CyberWarden RoundTable: Elevating Small Businesses in the Cyber Supply Chain

We were proud to represent WA’s cyber innovation community at the recent Cyber Wardens roundtable, focused on the theme:

“Small Business – the Forgotten Link in the Critical Infrastructure Supply Chain.”

This robust discussion brought together national leaders, cybersecurity advocates, and small business champions to address a pressing issue:
➡️ How do we better protect the 2 million+ small businesses that underpin Australia’s economy and digital infrastructure?

Key insights from the roundtable:
✅ Small businesses are increasingly targeted by cyber threats due to limited resources and low cyber maturity.
✅ Many SMEs misjudge cyber risk as purely technical, overlooking the human and capability-driven aspects.
✅ There’s a growing need to embed cyber resilience into the DNA of small business operations—especially those connected to critical infrastructure.
✅ Collaboration between government, industry, and community hubs like CyberWest is essential to build scalable, inclusive solutions.

At CyberWest Hub, we’re committed to:
🌐 Empowering SMEs with practical cyber tools and training
🤝 Building partnerships that strengthen the entire supply chain
📣 Advocating for small business inclusion in national cyber strategies

This roundtable served as a reminder of what Lt. Gen. Michelle McGuiness, CSC, shared at our recent CyberWest Summit: Cybersecurity is Everyone’s Business. Cybersecurity isn’t just a tech issue—it’s a shared responsibility that spans across businesses, communities and governance. We all have a role to play in securing our digital future.

Once again, thanks to Fleur Anderson and the Cyber Wardens team for organising this timely discussion. Let’s keep the momentum going.

If small businesses are the forgotten link, what will it take to make them the strongest one?