This unit introduces cybersecurity as a practical business risk for SMEs, using realistic examples (phishing, invoice fraud, ransomware) to show how incidents disrupt operations, finances, and trust. You’ll learn a simple definition of risk (likelihood × impact) and why “we’re too small to be targeted” is a dangerous assumption—setting the foundation for prioritising what matters most in the rest of the course.
Basic Cybersecurity Risk Management for SMEs
A self-paced, practical course that helps SMEs understand cyber risk (likelihood + impact), prioritise what matters, and apply high-value controls ...
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Instructor
ZoiMoza
- Description
- Curriculum
- Reviews
In today’s SME environment, cyber risk is a daily business issue—not just an IT concern. This course equips Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and SME employees with a practical, non-technical approach to understanding, assessing, and reducing the most common cybersecurity risks (phishing, fraud, ransomware, and data exposure).
Participants will work through short, self-paced units that explain risk in plain language (likelihood + impact) and introduce a simple 5-step risk process. The course focuses on high-value, realistic controls—such as MFA, backup and restore testing, access control, and payment verification rules—and shows how to prepare for incidents using clear first-hour actions and roles.
By the end of the course, learners will be able to:
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Explain cybersecurity risk as a business issue using likelihood and impact.
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Identify key assets, processes, and data types that must be protected.
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Write clear risk statements (vulnerability + threat + business impact).
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Score risks consistently using simple 1–5 scales and prioritise top risks.
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Select and plan SME-friendly controls (technical + process + people) that reduce risk fast.
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Respond more effectively to common incidents using a first-hour checklist and contact plan.
The course includes practical templates (Asset & Process List, starter Risk Register, Top 5 Controls Action Plan, and First-Hour Incident Plan) designed for everyday use. Downloading the template pack is sufficient for completion—no uploads or submissions are required.
Quick Start Guide: Basic Risk Management for SMEs
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1
Welcome & How to Use This CourseThis onboarding module shows you how to move through the course and turn each flipbook into practical improvements at work. You’ll get the full roadmap, a simple study routine for busy SME teams, and access to ready-to-use templates you can apply immediately.
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2
Quick Check: Key Concepts Before You Start
Complete this short check to confirm you understand the course basics: what “risk” means here, what counts as an asset in an SME, and what you will produce by the end of the course. It’s a quick orientation step to help you start with the right mental model before moving on.
Module 1 — Foundations: What “Cyber Risk” Means for SMEs
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3
Cybersecurity Risk: the SME reality
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4
Assets, threats, vulnerabilities, controls
This unit introduces the four building blocks that explain most SME cyber risk—assets, threats, vulnerabilities, and controls—so you can describe risks clearly in plain language. You’ll learn how everyday weaknesses (like no MFA, password reuse, or missing payment verification steps) allow common threats to succeed, and how practical controls break the risk chain. A worked invoice-fraud example shows how combining technical, process, and people controls reduces both likelihood and impact.
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5
Activity: Your Cyber Risk Workout
A set of five guided, scenario-based exercises that turn the this module into practice. Learners rank business impacts, match threats to assets, identify vulnerabilities, build full risk chains, and choose effective SME controls—receiving immediate feedback and progress tracking as they go.
Module 2 — The Risk Management Process
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6
A simple 5-step risk process for SMEs
This unit introduces a practical 5-step cyber risk process designed for SMEs—simple enough to repeat regularly, but structured enough to guide real decisions. You’ll learn how to define a manageable scope, write clear risk statements, assess likelihood and impact, choose a treatment option, and keep risk management alive through periodic review. By the end, you’ll understand what a “good” starter Risk Register looks like and how to avoid common SME mistakes (like doing too much at once or skipping ownership and backup testing).
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7
Risk assessment that doesn’t require math
This unit shows you how to assess and prioritise cyber risks using a simple 1–5 likelihood and impact scoring method. You’ll learn how to interpret scores, use a risk matrix for clear communication, and set practical “impact anchors” (downtime, financial loss, customer trust) that fit your SME. A worked example demonstrates how scoring helps you focus on the top risks and track improvement after controls like MFA or backups are implemented.
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8
Activity: Risk Management Sprint
This interactive activity helps you apply the 5-step SME risk process through quick, practical exercises. You’ll score real-world scenarios, prioritise risks, and choose treatment options, with instant feedback.
