Small businesses supplying government can now get cyber certified for free. CyberCert’s Ryan Ettridge explains why the whole industry finally teamed up.
If your small business supplies government at any level, federal, state or local, there’s now a free way to get your cyber security properly certified this year.
CyberCert, the certification body behind the SMB1001 standard, is running a five-city event series across Australia, starting in Brisbane on 28 July. Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth follow through August. Attendance is free, and sponsored certification credits are on offer too, meaning eligible SMBs won’t pay a cent to get certified.
Why this exists
The Five Eyes intelligence alliance has warned that AI has squeezed the cyber risk timeline down to “months, not years.” That’s the backdrop for this series, a practical, no-cost starting point for SMBs who know they should be doing more on cyber security but haven’t had the budget or the roadmap to do it.
Hundreds of thousands of small businesses sit inside Australian government supply chains, and most can’t afford the consultants, tools and audits that enterprise-level cyber security normally requires. Attackers have noticed. They tend to target the third, fourth and fifth businesses down the chain, because that’s where the defences are weakest. Dynamic Business has previously reported on how a single misconfigured vendor can cost an SME a deal, a reminder that supply chain risk isn’t hypothetical, it’s already costing businesses contracts.
Who’s behind it
It’s a broad coalition, one CyberCert says hasn’t come together in this way before. Dominique Lamb, Director of Community Affairs at Brisbane 2032, opens the Brisbane leg, tying supplier security to the lead up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Scyne Advisory, which advises and audits for Australian governments, is hosting four of the five events and will brief attendees on what agencies, government-owned corporations and councils now expect from suppliers. Managed service providers Ethan Indigenous and Arxis are handling the implementation side, walking businesses through what certification actually involves.
On the technology side, Fortinet, LastPass and MyCISO are supplying the platforms. Coalition, one of the world’s largest cyber insurers, is there to link certification directly to insurability. Cyber Wardens, the government-backed awareness program run by COSBOA, is bringing the cyber literacy piece to the room.
“When we help the SMB, we help the entire ecosystem: the supply chain, the economy, and every citizen who relies on the services small businesses deliver. No regulator, vendor or standard closes this gap alone; an aligned community that makes it simple, affordable and certifiable does. That’s what this series is: the whole ecosystem, in one room, getting SMBs moving,” said Ryan Ettridge, Co-Founder and CEO of CyberCert.
How it works
CyberCert compares it to getting a driver’s licence and a roadworthiness certificate. Cyber Wardens teaches the basics, practical cyber literacy without turning business owners into IT specialists. CyberCert then certifies that the “vehicle” is roadworthy, giving procurement teams, boards, insurers and regulators something objective they can rely on. Awareness gets the door open. Certification is what proves it locks. For SMBs wanting a head start before the event, Dynamic Business has outlined four practical cyber security steps worth adding to a 2026 business plan.
“Supply chain attacks have doubled in the past year, and 30 per cent of all breaches now originate from a third party. For SMBs working in or alongside the defence and government sector, an unassessed security posture isn’t just a business risk, it’s a barrier to contracts, accreditation, and the trust that underpins them. The organisations we advise are only as secure as every supplier in their chain. These events and national focus is how we start closing that gap at scale. Very excited to be part of this,” said Peter Johnson, Managing Director, Scyne Advisory.
Where and when
Each event runs from 8am to midday, and registration is free:
- Brisbane – Tuesday 28 July, Scyne Advisory, Level 19, 12 Creek Street
- Sydney – Tuesday 4 August, The Hub, Wynyard
- Melbourne – Tuesday 11 August, Scyne Advisory, Level 10, 33 Exhibition Street
- Adelaide – Tuesday 18 August, Scyne Advisory, Level 5, 50 Rundle Mall
- Perth – Wednesday 26 August, Scyne Advisory, Level 26, Central Park, 152 St Georges Terrace
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