Small businesses and organisations in Australia are being asked to share their experiences with cybercrime as Parliament begins a closer examination of the challenges they face. The House Select Committee on Cyber Security for Small to Medium Sized Businesses and Organisations held its first public hearing on Tuesday, 6 October.
Committee chair Sally Sitou MP outlined the purpose of the inquiry. “Running a small business is demanding enough without having to worry about cyber criminals targeting your operations, customer data or finances,” said Ms Sally Sitou MP, Chair of the Committee. “We want to hear what’s working, what’s not, and what government, industry and cyber security experts can do to better support small businesses to deal with modern day cyber threats.”
The House established the committee on 4 June 2026. Its inquiry will assess the cyber maturity of Australian small and medium businesses and not-for-profits. It will also examine whether government guidance is adequate, appropriate and easy to access, along with available cyber security standards, access to security services and the role of employee training.
The committee will also study how a business’s cyber security maturity affects its ability to work with government agencies and large corporations.
When the inquiry began in July, Sitou said: “This is the first federal inquiry to take a close look at the cyber security challenges facing small and medium-sized businesses.” The committee is due to submit its final report by 31 March 2027.
Data from the Australian Signals Directorate shows more than 84,700 cybercrime reports were recorded in FY2024-25, averaging 1 report every 6 minutes. The average self-reported cost for small businesses was $56,600 per report, up 14%. These figures cover reported incidents and may not reflect every case.
A 2024 survey found cyber security was the 3rd biggest concern for small businesses, behind energy prices and staff costs. Some 51% of businesses surveyed considered cyber threats a medium or high risk.
Written submissions closed on 28 August. A stakeholder survey remains open until 29 January 2027 and covers cyber incidents, security costs and access to advice and support. Hearings are also being broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.
The inquiry has 7 hearings. The remaining dates are 16, 19, 20 and 22 October, 2 November and 4 November. The committee will hear from businesses, cyber security experts, government officials and sector groups.
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