Module 3 — Core SME Risk Areas
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9
Email, phishing, and identity risks
This unit focuses on the most common SME entry point for attacks—email and identity—and explains how phishing and Business Email Compromise lead to fraud, data exposure, and wider account takeover. You’ll learn how to recognise modern phishing patterns, why passwords alone are not enough, and why MFA + payment verification rules are among the highest-value controls for SMEs. Practical habits (the “10-second pause”) and takeover warning signs help you act early and reduce damage before an incident escalates.
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10
Ransomware & backups
This unit explains ransomware as a business interruption risk for SMEs and shows why the priority is resilience and recovery, not perfect prevention. You’ll learn common entry points, what ransomware impact looks like in daily operations, and why backups only matter if they are protected and restore-tested. Practical guidance covers the 3-2-1 backup rule, protecting backups from attackers, and setting realistic recovery targets (RTO/RPO), including what to check if most of your data is in the cloud.
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11
Data protection & access control
This unit explains how data protection and access control reduce cyber risk by limiting exposure and acting as a “damage limiter” when mistakes or account compromise occur. You’ll learn how to map where your data lives, apply least privilege, avoid common cloud-sharing and account-management pitfalls, and strengthen device protection. It also connects everyday practices to GDPR principles—data minimisation and storage limitation—showing how keeping less data and reviewing access regularly can prevent small issues from becoming major breaches.
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12
Activity: From Inbox to Backups Cyber Practice
Put Module 3 into action with quick exercises covering the most common SME risk areas: phishing and identity threats, invoice fraud (BEC) prevention, ransomware response, backup readiness, and access control decisions.
Module 4 — Turning Risks into Actions
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13
Choosing controls that fit your SME
This unit helps you choose cybersecurity controls that are realistic for an SME—because “best practice” only works if it can be implemented and followed consistently. You’ll learn how to combine technical, process, and people controls, prioritise quick wins that reduce multiple risks, and map controls to whether they lower likelihood, impact, or both. A practical SME baseline and a simple 3-month implementation sprint show how to improve security without overwhelming staff.
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14
Incidents: prepare, respond, recover
This unit prepares SMEs to handle cybersecurity incidents with speed and clarity, focusing on practical steps that reduce damage and downtime. You’ll learn what counts as an incident, what to do in the first hour (contain, preserve information, contact the right people), how to communicate without confusion or blame, and how to recover safely using backups and credential resets. It also covers evidence basics, GDPR breach escalation principles, and a simple tabletop exercise so your response is practiced—not improvised—when it matters most.
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15
Activity: The SME Decision Challenge
Step into an SME role and test how well you turn risk into action—without heavy reading. First, play a Control Selection Game where you choose 5 high-value controls from 12 options and get instant feedback on what fits real SME best practice. Then, tackle a real-time incident simulation (account compromise → BEC attempt) with timed, decision-by-decision consequences, ending in a results dashboard with personalised insights and a retry option.
Toolbox: Templates, Resources & Assessment
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16
Template A — Asset & Process ListUse this template to map the critical processes, systems, and data your SME relies on to operate. It helps you identify what matters most first, so you can focus risk management on the assets and workflows that would cause real disruption if they failed or were exposed.
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17
Template B — Risk Register (Starter)
Use this template to document a small, actionable list of risks (typically 8–15) using clear risk statements, simple scoring (likelihood × impact), and treatment decisions. It turns “general concerns” into a prioritised list of risks with owners, due dates, and review dates—so actions don’t get lost.
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18
Template C — Top 5 Controls Action Plan (3-Month Plan)
Use this template to convert your Risk Register into a focused 3-month execution plan. It helps you choose the top 5 controls that reduce risk most, assign ownership, define concrete implementation steps, and track progress without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
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19
Template D — SME First-Hour Incident Plan (Contacts + Steps)
Use this one-page checklist to prepare for incidents and respond quickly in the first hour. It includes a contact list and step-by-step actions for common SME scenarios (account compromise, ransomware), helping you contain issues, preserve key information, and reduce downtime and confusion.
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20
References & Further Reading
This section provides the core sources used to develop the course content and a curated list of additional reading for deeper understanding. The references are organised by topic (SME cyber hygiene, risk assessment, phishing, ransomware, data protection, incident response, and threat trends) so learners can quickly find authoritative guidance relevant to their needs.
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21
Final AssessmentA final knowledge check covering the key concepts of SME cybersecurity risk management: definitions, the 5-step risk process, simple scoring, and high-value controls.
Basic Cybersecurity Risk Management - Course Evaluation Survey
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Course details
Duration
10 hours
Lectures
21
Quizzes
1
Level
Beginner
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