Cheltenham-based NCSC is offering free cyber training for small organisations and charities.

Most small organisations do not have an IT department, or technical staff responsible for cyber security. And with so much cyber security advice out there, it can be difficult for them to know where to start.

Smaller organisations may also feel they're not at risk from cyber attacks, believing that criminals only target larger companies who have access to more customers, data, and finances.

But 38 per cent of micro and small organisations experienced a cyber security breach in the last 12 months, and of those that lost data or assets, the average amount lost was £8,170.

That's why the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) - part of GCHQ - has introduced this training. It guides organisations through all the actions they need to take to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of the most common cyber attacks.

The training demonstrates how to improve your organisation's resilience, and covers five key areas:

1. Backing up your organisation's data correctly

2. Protecting your organisation against malware

3. Keeping the devices used by your employees secure

4. The importance of creating strong passwords

5. Defending your organisation against phishing

The training will encourage staff to identify possible issues in your business, and make suggestions for how to prevent and tackle common cyber security challenges.

The training is primarily aimed at SMEs, charities and the voluntary sector, but can be applied to any organisation, regardless of size or sector. It's been deliberately designed for a non-technical audience, with tips that complement any existing policies and procedures.

To use the e-learning package, staff should go to the Cyber security for small organisations page, which is hosted on the NCSC website. The package is free to use, and includes knowledge checks.

No login is required - just click on the link and start learning!