Global Cyber Alliance Cybersecurity Toolkit for Small Business
Fully-fundedFree and effective cybersecurity tools to secure your organisation
The Global Cyber Alliance Cybersecurity Toolkit is a free online resource for small businesses to reduce cyber risk.
The Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) Cybersecurity Toolkit for Small Business addresses the most common cyber risks affecting small businesses who conduct any aspect of their business via email or over the Internet. The structure and content of the toolkit enables small businesses to precisely target and resolve common weaknesses so they can focus more time and resources on their core business objectives. Research has shown that implementing these steps across a business can significantly reduce the cyber risk they face.
It is specifically designed for small businesses with clear, actionable guidance, and relevant tools to help protect them from cyber risks faced on a daily basis.
The toolkit guides the user through six best cyber hygiene practices including
- taking an inventory,
- applying security updates,
- utilizing strong passwords,
- implementing two-factor authentication,
- protecting against phishing and malware,
- backing up data, and
- protecting email and brand reputation
Get Access to the GCA Cybersecurity Toolkit
The Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) was formed in 2015 to address systemic cyber risk through a proactive risk-based, solution-oriented approach to address and eradicate malicious cyber risks. It is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to making the Internet a safer place by reducing cyber risk.
They build programs, tools, and partnerships to sustain a trustworthy Internet to enable social and economic progress for all. Through the leadership and vision of each of the founders, they have been a tremendous catalyst to bring an international community together to positively improve our global online cybersecurity posture.
This global organisation has a great partnership network that spans every sector, bringing together partners and professional communities to provide concrete, measurable solutions to reduce cyber risk. From New York, London, Brussels, and around the globe, they unite the best and brightest cyber minds to do good.
Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet is delighted to be working with GCA to bring this important solution to Ireland. Read on to hear how your business can benefit. The only cost to you is time.
Alongside the tools, and accessible from the toolkit, GCA has developed a series of simple mini courses, each lasting approximately 15 minutes. They can be taken at any time and pace to enhance understanding of these risks and their potential impact from a business perspective. These courses also give access to a number of handy downloadable checklists and reference sheets.
The 7 mini courses are:
- Understanding Cyber Risk for Small Business
- How to Inventory Your Devices, Apps & Accounts
- Software Updates & Business Security
- Creating Strong Passwords & Two-Factor Authentication
- Protecting Your Business Data with Backups
- Protect Against Email Spoofs & Phishing
The GCA Cybersecurity Toolkit for Small Business is freely available. The toolkit is applicable for any small organisation with limited IT expertise, resource or budget – whether commercial, not for profit or mission-based.
Get Access to the GCA Cybersecurity Toolkit
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions our team are asked most often about this programme. If your question is not answered here, make an enquiry and we will come back to you.
The toolkit is designed for small businesses and organisations that want to improve their cybersecurity without requiring a large IT team or cybersecurity budget. It is particularly useful for organisations with limited in-house technical expertise that need clear, practical steps to reduce common cyber risks. Commercial, nonprofit and mission-based organisations can all use the toolkit.
Yes. The toolkit and its supporting resources are available free of charge. There is no course fee, and you can start using the resources at any time. The Global Cyber Alliance created the toolkit to give small organisations access to practical cybersecurity guidance and tools without the cost associated with many commercial cybersecurity solutions.
No specialist cybersecurity expertise is required to get started. The toolkit is specifically designed for organisations with limited IT knowledge, resources or budget. Resources range in technical complexity, with GCA identifying tools from Level 1, requiring minimal technical knowledge, through to more advanced resources for users with greater technical experience.
The toolkit guides businesses through six core areas of cyber hygiene: understanding what devices, applications and accounts you have; keeping systems and software secure and up to date; strengthening passwords and authentication; protecting against phishing and malware; backing up and recovering data; and protecting business email and reputation.
It is primarily a practical cybersecurity toolkit, providing step-by-step guidance, tools and resources that businesses can use to improve their security. GCA also provides a free online learning portal with a series of seven self-paced cybersecurity mini-courses for small businesses, allowing users to build their knowledge alongside implementing the toolkit.
There is no fixed timetable. The toolkit is self-paced and on-demand, so you can work through the six steps according to the needs and available time of your business. GCA also provides short self-paced learning resources, allowing organisations to improve their cybersecurity gradually rather than having to complete everything at once.
The toolkit combines practical instructions with cybersecurity tools, guides and resources that help businesses take action. Areas include device and application inventories, software updates, data encryption, strong passwords, two-factor authentication, antivirus and phishing protection, secure backups, DNS security and email protection measures such as DMARC.
You can start at any time through the Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet course page. Once you access the toolkit, you can work through the resources at your own pace and use the areas most relevant to your organisation’s current cybersecurity needs. There are no scheduled classes or fixed intake dates.
