Mastercard and Global Cyber Alliance launch cybersecurity toolkit

Financial services giant Mastercard have released a new cybersecurity toolkit in an effort to support small and medium businesses’ defences against cyberattacks.

In partnership with the Global Cyber Alliance (GCA), this free online resource is available worldwide and offers actionable guidance and tools with clear directions to combat the increasing volume of cyberattacks.

In the announcement, Mastercard alluded to Verizon’s ‘2018 Data Breach Report’ that some estimates indicate that 58% of cyberattacks are targeted against small businesses.

These attacks include phishing, malware and ransomware – all of which can have devastating financial consequences.

The collaboration anticipates that resourcing small businesses with tools to protect themselves from ever-evolving cyber risks not only strengthens their individual businesses but also supports the health of the entire commercial ecosystem, including governments and larger companies.

Mastercard chief security officer Ron Green commented on the importance of safety and security and that the two components “are core to our brand.”

He said: “Every day, we are committed to developing new and better ways to keep payments safe – especially for small businesses, the lifeblood of any economy.

“By partnering with the Global Cyber Alliance, we’re helping entrepreneurs and business owners to better protect themselves. In that way, they can stay focused on what they do best: running and growing their business.”

The GCA Cybersecurity Toolkit provides small business owners with basic security controls and guidance, including operational tools that help them take inventory of their cyber-related assets, password advice, multi-factor authentication, perform backups of critical data, prevent phishing and viruses.

Along with how-to materials and recognised practices from leading organisations in the industry.

“What sets the Global Cyber Alliance Cybersecurity Toolkit apart is that it is an action kit,” said Global Cyber Alliance president and CEO Philip Reitinger.

“Our focus is on producing a dynamic clearinghouse of operational tools that help small and medium businesses address risk and improve their cybersecurity posture, leveraging the deep expertise of our network of global partners, such as Mastercard, and the experiences of actual GCA toolkit users.”