This comes after a late-year NAB study that revealed small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to be among the least cyber-ready industries. Four out of ten SMEs had "not much training at all," and only 15% conducted significant training on scams and cyber security concerns.

In an effort to support and strengthen SME defenses against ransomware, data breaches, and cyber threats, NAB is providing qualified small business customers with a complimentary one-year subscription to CrowdStrike's "Falcon Go" in collaboration with the international cyber security firm.

Preventing assaults before they disrupt operations

According to NAB Chief Security Officer Sandro Bucchianeri, more work has to be done to safeguard small and medium-sized enterprises as the frequency of cyberattacks rises.

According to Mr. Bucchianeri, "the number of cyberattacks is increasing year over year, and it's concerning that small and medium-sized businesses—which account for 97% of all Australian businesses—are among the least cyber-prepared sectors."

"As the top business bank in Australia, we have a significant responsibility to help small and medium-sized businesses stay safe by providing them with information and support. For this reason, NAB is making every effort to increase our clients' cyber security resilience.

Because of the expense and complexity of cyberattacks, firms may need years to recover. We hope to connect and inform businesses through our partnership with CrowdStrike so they can assist in preventing attacks before they cause business interruptions.

The CrowdStrike deal is an addition to the various services NAB offers to assist its small business clients in staying safe online, such as a complimentary cyber security evaluation offered in collaboration with Microsoft.
every six minutes, one report about cybercrime

During the 2022–2023 fiscal year, small and medium-sized firms paid an average of $71,600 to the Australian Signals Directorate for one cybercrime report every six minutes.
NAB Chief Security Officer Sandro Bucchianeri being videotaped by a television team at NAB's Fusion Center

According to Mr. Bucchianeri, the SME community—which comprises the vast majority of Australian businesses—must be given top priority in order for the nation to attain national cyber resilience.

He claimed that smaller companies "just don't have the resources to manage cyber security at a high level."

Small businesses are rightfully at the center of the government's cyber security policy, and we're committed to leading a coordinated effort to transform them from one of the least prepared industries in the nation to the most capable and resilient community group.

"Before it's too late, we're advising firms to assess their cyber security and take actions to reinforce it.”

Increasing the threshold for small firms' cyber security

Daniel Bernard, the chief business officer of CrowdStrike, described current cyber security as a team sport.

We talk about cybersecurity as a "team sport," and NAB's initiative, which raises the bar for cyber security for small businesses across Australia, is a perfect illustration of that in action, according to Mr. Bernard.

"This will help small businesses get the kind of mature security infrastructure that larger organizations have, along with tailored technical expertise."

For the first year, NAB and CrowdStrike will pay the $450 yearly cost of "CrowdStrike Falcon Go" for qualified small company clients. After that, they will provide a 15% discount.