A free government-backed online digital training and support tool is proving to be an effective weapon in the battle against cybercriminals.
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The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE) has partnered with private digital services companies, The Mind Lab and Indigo, to help businesses develop the capabilities they keep up with a rapidly changing digital environment, including tips on how to protect their systems.
More than 9100 small businesses were already taking advantage of the free training and services available on DigitalBoost.co.nz website, which was quietly launched in late December.
MBIE Better for Business services director Lisa Casagranda said the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) at MBIE was involved in providing support to businesses with online security issues, with 34 percent of businesses identifying cybersecurity and fraud as a key barrier to becoming more digital.
Global management consultants McKinsey estimated that in an eight-week period, Covid-19 had accelerated the business adoption of digital tools and services by the equivalent of five years.
Still, Cassagranda said many New Zealand businesses were yet to embrace digital technology, even though it had become increasingly essential to their success.
"We know that the ones who have really embraced digital and have really, changed the way they're working, purely because they've been forced to in many circumstances, are a lot more resilient the showing more resilient than other businesses who are perhaps still to go on that journey."
She said recent research indicates businesses using four different types of digital services, such as websites, apps, email and social media, were more likely to survive the upheaval brought by the pandemic.
"Those businesses who have really embraced digital tend to have around 40 percent more revenue than the average business."
Casagranda said the website was set up through a public-private partnership and was attracting interest from other technology companies interested in helping the sector, including Microsoft and Xero.
The government funding for DigitalBoost.co.nz runs out in June.