Notifiable Data Breach form and statement template
- Common small business triggers: lost laptop, misdirected email, compromised mailbox, stolen client list
- What to say (and not say) to affected customers, staff and the media
Module 3: Practical cyber insurance underwriting evidence kit
60 min- How Australian cyber insurance proposals are scored in 2026
- The eight evidence items most underwriters want to see (MFA coverage, backup test, patch cadence, EDR, training, IR plan, vendor list, prior incidents)
- Building a shared evidence folder that survives staff turnover
- Avoiding warranty and condition breaches that void cover at claim time
- Working with your broker: questions to ask before renewal
Module 4: 90-day uplift plan to ACSC Essential Eight Maturity Level One
60 min- Mapping Essential Eight Maturity Level One to small business reality
- The eight controls in owner language: what "good enough" looks like for ML1
- Sequencing: what to do in days 1-30, 31-60 and 61-90
- Costing the plan: in-house vs MSP, and what to ask for in a quote
- Signing off the plan: owner accountability, review cadence and evidence capture
Who Should Attend
- Cyber Wardens programme graduates wanting the next practical step
- Small business owners and operators (1 to 50 staff)
- Office managers, practice managers and bookkeepers
- Franchisees and multi-site operators preparing for insurance renewal
Prerequisites
Before enrolling, please ensure you meet these requirements:
- • Awareness-level cyber knowledge (Cyber Wardens or equivalent)
- • Familiarity with the business's day-to-day tools (email, accounting, file storage)
- • No technical background required
Delivery, Format and Logistics
Delivery Mode
Half-day live session or two 2-hour evening sessions (also self-paced online)
One half-day live session, or two 2-hour evening sessions (also available self-paced online with live Q&A)
What You'll Need
- A laptop or desktop and access to your business email and accounting tools
- Completion of, or willingness to complete, the free Cyber Wardens programme (cyberwardens.com.au)
- A nominated business owner or manager who can sign off the 90-day plan
- Basic familiarity with how your business stores customer and staff information
What You'll Receive
- 4 hours of focused training tailored to Australian small business
- One-page incident response call tree template
- OAIC Notifiable Data Breach decision flowchart and notification draft
- Cyber insurance underwriting evidence checklist
- Essential Eight Maturity Level One self-assessment workbook
- 90-day uplift plan template (owner sign-off ready)
- Certificate of completion
Frequently Asked Questions
Not Ready to Enrol?
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Next Intake
September 2026 — register your interest at educ4te.com
Format
Half-day live session or two 2-hour evening sessions (also self-paced online)
Group & Enterprise Options
Discounted rates available for teams of 3+ delegates. Contact us for in-house delivery options.
What's Included
- 4 hours of focused training tailored to Australian small business
- One-page incident response call tree template
- OAIC Notifiable Data Breach decision flowchart and notification draft
- Cyber insurance underwriting evidence checklist
- Essential Eight Maturity Level One self-assessment workbook
- 90-day uplift plan template (owner sign-off ready)
- Certificate of completion
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