Advice can range from strengthening checks on prospective employees to reduce insider threats to measures to guard against cyber-attacks.
UK tech start-ups and other innovative businesses can apply for government support to protect their intellectual property from powerful competitors, including threats from other states and hostile actors.
In a statement, technology secretary Peter Kyle said up to 500 small or medium-sized companies will potentially benefit from new Secure Innovation Security Reviews, which involve approved experts giving tailored advice to teams on risks they face, so they can build thriving businesses which create jobs and support the economy.
The advice can range from strengthening checks on prospective employees to reduce insider threats and ensure their suitability for handling sensitive information, to key cybersecurity measures to guard against common cyber-attacks.
Kyle said: “The UK economy is built on the courage, ambition and hard work of small businesses which ultimately benefits us all, creating new technologies and jobs that grow our economy under our Plan for Change.
“By supporting firms to protect their innovations, this government-backed scheme will help those who put the hours in to reap the rewards while keeping key companies and sectors safe from malicious larger competitors, including state actors.”
The funding call is now live, and eligible organisations must be small or medium sized enterprises which employ under 250 people. To take part in the scheme, companies will need to apply through Innovate UK and contribute £500, with £2,500 covered by the government.
Security Health Check
Reviews will involve a site visit of the company to carry out a ‘security health check’, against a framework developed by the UK’s national technical authorities, NPSA and the NCSC, who will then provide the company with a bespoke report with recommendations for improvement. The professional will conduct a follow up with the company after six months to gauge improvements made since the site visit.
Richard Horne, CEO of the NCSC, said: “Small and medium-sized businesses power the UK’s innovation engine - but where ideas thrive, threats are never far behind.
“States, state-backed competitors, and cyber-criminals target cutting-edge ideas and valuable data, exploiting gaps in cyber and protective security defences to launch attacks that can cripple organisations and steal their most sensitive innovations.
“That’s why building resilience is no longer optional - it’s essential for business growth and survival. I encourage SMEs across the UK to take advantage of the NCSC and NPSA-backed Secure Innovation Security Reviews scheme.”
Written by
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with 25 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 17 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Forum, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and the National Cyber Security Show, and served as editor of SC Media UK, Infosecurity Magazine and IT Security Guru. He was also an analyst with 451 Research and a product marketing lead at Tenable.
