Cyber Security in Cessnock NSW

Small businesses get attacked because they're easy, not because they're interesting. Most incidents start with something ordinary: a stolen email password, a fake invoice that looks like it came from a regular supplier, or a computer that hasn't been updated in a year. The fixes are mostly ordinary too, and they don't need a big budget.

Steven Galvin helps small businesses around Cessnock and the Hunter Valley put the basics in place properly. He looks at how your business actually works, closes the most likely gaps first, and explains each change in plain English so your staff understand why it matters. You'll get a clear price before any work begins.

The basics that stop most attacks

Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) for email, banking, accounting software and anything else that holds money or customer details. It means a stolen password on its own isn't enough to get in. An authenticator app is stronger than text message codes, and either is far better than nothing.

Keep every computer, phone and router updated, and replace anything that no longer receives security updates. Give each staff member their own login and keep admin rights for the people who genuinely need them. Back up business data automatically, keep at least one copy offline or somewhere ransomware can't reach, and test that you can restore from it.

Finally, set a firm rule for payments: any change to a supplier's bank details is confirmed by phone, on a number you already have on file, never the one in the email. That single habit stops most invoice fraud.

The Essential Eight, in plain English

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) publishes the Essential Eight, eight mitigation strategies that make a business much harder to break into. They are application control (only approved programs can run), patching applications, configuring Microsoft Office macro settings, hardening user applications such as web browsers, restricting administrative privileges, patching operating systems, multi-factor authentication, and regular backups.

The ACSC describes maturity levels for each strategy, so a business can improve step by step rather than all at once. Steven uses the Essential Eight as a practical framework to see where your business stands and what to tackle first. He doesn't certify businesses or carry out formal compliance audits, but he can get the foundations in place and explain plainly where you sit on each one.

Your staff are part of the defence

Most attacks begin by tricking a person, so a short, plain English session for your team is worth a lot. Steven shows real examples of the scam emails and fake login pages doing the rounds, explains what to check before clicking, and makes it clear that owning up to a mistake quickly is always better than hiding it. A moment's hesitation over a strange email costs nothing. Cleaning up after a breach costs a great deal.

Steven can also help you put together a one-page guide for staff covering what to do when something looks suspicious, who to tell, and which requests should always be checked by phone first.

How a job works

1. 1

   Get in touch

   Call or send an enquiry and describe the problem. Steven books a time that suits you.

2. 2

   Free diagnosis

   He looks at the device or system and explains what is wrong in plain English.

3. 3

   Clear price

   You get an upfront price before any work begins, so there are no surprises.

4. 4

   Fixed and tested

   The repair is done and tested before it goes back to you.

Cyber Security: common questions